In the world of construction, timelines are more than just schedules—they are critical indicators of health, coordination, and control. When a project that began long ago shows minimal completion, it often reflects a deeper, systemic issue. This kind of mismatch between the start date and the current progress signals that something is going seriously wrong, and it demands attention from stakeholders.
Delays and Stalled Work
One of the most telling signs of trouble is the presence of long-standing delays or even complete project stagnation. A very old start date coupled with low progress often means that construction has either been severely delayed or halted altogether. This could result from poor planning, labor unavailability, weather-related interruptions, or unresolved issues at the site. Sometimes, it points to outright abandonment, where no significant work has been carried out for months or even years. Such a situation often implies that the project is no longer being actively managed, and there’s little to no urgency from the parties involved to move things forward.
Financial Bottlenecks
Another major contributor to this problem is funding and cash flow constraints. Construction projects require a steady stream of capital, and any disruptions in financing can bring progress to a standstill. A project with limited completion despite an old start date may have exhausted its initial funds and failed to secure follow-up investments. In other cases, clients or developers may be facing liquidity problems, resulting in delayed payments to contractors and suppliers. This financial instability sends ripples through the supply chain, halting work and making it difficult to maintain even basic operations on site.
Weak Project Management
Even if a project is adequately funded, ineffective project management can severely hamper progress. When coordination among stakeholders breaks down, or when schedules are not actively monitored and updated, construction activity can lose momentum. A long-standing project with low percentage completion may reflect misaligned schedules, delays in procurement, or general mismanagement. Without a clearly defined roadmap, work becomes unstructured and reactive, leading to wasted time and resources. In such cases, management controls are often either weak or entirely absent, causing the project to drift.
Legal and Regulatory Complications
Legal or regulatory barriers are another reason why a project may remain largely incomplete over an extended period. Ongoing disputes over land ownership, zoning restrictions, or permit delays can all bring construction activity to a halt. In more severe cases, a court may issue an injunction that stops work entirely. A project caught in legal limbo can remain idle for years, with very little physical progress to show, even though a substantial amount of time has elapsed since the official start date.
Frequent Scope Changes
Sometimes, the lack of progress is not due to inaction but due to too much change. Projects that are frequently revised or redesigned due to evolving client demands, updated architectural plans, or shifting stakeholder expectations often suffer from significant delays. Each scope change can reset timelines and introduce new complications. When a project is continually altered without structured change management practices, it leads to rework, confusion, and inefficiencies. This contributes to the perception of a slow-moving project, even if a considerable amount of effort has gone into addressing shifting requirements.
When a construction project’s start date is buried in the past and the percentage of completion remains low, it serves as a loud and clear signal that something is wrong. Whether it stems from funding problems, mismanagement, legal hurdles, or ongoing changes in scope, the result is the same—prolonged delays and growing risk. For stakeholders, such a mismatch between time and progress requires urgent diagnosis and corrective action. Without intervention, the project risks becoming a financial, operational, and reputational liability.
Criteria Used
Investment risk is calculated based on the project start date and completion progress. The older the project and slower the progress, the longer it is likely to take to complete. However this criteria should be considered in combination with some of the many other risk indicators when assessing a project’s health. In many cases, projects have seen extraordinary interest from developers with increased run rate and fund injection. Future timelines are risk metrics only. Please refer to each developer for actual handover dates.