ABSTRACT Compaction delay time (t d) refers to the period from the mixing of inorganic binder–stabilised materials to the completion of compaction; this process is affected by ambient temperature (T a). To characterise the effects of T a and t d on the performance of cement-stabilised sand–gravel (CSG) during construction, the reliability of the vertical vibration compaction method (VVCM) is evaluated and the effects of T a and t d on the mechanical strength and freeze–thaw resistance of CSG are investigated. Next, a predictive model for the allowable construction delay time is developed based on a non-loss principle with respect to pavement performance. The results show that the correlation between the mechanical strength of CSG laboratory specimens subjected to VVCM and field core samples can reach ∼90%. Higher T a and longer t d significantly reduce the mechanical strength and freeze-thaw resistance of CSG. Notably, when t d exceeds the initial setting time of cement, the average reductions in compressive strength, splitting strength, and freeze-thaw resistance of CSG are ∼29.3%, 31.3%, and 20.4%, respectively. The allowable construction delay time decreases linearly with increasing T a, showing a correlation of up to 99%. The predictive model can effectively determine the allowable construction delay time at any temperature.