A good construction manager is responsible for all your coordination and supervision between the construction contractors and the project managers. An efficient construction manager can be hired only after a good amount of research and strategic planning. It is extremely important to know that your project will be first discussed and then instructed to the relevant roles who will be working on and off-field. The main anchor who will be taking care of this communication and the overall construction project will be your construction manager. Your construction manager should thus be equipped with relevant skills and the ability to handle independent or interrelated tasks. Hence, it is important to ask them relevant questions and get your doubts and queries all cleared out before both ends agreeably get started with the project.
1) Ask Them for the License
If your construction manager is licensed, then it means that the independent construction manager or the company that you are hiring is educated and thoroughly experienced in terms of their niche. If and when the construction managers refuse to provide their license, it is a clear indication that they have a major chunk missing from their portfolio. A licensed construction manager will skillfully handle all the processes and assure complete dedication with their code of conduct. If you, under any circumstances, agree to hire an unlicensed construction manager, you are putting your project under potential risks. Thus, to avoid any risks about laws or other aspects, always ensure that you are getting a licensed construction manager or construction management company on board.
2) Ask Them About the Projects Handled
It is always safe to get involved with companies or independent individuals who have previously handled some similar projects. The construction manager that you are hiring might be an experienced professional, but this does not necessarily mean that they have handled projects like yours before. They might be adept at a different level of construction, but there is a possibility that they have never encountered anything like this. This is why you should ask your construction managers to show their portfolio of work so you could gain insight into the company’s style of construction and their legal working ways. Looking at their previously handled projects will give you an idea about the size and scope of projects the particular construction manager is eligible for handling.
3) Ask Their Exact Qualification
A genuine construction manager will have the required qualification proof at quick disposal. You should ensure by asking about their educational background. Genuine construction managers usually have a bachelor’s degree in either of the following fields: construction science, construction management, architecture, engineering, and other relevant fields. A wide array of topics are covered under any of these above fields which brush up the construction manager’s skills and make them duly efficient in handling small to big projects. Apart from this, your construction manager should also be able to use software used in sketching out blueprints, other construction accounting software and many more to carry out the entire construction project smoothly. If the construction manager is equipped with additional skills important for the construction project along with the required qualifications, it increases their credibility and thus your trust in them.
4) Ask Who Will Be Working on the Project
If you are hiring an independent construction manager, it is easy for you to get to know them better professionally. However, if you are hiring a construction management firm, it is then important to get to know about the team who are going to work on your construction project. You can ask the company to set up a meeting with the professionals who will be working on your project. You should never just assume that the people who are attending the meeting are your team. Ask the attendees of the meeting to ensure if they are the professionals who are associated with your project. Not clearing things out will result in you coming to know about the facts when it’s too late only to discover that the team of professionals who attended your meeting are not the ones working on your construction project.
5) Ask For the Exact Mode of Communication
You should know about where your construction stands from time to time. At the same time, the construction manager must inform you of where the construction is heading. As you can’t take time out from your daily responsibilities, you and your construction manager should try to fixate on a communication tool. Ask your construction manager if they already have a fixed communication tool that they use to communicate with their clients. If not, you can suggest a communication tool on your behalf so you can stay up-to-date with your construction project. To make the work or project much easier and faster, you can also ask your construction manager about what you can do on your behalf. This could lead to easing up some work since you are ready to provide the required help to your construction manager.
A construction manager is designated to perform a multitude of things ranging for budgeting to not fall out of the set budget, coordinating to maintain communication on all levels, leadership to guide the ones at the junior level, planning and time management to get the construction work done within the allotted time. Never settle for an average construction manager. Look for an excellent construction manager who can serve all your project needs with minimum to no errors.