The coordination tax of extra rounds

In one line

One more round is never one more round. It is carrying cost plus calendar cost plus coordination tax.

The compounding loop

A round feels small when you only look at the markup.

In real life it includes:

• Wait time in the queue.

• Internal rework time.

• Cross-discipline coordination time.

• Re-issue time, plus the risk that something else drifts while you are fixing the first thing.

That is why teams feel “schedule pain” even when the changes are minor.

Why 2026 makes rounds more expensive

Late-2025 cost commentary is pointing to a familiar combination: uneven material movement, rising labor pressure, and tighter execution demands.

Broader industry outlooks heading into 2026 also call out the same reality: persistent inflation, labor constraints, and schedules that get stretched when small issues compound.

And if you want the “why it shows up on real jobs” lens, the Q4 outlooks are blunt about late-cycle dynamics and the pressure in rate-sensitive categories like housing.

Labor matters here too. When capacity is constrained, every additional loop costs more than it used to.

What “coordination tax” looks like in structural and MEP

Most avoidable rounds are born at the seams:

• A structural assumption that is not reflected in the mechanical narrative.

• An equipment location that drifts between architectural and MEP.

• An energy documentation gap that forces a late clarification.

• A revision story that is technically correct, but hard to follow.

Each seam creates a new loop. Each loop invites drift.

How to estimate the cost of a round (quick and practical)

You do not need a perfect model. You need a consistent one.

Start with:

• Carrying cost per week (your real number).

• Total team-hours per round (structural, MEP, architecture, PM).

• Re-issue and coordination overhead (the meetings you did not plan for).

• Schedule impact (what slips downstream when the round lands).

If you can price a round, you can justify preventing it.

How to reduce rounds without rushing

This is not about speed. It is about making the set easier to verify on first pass.

Three habits that help:

• Make assumptions explicit where they are needed, not buried.

• Keep one revision truth across the full set so nothing “half updates.”

• Treat structural, MEP, and energy as one package, not parallel workstreams.

Where Orbit fits

Orbit is the AI intelligence inside Spacial. We use it to catch issues early, before they become extra rounds.

Practically, Orbit helps teams:

• Surface inconsistencies across the set that create rework loops.

• Flag coordination gaps at the seams between disciplines.

• Turn findings into a clear, trackable fix list for the team to resolve.

AI supports the workflow. Licensed engineers own the decisions, review, and stamp.

The takeaway

If you cut one avoidable round, you do not just save time.

You reduce carrying cost.

You reduce drift.

You reduce coordination tax.

That is why round count is a serious metric.