Report Reveals What’s Really Behind Construction Delays — and It’s Not Just the Weather

From detoured commutes to half-finished highways, construction delays have become an everyday frustration for Americans. According to new research from Mobilization Funding, 91% of U.S. adults say they’ve had to change routes or plans because of construction, and 70% say those delays affect their daily life. Most blame poor planning or bad weather—but the real culprit often comes down to cash flow.

The “2025 Construction Delays and Payment Timing Report,” based on surveys of 600 U.S. adults and 400 construction professionals, found that while unpredictable weather remains the top disruptor, late payments cause the most damaging and prolonged setbacks. “The public sees orange cones and no crews and assumes bad planning,” says Scott Peper, CEO of Mobilization Funding. “But in many cases, subcontractors are just waiting on checks.”

The report highlights how high up-front costs and inconsistent payment schedules can limit growth, forcing more than half of contractors to turn down projects due to cash-flow risk. Peper says the solution starts before work begins—with clear payment calendars, access to mobilization funding, and transparency around when and why work slows down. “When money moves with the work,” Peper says, “projects finish on time, and everybody wins.”

Key findings include:

• For the public, disruption is routine. 91% of U.S. adults have changed routes or plans because of construction, and 70% say delays affect daily life.
• Weather is the most frequent disruptor. 43% of construction professionals named unpredictable weather as a major cause of delays, ahead of material shortages (35%), client-side holdups (31%) and permitting (29%).
• Payment delays are less frequent but more damaging when they happen. 25% of pros cited late payments as a major cause; among projects hit by late payments, 76% lose at least a week and 38% lose more than three weeks.
• The perception gap is stark. The public blames mismanagement (63%) and weather (56%); only 19% attribute delays to late contractor payments, and 67% say they’re not or only minimally familiar with how payment timing affects schedules.
• Cash-flow strain limits growth. The biggest payment challenges are high up-front costs (51%) and waiting on payment (38%); more than half (56%) have turned down projects due to cash-flow or payment risks.

Read the full 2025 Construction Delays and Payment Timing Report at Mobilization Funding’s website.