Jacksonville Floating Stairs
Jacksonville Floating Stairs
Project scheduling and guarantee concept for stair installations
Priority On-Time Guarantee

Written On-Time Guarantee With a Financial Penalty

If we miss a milestone without documented cause, the penalty comes out of our fee. That's in the contract — not just something we say.

Request a Consultation (786) 756-8812

Jacksonville Floating Stairs includes a written on-time guarantee in every project contract. It specifies milestones, defines what constitutes a delay on our part versus an external factor, and states the compensation that flows to the client if we miss.

Most contractors offer scheduling promises with no accountability attached. If they're late, the project is late, and the client absorbs the disruption. We think that's backwards. If we commit to a permit submission date, a fabrication completion date, and an installation start date, we should have skin in the game on each of those.

The guarantee has defined exclusions — permit review delays outside our control, material supply chain disruptions we couldn't anticipate, weather events that close our facility. These are documented clearly. We don't use vague language that lets us claim force majeure for ordinary scheduling problems.

This guarantee also makes us better planners. When missed milestones cost us money, we build more conservative schedules that account for realistic contingencies. We don't promise 3-week fabrication when 4 weeks is the realistic number. That honesty upfront keeps the project relationship intact.

Project scheduling and guarantee concept for stair installations
Get Started

Accountability built into the contract.

Ask us about the guarantee terms when you schedule your site visit.

Schedule Consultation (786) 756-8812
How it works

The Guarantee Structure

Contractor schedule accountability concept tied to stair project delivery
01
Milestone Schedule in the Contract
Before work starts, we build a project schedule with specific milestone dates: permit submission, permit approval target, fabrication completion, installation start, and project closeout.
02
Defined Causes & Exclusions
The contract specifies what constitutes a delay on our part and what constitutes an external factor beyond our control. The language is specific — not a catch-all clause that voids the guarantee whenever convenient.
03
Written Penalty Terms
If we miss a milestone without documented cause, a specified dollar amount comes off the final invoice. The amount is stated clearly in the contract — not left to negotiation at the time of dispute.
04
Regular Progress Updates
We provide milestone updates so you always know where the project stands. If we're tracking behind for any reason, you know before the milestone date passes — not after.
05
Closeout Verification
At project closeout, we review milestone completion against the schedule. Any penalties are applied to the final invoice automatically — no client follow-up required.
Project details

What the guarantee is meant to prevent

Most schedule problems on specialty stair work come from vague approval timing, fabrication delays, or poor handoff between engineering and installation. The guarantee exists to keep that drift from becoming your problem.

We use milestone dates because custom stair projects depend on decisions landing on time. If layout approval slips, fabrication slips. If fabrication slips, every other finish trade downstream feels it. Clear accountability is the only reason a written guarantee means anything.

Included in the planning
  • Milestones tied to approvals, fabrication release, and installation windows
  • Clear ownership when delays come from our side of the project
  • Scheduling discipline that supports move-in dates and larger remodel timelines
Common Questions

On-Time Guarantee — FAQ

What milestones does the guarantee cover?
Permit submission date, fabrication completion, installation start, and project closeout. We agree on the specific dates before contract signing. Each milestone has its own penalty clause — we're not just guaranteeing the final completion date.
What qualifies as an excluded delay?
Examples include: permit review time that exceeds the jurisdiction's published review window, material supply disruptions affecting the entire industry (not just our vendor), documented weather events that close the job site, and delays caused by changes the client requests after sign-off. These are spelled out specifically — not left to our interpretation at the time of a dispute.
What's the typical penalty amount?
It varies by project size and the milestone involved. We discuss the penalty structure when we present the contract. The amount is meaningful — enough to give us a real incentive to hit the date, not a token credit that doesn't change behavior.
Does the guarantee apply to permit delays caused by the building department?
The guarantee covers our permit submission date — whether we submitted on time. We can't control how long Duval County takes to review once a complete package is in. If review runs long due to department backlog, that's an excluded delay. If we submitted late, that's on us and the penalty applies.
Has the guarantee penalty ever been triggered?
Twice in eight years, both times related to fabrication delays outside our control — a steel service center delivery failure and a one-week facility closure from a storm. Both were excluded causes. We've never missed a milestone due to internal scheduling failures. The guarantee is part of why we plan conservatively.
Begin your project

Scheduling Accountability in Writing

Every Jacksonville project includes the written on-time guarantee. No extra charge, no special request needed.

Request a Consultation (786) 756-8812