Construction management services can vary greatly, depending on an owner’s needs and desires. These services may be as simple as being the owner’s agent, or “eyes and ears” during the design and construction process. The construction manager (CM) will provide advice and direction to the owner on the progress, change requests, logistical challenges and accounting as the job progresses. In this capacity, the CM has little or no liability, because they are representing the owner as an agent.

Construction management can also be more complex and can carry liability and risk. This is referred to as “CM at Risk”. In this capacity, the CM is acting as a general contractor, responsible for the daily processes of the project, hiring, purchasing, and managing the project.

CM services are generally either a fixed fee, or a percentage of the total project costs. This usually will depend on the services required of the CM and the risk associated with these services.

If the owner already has a contractor and architect that they prefer to use, but do not have the construction expertise, or in-house personnel to manage the project, a CM is a good fit.

An owner’s budget, time, experience, and liability tolerance can be factors in hiring a construction manager and determining the responsibilities of the project.