% Complete vs % Work Complete in Microsoft Project
Good question — this is one of the most common points of confusion in Microsoft Project. Here’s the clear difference between % Complete and % Work Complete.
🧱 1. % Complete (Physical Progress)
Meaning:
- Shows how much of the task’s duration (time) has been completed.
- It’s time-based, not effort-based.
- Tells you how far along the task is in terms of schedule.
Example:
- A task has a 10-day duration.
- After 5 days, you mark it as 50% complete — even if the actual work (effort) is not halfway done.
🟩 Formula
% Complete = (Actual Duration / Total Duration) × 100
So, if you’ve spent 3 days out of 6 planned → % Complete = 50%.
👷 2. % Work Complete (Effort Progress)
Meaning:
- Shows how much of the total work (labor hours) has been done.
- It’s effort-based, not time-based.
- Measures how much work has been performed by resources.
Example:
- A task has 100 hours of total work.
- If 40 hours have been completed, % Work Complete = 40%, even if it’s only Day 2 of a 10-day duration.
🟩 Formula
% Work Complete = (Actual Work / Total Work) × 100
⚖️ In short comparison
| Feature | % Complete | % Work Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Based on | Duration (time) | Work (effort/hours) |
| Focus | Schedule progress | Labor progress |
| Used by | Project managers tracking time | Resource managers tracking work |
| Example meaning | “Half the scheduled time has passed.” | “Half the work hours are done.” |
| Updates | When you record progress by duration | When you record progress by work hours |
🧠 Tip from practice
- Use % Work Complete to reflect actual site labor progress (real effort).
- Use % Complete to reflect schedule progress for the client timeline.
For accurate project tracking, many engineers update both to show:
- Physical progress (% Complete) = how much is built,
- Effort progress (% Work Complete) = how much manpower has been spent.
🏗️ Example: House Foundation Work
| Task | Duration (Days) | Total Work (Hours) | Actual Duration (Days) | Actual Work (Hours) | % Complete | % Work Complete |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Excavation | 4 | 32 | 4 | 32 | 100% | 100% |
| 2. Formwork | 3 | 60 | 2 | 40 | 67% | 67% |
| 3. Reinforcement (Rebar) | 4 | 80 | 4 | 60 | 100% | 75% |
| 4. Concrete Pouring | 2 | 40 | 1 | 20 | 50% | 50% |
| 5. Curing & Finish | 3 | 24 | 1.5 | 8 | 50% | 33% |
🔍 Let’s analyze
- Excavation — Finished on schedule and all work hours done → both 100%.
- Formwork — 2/3 days and 40/60 hrs → both 67%.
- Reinforcement — Time finished (4/4 = 100%) but work 60/80 (75%) → risk of delay.
- Concrete Pouring — Halfway in both schedule and effort → 50% / 50%.
- Curing & Finish — Half the duration (50%) but only 33% work → labor slower than planned.
🧭 Summary in Plain Words
| Situation | What it Tells You |
|---|---|
| % Complete > % Work Complete | Work is slower than planned → may need more labor or time. |
| % Work Complete > % Complete | Work is progressing faster than schedule → good productivity. |
| Both equal | Progress matches the plan perfectly. |
💡 In Microsoft Project
- Update both in Task Information → General / Tracking tabs.
- Show both columns in the Gantt Chart view to monitor schedule vs. work progress clearly.
Would you like me to show this same table as a Microsoft Project–style Gantt (with progress bars for both % values)? See the demo below.
Interactive Demo — % Complete vs % Work Complete
Top bar = % Complete (schedule). Bottom bar = % Work Complete (effort).
% Complete
% Work Complete
| # | Task | Dur (d) | Work (h) | Act. Dur (d) | Act. Work (h) | Gantt |
|---|
Dual Progress Gantt — % Complete vs % Work Complete
Top bar = % Complete (schedule). Bottom bar = % Work Complete (effort).
% Complete (Time / Schedule)
% Work Complete (Effort / Labor)
| WBS | Task | Gantt |
|---|
Tags:
Schedule