The primary purpose of a construction schedule is to serve as a comprehensive project management tool that logically sequences all construction activities from start to finish. It establishes the duration for each task and allocates the necessary resources—including labor, materials, and equipment—to each activity. This ensures a coordinated and efficient workflow, helps in monitoring progress against a baseline, and facilitates timely project completion. The schedule is the roadmap for executing the construction phase of the project.

A. While the schedule's duration heavily influences costs (e.g., general conditions, labor), its primary purpose is not to determine the initial budget, which is a separate estimating process.

C. Building code requirements are identified during the design and code analysis phases, not through the creation of the construction schedule.

D. The schedule is a project management tool that is often included in or referenced by contract documents, but its primary purpose is not the preparation of the entire contract package.

1. The American Institute of Architects. (2014). The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice (15th ed.). Wiley.

Chapter 10.2, Project Scheduling, "Scheduling Basics" (p. 658): "Scheduling is the process for determining the sequential order of the plan’s activities, assigning a duration to each activity, and specifying the resources required. The schedule is the tool that defines the project’s timeline and the key milestones from project start to project finish." This directly supports the sequencing and resource allocation function.

2. Hendrickson, C. (2008). Project Management for Construction: Fundamental Concepts for Owners, Engineers, Architects and Builders. Carnegie Mellon University.

Chapter 9, Scheduling of Project Activities, Section 9.1 (p. 211): "The objective of a project schedule is to provide a detailed plan that represents how and when the project will deliver the products, services and results defined in the project scope... A project schedule should reflect the sequence in which the project activities will be performed." This emphasizes sequencing and planning activities.

3. Construction Management Association of America (CMAA). (2015). 2015 CMAA Capstone: An In-Depth Review of the Construction Management Body of Knowledge.

Chapter 5, Time Management (p. 101): "The primary output of the Time Management process is the project schedule, which provides the timeline for the project and represents the plan for its execution. The schedule is the tool for managing the work and the timing of that work." This confirms the schedule as a tool for managing the sequence and timing of work.