After 18 years of project management and more than 20 years of helping owners build their companies in the HOA industry, one revolving question continues to get asked.
When is the right time to hire a construction manager?
“I have read countless articles, spoken to hundreds of clients, and played a large part in thousands of projects where construction managers were hired to start projects,” said Keven Hempel, B. Taylor Painting Director of Client Relations. “I have played a large part in projects where there was no construction manager hired as well.”
Here are three key reasons answering the question is difficult, Hempel said.
- People
- Desires
- Needs
We have found there are numerous reasons why hiring a construction manager is the wrong decision for some projects. On the flip side, there are contradicting reasons why hiring a construction manager is the right decision for your project.
“My opinion is that every project when originally thought about should have some form of discussion on whether the project itself needs a construction manager,” Hempel said.
Here are a few questions you can ask your clients when deciding whether or not a construction manager is needed:
- How large do you desire the project to be, regarding the financial side?
- How much time do you intend to invest in the project itself?
- Have you ever been involved in a project of this size?
- What is the potential of having a large amount of “unknowns” which can cause a scheduling nightmare and a financial increase to the project itself?
These are just a short list of some of the questions you can be asked when deciding if your project needs a construction manager or not. Once these questions are answered and if there is an apparent need for a construction manager, then you decide what type is needed.
“Professionally, I have worked with several different kinds and we should all be well aware there are different types of construction managers,” Hempel said. “Take the time to do the research and interview the construction managers before proceeding forward. This interview process will be a great benefit to the board and your clients. Pay attention to how they communicate. With all the information you can find online today you will have a good opportunity to find the right one if your project needs it.”
As with any aspect of life, there are excellent construction managers and poor ones. However, we encourage you to take your time and do your research. The industry has changed over the years and time should be one of the most valuable resources in the world.
Allow your research and conversations to find a construction manager and business partner whom you can trust, as integrity is worth its weight in gold.
Hempel said, “Simply think of it this way. When you hire a construction manager or any other part of your project team you are hiring into a relationship. Just like our personal relationships, they can be a disaster if the professionals you are hiring are poor communicators and simply do not know what they are doing.”
We encourage you to take your time with this process: do your research and make a timely decision. The longer you wait to start your project and choose your project team, the harder the decision becomes.
If you would like to find out more about how to hire the right project team contact us here.
