Pull Planning in Construction: A Practical Implementation Guide

By

Josh Krissansen

Last Updated Feb 6, 2026

By

Josh Krissansen

When teams plan in isolation, handoffs are unclear, and constraints emerge too late to influence the sequence, the outcome is predictable:

Construction projects slip.

This reduces schedule reliability and increases commercial exposure across a project portfolio. The issue lies in how planning is structured.

This is where construction pull planning comes in. The approach brings constraints forward, creates real-time visibility of commitments, and gives leaders earlier insight into emerging risk, enabling faster, more accurate decisions that protect delivery.

This article explains what pull planning is and how you can implement it effectively, measure its commercial impact, and embed it into construction workflows to improve schedule reliability.

What is Construction Pull Planning?

Construction pull planning is a collaborative scheduling method where project stakeholders plan backward from a defined milestone to identify the activities, dependencies and handoffs required to achieve it. 

This approach can be applied to an entire project or focused on a specific phase, such as structure, MEP, or interior fit-out.

To implement pull planning: 

• Teams use a visual planning surface with colour-coded notes representing each trade or activity. 
• They work from right to left to clarify the sequence required to reach the milestone. This shows when each task must be completed for the next trade to begin.
• Forward-looking tools, such as the Critical Path Method, are additionally used to refine the schedule and verify alignment with actual site conditions.

Push Planning vs. Pull Planning

Although both are part of the preconstruction process, pull and push planning are different approaches.

Once teams experience the clarity that comes from planning backwards from a milestone, the next question is how to sustain that reliability week to week. 

Pull planning sets out the sequence of work. Lean construction provides the principles behind it. The Last Planner System then applies both in practice – transforming a collaborative planning session into an ongoing process for coordinating work, removing constraints, and managing commitments.

Lean Construction Principles and The Last Planner System

Lean construction focuses on maximising value, removing waste, and maintaining continuous flow across a project. Pull planning sits within this framework and provides a structured way to sequence work based on what the next trade needs rather than a static program.

The Last Planner System provides the production control structure that enables these outcomes. It connects pull planning with make-ready planning, weekly work planning, and daily huddles to create a consistent approach to construction planning and execution.

Lean delivery relies on three core rules that guide teams in planning and completing work.

• Pull: Complete work only when the next trade requires it, so the sequence is driven by demand.
• Collaborate: Develop the plan with all stakeholders to ensure that sequencing and durations accurately reflect the knowledge of the teams performing the work.
• Commit: Make reliable promises for dates and handoff conditions and hold teams accountable for meeting them.

Research across twenty-five projects showed that strong Last Planner performance was linked to higher Percent Plan Complete, lower PPC variability, and fewer Reasons for Non-Compliance from the early stages of delivery. These projects maintained predictable outcomes because teams removed constraints early and upheld commitments throughout execution.

The system enhances planning reliability by identifying constraints, confirming handoff conditions, and using weekly and daily cadences to track progress and resolve issues before they impact the schedule.

Who Participates in a Pull Planning Session?

A pull planning session brings together the people who control workflow, understand site conditions, and can make reliable commitments for their teams.

• Project Manager or General Contractor

  Leads the session, maintains structure, guides discussion, and ensures the plan aligns with project objectives.

• Superintendent

  Provides site-based knowledge, validates sequencing and access requirements, and confirms what is realistic for field execution.

• Trade Foremen or Trade Leads

  Represent each specialty, confirm task durations and handoff conditions, and identify constraints that influence their work.

• Design Representatives

  Architects or engineers clarify design intent, resolve information gaps, and confirm that planned sequences meet technical requirements.

• Safety Officer

  Identifies safety risks within the sequence, verifies access conditions, and ensures activities comply with safety standards.

• Quality Supervisor

  Confirms quality requirements for each handoff, validates inspection points, and ensures the sequence supports specification compliance.

Early involvement from all participants strengthens handoffs because teams understand the dependencies that support their work. It also surfaces sequencing issues and long-lead constraints before they affect the schedule.

Pull Planning in Construction: A Step-By-Step Process

Pull planning follows a three-part process that aligns teams on the path to a milestone and ensures the planned sequence can be delivered in the field.

The approach begins by defining the target condition, proceeds to collaborative sequencing of activities and handoffs, and concludes with the removal of constraints that threaten delivery.

Step One: Establish Project Milestones

A pull planning session starts with a well-defined milestone, such as final completion, substantial completion, or a phase boundary, including structure, building dry-in, or MEP rough-in.

The facilitator places the milestone note on the far right of the planning surface using a distinct colour or shape so it remains prominent once the wall fills with activities. Clear start and end boundaries focus the discussion, and colour coding for trades ensures task ownership is immediately visible.

A clearly articulated milestone creates the target condition that anchors the session. It frames every activity in terms of the prerequisites needed to achieve the outcome.

For example: 

• A multi-storey office project may hold dedicated sessions for structure, envelope, MEP rough-in and interior fit-out. 
• In the envelope session, the facilitator places a note for building dry by June 30 on the right and asks which activities must be completed by that date.

Step Two: Sequence Activities And Handoffs

Once the target condition is established, the group works backward to develop a sequence that reflects how the project will actually be built.

Each trade contributes its activities, confirms durations, and identifies dependencies. Handoffs are defined with precision by agreeing on the specific conditions required before the next trade can begin. The conversation then shifts to opportunities for parallel work, where access, safety, and quality conditions can support it.

This stage also exposes the constraints that undermine reliability. Missing information, long lead materials, access limitations, and pending approvals are recorded, assigned, and given resolution dates so that they do not interrupt the planned sequence.

For example:

• A mechanical team assigned to a building development identifies that the rooftop unit has a two-week lead time. 
• The structural engineer confirms the roof deck requires a one-week cure period before installation. 
• The team reconciles both requirements by adjusting the sequence and committing to order the unit early enough to align with onsite conditions.

Step Three: Remove Constraints And Align Commitments

The final phase ensures the plan is executable.

The group reviews the constraint log and verifies that labour, materials, information, and site access will be available when required.

Weekly work planning cadences are established so commitments are consistently reviewed and upheld. Daily huddles provide a short feedback loop, allowing foremen to surface emerging issues before they impact the sequence.

The team documents the completed plan, incorporates it into a digital schedule and translates it into weekly work plans with clearly defined ownership. Each participant confirms responsibility for their activities and handoff dates, creating commitments that can be measured and reinforced.

For example:

• An electrical foreman commits to completing rough-in by week eight and highlights that lighting fixture submittals must be approved by week six. 
• The project manager assigns the architect to complete the review within five business days and records the commitment. 
• The team verifies progress in week five during the weekly work planning meeting.

Best Practices For Reliable Pull Plan Meetings

• Keep Sessions Structured And Focused

  Sessions are most effective when limited to two or three hours. Beyond this point, decision quality declines, and the accuracy of durations and handoff logic weakens.
  
  Planning by phase produces more reliable sequences because participants focus on work they directly control, rather than attempting to map an entire project in one session.

• Use A Neutral And Skilled Facilitator

  A facilitator with strong technical knowledge maintains discipline and prevents unrealistic durations or incomplete handoffs from being accepted.
  
  Targeted questioning strengthens the plan by testing assumptions about time, access, and readiness. Asking why a duration is workable or what conditions enable a handoff exposes constraints that would otherwise remain hidden.

• Write Precise Tasks And Formalise Handoffs

  Task notes should specify scope, location, and duration to make variability visible and manageable. Precise handoff conditions give downstream trades clarity about what they will receive, reducing rework and eliminating disputes triggered by incomplete or ambiguous work.

• Maintain Collaborative Control Of The Planning Surface

  Changes to another trade’s note should only occur with agreement. This reinforces ownership of commitments and ensures that sequencing issues are resolved collectively, rather than being pushed downstream.
  
  Open conflict resolution strengthens accountability and reduces later claims about responsibility for delays.

• Capture And Digitise The Plan Immediately

  Document the pull planning board or wall as soon as the session concludes and convert it into a digital schedule while the context is fresh. Immediate capture preserves the logic behind durations, constraints, and handoffs.
  
  Using platforms that synchronise tasks in real time ensures field teams always operate from the latest information.

• Use Technology To Strengthen Reliability And Risk Visibility

  Digital tools can surface schedule risks, such as overdue RFIs, unprocured long-lead items, or recurring constraints affecting the same trades.
  
  Research on Victorian rail and road alliances found that digital Last Planner adoption only improved reliability when supported by clear organisational ownership and designated champions who maintain discipline across the weekly cycle.

Benefits and Measurable Outcomes of Construction Pull Planning

Pull planning strengthens delivery by clarifying sequencing, defining handoff conditions and resolving constraints before they influence progress. These behaviours reduce delays and rework while improving coordination across trades.

Accountability improves because teams commit to conditions they can deliver, and communication becomes more targeted as everyone understands how their work affects the sequence. Field morale rises when the plan reflects practical durations, access requirements and the realities of site logistics.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) To Track

These metrics demonstrate whether teams are meeting their commitments and whether schedule reliability is improving. Strong KPI performance reduces the risk of liquidated damages, lowers dispute costs, and keeps cash flow aligned with milestone dates.

Percent Plan Complete (PPC)

PPC measures the percentage of weekly commitments completed on time.

Published studies show that traditional performance averages around 54%, while case-based research on Lean implementation reports improvements toward 85% once teams adopt structured planning and constraint-removal practices.

Higher PPC reduces the frequency and duration of delays, lowers exposure to liquidated damages, and helps teams meet payment milestones that support steady cash flow.

Lookahead Hit Rate

Lookahead hit rate tracks how many tasks in the three-week lookahead occur as planned.

A high hit rate indicates stable sequencing and enables accurate forecasting of labour, equipment, and procurement. Reliable lookaheads support timely milestone completion, reduce the risk of extension claims, and protect margin through more efficient resource use.

Constraint Clearance Rate

Constraint clearance rate measures the percentage of constraints resolved by their target dates. Strong clearance rates prevent interruptions caused by design gaps, procurement delays or access restrictions.

Early resolution reduces the likelihood of disputes, protects against administrative costs, and keeps teams on track toward deadlines that affect cash flow.

RFIs Impacting The Schedule

This metric identifies schedule-critical RFIs that are late or unresolved.

Lower counts reduce downstream rework, minimise commercial claims, and cut the legal and administrative costs tied to information disputes. Faster RFI turnaround also safeguards sequencing on critical path activities where delays carry financial implications.

Reasons For Variance

Reasons for variance categorise why tasks were not completed as planned. Clear variance data enables targeted intervention and reduces recurring blockers that drive delay-related costs. 

Addressing systemic causes early helps avoid disputes, strengthens risk management, and increases the likelihood of meeting payment milestones without interruption.

Pull planning in construction improves schedule reliability and commercial outcomes

Pull planning gives project teams shared visibility into sequencing, handoffs, and constraints before work reaches the field. 

When combined with Last Planner practices and tracked using clear KPIs, it supports more predictable delivery, tighter control over delay risk, and stronger alignment between schedule performance and financial results.

Written by

Josh Krissansen

55 articles

Josh Krissansen is a freelance writer with two years of experience contributing to Procore's educational library. He specialises in transforming complex construction concepts into clear, actionable insights for professionals in the industry.

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