Acceleration can be express—a direct instruction to finish earlier—or constructive, where circumstances effectively require the subcontractor to add shifts, overtime, crews, resequence work, or incur other cost to preserve an unchanged deadline after a qualifying delay.
Because entitlement depends heavily on facts and governing law, the practical pre-award focus is the subcontract's schedule-relief process, notice requirements, change authority, proof standards, and whether added acceleration cost can be passed through to the Government.
The federal changes clause expressly recognizes directed acceleration
For federal construction contracts, FAR 52.243-4 lists a direction to accelerate performance as a change that can support equitable adjustment when the clause's requirements are satisfied. The same clause also emphasizes timely written notice for other directions treated as changes.
Official source: FAR 52.243-4 — Changes.
Connect acceleration to the delay-relief process
FAR 52.249-14 provides one federal framework for excusable delay in covered contract types. At subcontract level, the key question is whether the subcontractor timely requested the schedule relief available under its agreement and documented the prime's response.
Official source: FAR 52.249-14 — Excusable Delays.
Build the acceleration record in real time
- Baseline and current schedule showing the excusable or owner-caused delay.
- Written request for time extension and supporting notice.
- Prime response, denial, silence, or direction to maintain the original completion date.
- Added crews, overtime, premium freight, shift work, resequencing, supervision, and productivity effects.
- Daily records tying the added effort to the schedule requirement.
- Separate cost codes and reservation-of-rights correspondence.
Check whether the subcontract makes acceleration a one-way risk
Some agreements let the prime direct acceleration at any time while limiting the subcontractor's recovery to amounts the prime receives from the Government. Others require written authorization before added cost is compensable. Those provisions should be identified before the company commits to a compressed project schedule.
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