The Trade Sequencing Mistake That Costs MEP Contractors $50k/Project

The Hidden Cost of Poor Trade Sequencing You’re halfway through the project, and suddenly, ductwork clashes with structural steel. The plumber’s already installed the pipes. The GC is furious. Sound familiar? This scenario plays out far too often in small to mid-sized MEP firms, where poor trade sequencing during coordination leads to last-minute changes, field rework, and costly delays. These aren’t just minor hiccups; for every project where sequencing is ignored or mismanaged, MEP contractors can lose up to $50,000 per project due to: Labor hours spent on rework Material waste from misfabrication Crew downtime waiting for resolution Penalties from missed deadlines The frustrating part? These losses are preventable. In this article, we’ll break down what trade sequencing really means in the context of MEP coordination, the key missteps that lead to coordination breakdowns, and how leading MEP teams are resolving it with smarter workflows, not bigger teams. Let’s dissect the mis...