Construction project management involves the process of supervising and organising processes involved in a project. The manager coordinates the needs and interests of various stakeholders such as contractors, architects, engineers, clients, and suppliers to ensure that a construction project is completed on time, within budget, and to the desired quality standards. Developers usually hire a project manager to help oversee the completion of their project and utilise their expertise. While they will appear on-site, their role will primarily be an offsite office position. They are an important member of the team for large-scale builds that require a lot of quality control and oversight. As a building cost consultant, Accent Estimating can provide you with some insight into the roles a project manager will perform during your project, and what benefits they provide.
Project Advisory
Project Advisory refers to the general advice-giving and consulting services provided by the project manager throughout various stages of the project: from the design, approval, and construction stages. Typically a good project manager has a high level of expertise in the construction industry and can provide advice from both a developer, manager and stakeholder point of view. The advisory services allow clients to make well-informed decisions regarding their projects to optimise project outcomes.
Feasibility & Acquisition
Feasibility refers to the process of evaluating the potential of a construction project by assessing its technical, financial, and environmental viability. A feasibility study typically involves conducting site investigations, reviewing zoning, and building codes, analysing market demand, evaluating construction costs, and assessing potential risks and benefits of the project. The goal of a feasibility study is to determine whether the project is viable and whether it should proceed to the next stage of development.
Acquisition refers to the process of acquiring the necessary land, properties, or rights needed to undertake a construction project. This may involve negotiating with property owners, securing permits and approvals from local authorities, and conducting due diligence to ensure that the site is suitable for the intended use. The acquisition stage typically follows the feasibility study and precedes the design and construction phases.
Council Approvals
The council approval process can be complex and thorough to ensure that all stakeholders’ requirements are met when new projects occur. There are an enormous number of considerations such as safety, privacy, shared components, public assets and environmental concerns that are reviewed when new projects occur, especially large-scale projects. Hiring a project manager can help streamline the application and approval process as they will be familiar with navigating the process.
Contractor Selection
Contractor selection can be a make-or-break element of construction development. Dodgy or incompetent contractors can derail a project very easily, and large-scale projects usually require a lot of contract work. The contract vetting process can be time-consuming and require a lot of background checking to ensure legitimacy. Luckily, a project manager will usually have a network of reliable contractors such as building cost consultants, builders, landscapers, and architects they can contact for your project, and complete any background checks themselves so there is less risk of a bad outcome.
Acquiring Finance and working with a building cost consultant
A project manager can play a critical role in helping a developer acquire finance for a construction project. These can include:
Working with the developer to assess and report the financial viability of the project. This can help the developer secure financing by providing lenders with detailed information on the project’s financial projections, construction costs, and potential risks. Here, a project manager can work with a building cost consultant such as a quantity surveyor to ensure they get accurate and optimal calculations. A project manager helps the developer identify financing options that are best suited to their needs. Researching, evaluating, and negotiating with different lenders, such as banks, private investors, and government programs. The project manager can manage the loan application process on behalf of the developer. This allows all necessary documentation to be prepared and submitted on time.
A project manager can continue to liaise with a building cost consultant to monitor the project’s costs throughout the construction phase to ensure that the project stays within budget. They can identify potential cost overruns and develop blowout mitigation strategies.
Construction Management
And finally, the project manager can manage the construction process by planning and scheduling the project’s scope, timeline and budget. Working with the construction team to ensure all key milestones are met within an appropriate timeframe and cost. Another key role throughout the construction process can be ensuring quality control standards are met alongside risk management. Finally, a construction manager can be the centralised liaison between all the contractors, workers and stakeholders to ensure there is clear communication during the project.
Does your project require a building cost consultant?
At Accent Estimating, we provide detailed and reliable budget estimating services for construction projects. Our team of building cost consultants and quantity surveyors will speed up your development process and ensure a fair deal for all parties. We ensure that your budget is optimised, and ensure project feasibility by providing reliable cost estimates.
If you would like to find out more about our estimating services available in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane, call us on 0413 953 869 or fill out the contact form on our website.