Before you start applying to graduate programs in construction management, which happen to be among the highest-paying master’s degrees, you will want to understand more about this career field. Construction management is a professional service that revolves around managing the project specifications and the people involved in bringing a construction project to fruition. A construction manager plays a part in relatively small construction projects, like renovations of existing family homes, and large projects, like the construction of large office buildings or medical facilities. The work a construction manager does is essential for many reasons that range from the business administrative side to the safety aspects.
Management of Project Specifications and Progress
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A big part of construction management is the management of the construction project and all that it entails. Contractors and carpenters don’t just show up one day and start building things without any prior preparation. There’s a lot to accomplish before breaking ground on the job site, and managing these aspects of a construction project is part of a construction manager’s job duties.
A construction project doesn’t start with building materials but rather with an idea. The owner of the building or property identifies a need, whether to open up the floor plan of their home or to build a brand-new hospital. Constraints like budget, time, and space affect how the project should proceed. A construction manager is the one who ensures that the project fits into these constraints by carefully estimating and keeping track of costs and by establishing timetables and work schedules that keep the project proceeding on time.
Depending on the nature of the project, a construction manager may also have to handle aspects of building design, compliance with building codes and regulations and permit acquisition.
Management of People
Construction managers don’t manage only the specifications of the project but also the people involved in it. Putting together a fully functional building requires a great deal of general and specialized labor. Construction managers oversee the workers providing each of these different skills, including specialists and generalists. A construction manager is responsible for coordinating the efforts of architects, civil engineers, general contractors and skilled trade workers in areas like electrical work, plumbing, stonemasonry and more.
Supervising different building professionals requires a thorough understanding of the types of work that goes into a construction project. That’s what makes specialized education and experience so crucial, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.
The Importance of Construction Management
Being in charge of making sure the construction project meets established parameters and of the workers who accomplish this goal is a big job. Without a good construction manager, new construction projects and renovation projects would routinely lag behind or go over budget. That means a business or an individual could run out of money for the project or experience significant delays that could, for example, hold up a company’s operations.
It’s not only the cost and the timing of the construction project that the construction manager oversees but also matters of safety and compliance. When working with heavy-duty equipment and tools and potentially hazardous materials, a lot could go wrong. Explosions, falls, contamination with hazardous materials and accidents with tools and equipment could cause a worker serious harm. Similarly, building walls, ceilings, foundations and roofs with the structural integrity to stand strong takes precision. Without this precision, an unstable wall, roof or foundation might collapse.
Part of a construction manager’s job is to ensure the safety of workers on the job site and of the finished building structure. That means overseeing the job site and the quality of the work performed. A construction manager is also responsible for making sure that the building meets all codes and government regulations, particularly those that relate to the safety of the construction site and the finished building project.
Construction managers also focus on the quality of the work in general, as well as with respect to safety. Some issues of quality assurance in construction projects, like cabinet doors that hang crookedly, don’t necessarily pose a safety hazard but still impair the function of the project. A construction manager should be detail-oriented and conscientiously make sure that all aspects of the construction project are completed correctly to the satisfaction of the client.
Although construction managers aren’t the ones doing the work of directly building a structure, the work they behind the scenes to plan for the construction and on the project site is integral to ending up with a finished building that meets the client’s needs.
Additional Resources
What Kind of Daily Duties Are Involved in Construction Management?
What Are the Differences Between a Construction Manager and a Project Manager?