In the midst of deciding on, and budgeting for, the kind of leadership needed for a commercial real estate project, the question that often arises is: “What is the difference between a project manager and a construction manager?” Real estate project management firms deal in all aspects of the real estate development process from conception to move in, and beyond. Construction management firms, on the other hand, are concerned solely with the construction of the project.
Project Manager:
A project manager acts as the owner’s advocate and representative throughout the project to ensure all activities are aligned with the client’s overall goals and objectives for the project. The project manager plans, manages, oversees and fine-tunes all of the details of the project, including the selection and ultimately management of the construction manager.
Construction Manager:
A construction manager is a project manager with a defined area of expertise. Not all project managers will have technical knowledge but a construction manager cannot succeed without it. A typical construction manager supervises all construction aspects of a project and will typically participate in pre-construction meetings. A construction manager provides on-site supervision during construction, manages subcontractors, ensures that materials are delivered on time and that tools are available on the work site, administers the construction budget, requests work order changes and makes decisions to ensure building practices are in compliance with building codes and is responsible for meeting with consultants, clients, engineers, and inspectors.
When deciding on the leadership needed for your next commercial construction project, contact Creative Builds. We will help you decide whether hiring a project manager, a construction manager, or both is the right decision for your unique project.