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Are you taking up construction management courses to get a degree in it? If so, you would wonder about the job that you’ll likely receive later on, which is being a construction manager. You’d be filled with so many questions about what they do and what is expected of them.
In this article, we’ll get to know the responsibilities and expectations of a construction manager.
Construction Managers: An Overview
Before we learn the responsibilities and expectations of a construction manager. Let’s get to know what the job title is all about. The job of construction managers is to plan, budget, and supervise projects from its conception to finish. To become one, you’d need to have a construction management degree to be eligible. With that said, let’s proceed to the next section of the article–their responsibilities.
What are the Construction Manager’s Responsibilities?
If you aim to become a construction manager, you’ll need a degree in it first. Before we get into the construction managers roles, let’s first get that out of the way.
Look for the universities that do offer construction management. In Florida, there are many schools and universities that offer this degree. It may take up to four years to get a degree if you’ve managed to clear your classes and requirements for construction management.
Once you’ve secured a construction management degree in Florida, then you’re all set to get hired for the job. With that said, here are the responsibilities of a construction manager:
1. Oversee Construction Projects from Start to Finish
Your main objective is to get a construction project started. Then you’ll oversee all progress being done until it is completed.
For instance, you have a project to build a wealthy family’s mansion. You will conceive the project and come up with how it’s going to be built. You’ll manage the funds and get the materials for it. You’ll also need to get the people that are fit to contribute to the project.
Once that’s all set, you will oversee all construction work, keep an eye on the progress and make reports until it is finished. You’ll also monitor everyone’s work to see if they’re meeting the construction standards.
2. Review the Project’s Budget, Schedule deliverables, and Inventory Management
You will need to manage the funds provided and estimate the project’s costs. Funds aside, you’ll need to schedule the delivery of materials to the project’s site.
Aside from budget management and scheduling the arrival of materials, you will also manage the inventory. Keep an eye on all materials, tools, and the like if they’re stocked up or if purchasing another item is needed.
3. Oversee all On-site and Off-site Construction Operations
Another important responsibility for you to take is to oversee all construction work. Whether it is offsite or on-site, you’ll need to see if the processes comply with regulations. You’ll also need to analyze, manage and try to mitigate any potential risks on the project’s site.
4. Guide, Coordinate, and Direct Workers and Subcontractors
Guide everyone who’s involved with the project. Direct your construction workers so they can work efficiently and safely. Coordinate with your contractors to ensure they’ll be happy to help you out with the project.
Proper guidance and coordination ensure that you’ll maximize success. At the same time, you’ll minimize the risks of your project.
5. Reviewing Work Progress Daily
At the end of the day, you’ll need to review how much progress your project is making. You’ll analyze what happened on-site and off-site. If there were setbacks, you’ll need to strategize how to prevent them in the future.
Reviewing work progresses helps in planning. As stated a while ago, it helps in preventing already existing problems. It also prevents any emerging problems as well.
6. Negotiate, Draft, and Make Contracts and Obtain Permits and Licenses
You will need to do some paperwork and negotiations as a construction manager. Negotiation is for sealing the deal with contractors or suppliers of building materials. Drafting contracts are for your soon-to-be construction workers. Also, you’ll need to get the right permits and licenses so your construction project can begin.
7. Check Whether Construction Standards are Met
You must see to it that the construction materials used are of high quality. Minimize risks and ensure that the site’s safety is up to standards. Another matter to note is that proper construction techniques must be utilized. That way, all site operations will go smoothly.
What to Expect from a Construction Manager?
We’ve covered the responsibilities earlier, now it’s time to know the expectations for a construction manager. When you’re applying for this position, there are some skills to be expected so you can qualify.
Here are the expectations from a construction manager as listed:
1. Must be capable of Managing the Project Effectively
In a way, construction managers are like project managers but on a larger scale. They must be capable of understanding the process and procedures. Their expectations must be grounded in reality. An aspiring construction manager needs to be organized and efficient. On top of that, they need to be capable of providing proper communication to their workers.
2. Good Negotiation and Communication Skills
Construction managers get in contact with a lot of people regularly. They can be clients, architects, engineers, and many more. As a result, an aspiring construction manager must be good at communication. Good communication skills ensure a better flow of progress and fewer conflicts.
3. Must be Detail-Oriented
Construction managers aren’t just going to oversee the progress of the project. They also dabble in some report work as well. They’ll need to put every nuance into their reports when analyzing the work performance of the day.
Detail-orientedness allows you to see what went wrong during the construction process. Whether it is wrong techniques or poor performance, you can resolve them right away before it gets worse and becomes costly. Very important in construction management as problems left unaddressed can result in potentially lethal mishaps.
4. Requires to Observe Multiple Pieces at Once
Construction management is work where you don’t oversee just one aspect of it. You’ll need to have the brain power to observe multiple moving pieces at once. You’ll need to keep an eye on the budget and materials coming in.
You need to ensure that the workers are contributing to the project safely. The progress of the project needs to be tracked regularly to see if it’s on schedule or behind. There are so many moving pieces that need regular updating so your construction stays on track.
The Bottom Line
Construction managers are required to be eligible first before they can apply for this position. They’d require a degree as proof that they’ve studied the fundamentals. The job is multi-dimensioned as you’ll need to handle a variety of tasks on a day-to-day basis. Your tasks aren’t just locked to monitoring the budget and overseeing construction work.
You’ll still need to communicate with your construction crew, engineers, and many more. You’d want to ensure that everyone is in the loop and will coordinate efforts to finish the project. There’s plenty more to cover since construction management is quite a complex role. If you believe you can handle this role, go ahead and try to get a degree in construction management.
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