Inputs
Example data table
| Scenario | Distance | Speed | Mobilize | Work | Delays | Buffer | ETA | Completion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Routine inspection | 12 km | 40 km/h | 20 min | 60 min | Access 10 | 5% | ~45 min | ~2 hr |
| Priority repair | 25 km | 50 km/h | 35 min | 150 min | Weather 20 | 10% | ~85 min | ~4 hr |
| Critical emergency | 35 km | 55 km/h | 25 min | 180 min | Access 25 | 15% | ~75 min | ~5 hr |
Values are illustrative. Your site conditions may differ.
Formula used
Travel time (min) = (distance ÷ speed) × 60, with unit conversion.
Adjusted mobilization = mobilization × priority factor.
Adjusted work = base work × complexity × priority factor.
ETA = (adjusted mobilization + travel + communication + availability delay) × (1 + buffer%).
Completion time = (ETA components + adjusted work + weather delay + access delay) × (1 + buffer%). Results can be advanced by calendar time or working hours.
How to use this calculator
- Choose the request type, priority, and crew availability.
- Enter travel distance and a realistic average speed.
- Add mobilization and communication time for your process.
- Set base on-site work and a complexity factor.
- Include weather and access delays if expected.
- Add a buffer and pick a rounding interval.
- Enable working-hours scheduling for shift-based planning.
- Press “Estimate response time” to view results above.
Professional guidance for response time planning
Response time estimates help construction teams set clear expectations, allocate resources, and reduce lost productivity when issues appear on site. A reliable estimate is more than travel distance. It combines mobilization (tools, permits, safety briefing), communication steps (dispatch, approvals, gate access), and the work itself. When these parts are measured consistently, supervisors can compare scenarios, prioritize urgent requests, and track service performance across projects.
This calculator converts distance and speed into travel minutes, then adds your operational delays. Priority influences response behavior by applying a factor to mobilization and the on‑site work duration. Complexity increases work time for tasks with isolation procedures, multiple trades, confined access, or documentation requirements. Weather and access delays represent common site constraints such as rain stoppages, hoist queues, lockout coordination, and escort timing. Finally, a buffer percentage adds contingency so the final ETA is realistic rather than optimistic.
For shift-based operations, the working-hours option advances time only within your workday window and can skip weekends. This is useful for planned inspections, scheduled repairs, or tasks that cannot occur after hours. For emergency callouts, you may prefer calendar time to reflect a true 24/7 response. A simple rounding step keeps reporting consistent when communicating estimates to clients, owners, and subcontractors.
Example: A priority repair travels 25 km at 50 km/h (≈30 min). Mobilization is 35 min, communication 10 min, base work 150 min, complexity 1.2, weather delay 20 min, access delay 10 min, buffer 10%, and availability is immediate. The tool will produce an ETA near 85 minutes and a completion time near 4 hours, matching the sample table above.
For consistent estimates, standardize inputs across supervisors. Keep a simple log of typical mobilization times by crew type, average access delays by gate or floor, and recurring weather impacts by season. If your contract includes response targets, set internal thresholds for “Rapid,” “Standard,” and “Extended” service levels that align with those targets. Review outliers after major incidents to identify root causes such as missing materials, unclear scope, or repeated approvals. Over a few weeks, these benchmarks make planning meetings faster and improve the credibility of your communicated ETAs.
Use these estimates to coordinate staffing, arrange permits, notify stakeholders, and sequence follow-on work. After each response, compare actual times to estimates and refine your typical mobilization, access, and complexity values. Small adjustments improve forecast accuracy and strengthen operational planning over time.
FAQs
1) What does “ETA” include in this calculator?
ETA includes adjusted mobilization, travel time, communication delay, availability delay, and your buffer. It represents the estimated time until the crew arrives and is ready to start work.
2) How should I choose an average travel speed?
Use a realistic speed based on typical traffic, site access, and parking or staging constraints. If the route is variable, choose a conservative speed to reduce underestimation.
3) What is the purpose of the complexity factor?
Complexity scales the base on-site work time. Increase it for multi-trade coordination, confined spaces, extra documentation, isolation procedures, or tasks that need careful sequencing.
4) When should I enable working-hours scheduling?
Enable it when work is limited to shifts, inspections must occur during daytime, or site rules restrict after-hours activity. It helps convert minutes into realistic calendar timestamps.
5) Why do priority settings change mobilization and work time?
Priority reflects how quickly teams can reorganize resources. High priority can reduce internal handling and task execution time, while low priority often waits behind other commitments.
6) How much buffer should I add?
Typical buffers range from 5–15% depending on site uncertainty. Use higher buffers for complex locations, frequent access delays, or weather exposure, and lower buffers for controlled environments.
7) Can I use the downloads for reporting?
Yes. Run a calculation first, then download CSV or PDF. The exports include inputs and results, which supports daily logs, client updates, and internal performance tracking.