Construction management is a fast-growing field that involves the planning, organization, coordination and oversight of building projects. Construction managers coordinate and oversee all the work on a construction site, serving as a liaison between architects, inspectors, clients, builders and tradespeople.
Construction managers, using their management skills and their understanding of the construction process, help to control the time spent, the cost of materials and labor and the quality of the completed project. They work for the benefit of owners who might not have the expertise or ability to manage all of the components of a complicated building project.
What Construction Managers Do
There are seven main categories of work performed by construction managers:
- Project management planning: Planning a project from start to finish, including work to be done, materials needed and timetable for completion
- Cost management: Evaluating and managing the costs of a building project from start to finish
- Quality management: Overseeing the quality of the work completed by contractors and subcontractors participating in the job
- Contract administration: Overseeing the contract process and working with the owner, builder and other parties to make sure they are satisfied with the terms of the contracts and that they fulfill their contractual duties
- Safety management: Managing the safety of employees and contractors at the worksite
- Professional Practice: Participating in continuing education and certification in the field of construction management
Skills
Construction managers must enjoy working with people since a large portion of their job is dealing with owners, builders, architects, contractors and many others. They must understand the construction industry and its different components, and they must be able to think both about the big picture and about the small details of a project. They must be responsible, flexible, intelligent and communicative.
Educational Paths and Certification
There are many different educational paths that construction managers can take, including associate's, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in project management, operations management, engineering and other fields. A bachelor's degree is the most common route to becoming a construction manager, but an associate level degree or a certificate program coupled with experience will get one a job. Certificate programs are typically two to three years long and focus on the unique challenges associated with the construction industry, including a wide range of workplace rules and regulations, working with multiple vendors and legal issues associated with construction. The Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) certifies construction managers; however, there are different requirements for certification based on a student's education. The Construction Manager Certification Institute (CMCI) is an independent administrative body of the CMAA, and it offers construction managers the opportunity to become Certified Construction Managers, based on formal education, field experience and an understanding of the principles of construction management. There are also degrees and certifications available in Construction Management Technology, which focuses on new technologies in virtual design and construction.
The Construction Management Process
Although every building project is different and has its own set of requirements, the process of managing a construction project generally has four main steps. These steps are as follows:
- Specifying the project’s objectives: The first thing that a construction manager must do when taking on a construction project is to specify the project’s objectives and plans. This means determining the type of building to be built, the method by which it will be built and the architects, builders and contractors who will be part of the building process.
- Procuring labor, materials, equipment and other resources: This second step is a major part of the construction manager’s job – making sure the people and things are in place to complete a project in a timely fashion. This means researching available labor, materials and equipment, calling for and evaluating bids and putting in place the necessary resources to get a project done.
- Coordinating the project: Coordination of the many moving parts of any construction project is the next step. This means setting up a realistic timetable, creating and managing the budget and working closely with the owner, architect, builder, contractors and other parties. It also means revising the plans as necessary, given problems that might arise during the building process.
- Ongoing communication: Throughout the building process, communication is key – and it is one of the construction manager’s most important jobs. Communicating with the owner about what can be expected at the outset of a project, with the architect about the project’s plans, with the builder about the plans, blueprints, supplies and specifics of a project, with tradespeople about the details regarding a building and with inspectors about evaluating and approving each stage of the building project: all of these are important tasks for the construction manager. Construction managers, therefore, must have strong verbal and written skills, and they must also be skilled at dealing with conflicts and solving problems.
