Construction managers face many difficulties managing a construction project.
They’re responsible for executing each stage of construction project management, including the development of a project plan for construction and dealing with post-closure formalities.
Managing a construction project involves several stages. Some are common, while others depend on the project’s nature. For instance, an industrial construction project has different requirements than a residential project.
A qualified construction manager goes through each stage of project management to effectively and efficiently deliver it to the client. But what are they? This article will help you understand the seven key stages of construction project management. So, let’s dive in.
Scope And Feasibility
Firstly, construction managers determine the project scope before estimating the budget. The construction project scope includes the following major components:
- Responsibilities – Details of jobs assigned to workers, team heads, and managers in the organizing phase
- Schedule – Project’s master schedule to determine the construction timeline
- Outcome – Expected deliverable according to the client’s requirements
Determining the scope ensures the feasibility of the construction project. During feasibility checking, construction managers predict the project’s outcome according to the scope.
If the project is not feasible within the estimated budget and schedule, managers inform the client or project owner and discontinue the progress. Doing that saves time and the reputation of the construction company.
Different project members, especially designers, prepare the construction estimate. They prepare a visual schema of the building and include the tiniest details to cover the cost. Civil engineers contribute to the cost estimation plan by analyzing the project’s nature and deciding whether the job is feasible.
So, you must prepare the project scope and determine the feasibility to ensure the project’s success.
Designing
Construction architects and designers start working on the blueprints, architectures, and models of the project once the construction manager approves the project scope. The diagrams in the designing phase are more detailed than in the scope and feasibility phase.
Your client might also want you to submit a construction design plan to get an overview of the final deliverable.
In the designing phase, you must provide the required resources to your design team. For example, Archicad is a powerful software to make virtual designs of buildings. However, you should stay within the allocated budget while buying the premium versions.
Permitting
Depending on where you live, did you know that the local or federal construction department can impose a fine of $5,000 for unpermitted construction? The jurisdiction can also send you and the contractor behind bars for carrying out an unlicensed construction project.
Therefore, you must acquire a construction permit from the respective jurisdiction of the town or state. For that, you’ll have to submit the following documents to the authorities:
- Project scope
- Feasibility report
- Design plan
The best practice is to professionally prepare these documents using the software. You should also sign the documents before submission to authenticate them. The jurisdiction reviews each document and might give you feedback. You will easily get the construction permit if you have prepared everything correctly.
Once you get the permit, you must share the construction scope and design document with other managers. It’s a sign that every manager must start preparing for the construction. Meanwhile, clients look for competent contractors for the project.
Bidding
Today, over 35,000 general contractors are actively working for US construction companies, making the bidding phase rigorous. Project owners publish a request for proposal (RFP) document on different platforms to acquire contractors’ responses.
General contractors must fill out an RFP and submit the form with the required documents. The bidding requirements usually include the following:
- Cost – Overall cost of hiring a general contractor for the project
- Time – Estimated project timeline
- Subcontractors – Whether the contractor will bring their own team or the client should arrange one
Most of the time, general contractors hire subcontractors using their contacts. That’s again a bidding process to hire competent subcontractors for the project. Since construction jobs vary from project to project, contractors must set eligibility criteria while hiring subcontractors. Their job includes internal construction work, such as:
- Plumbing
- Painting
- Wiring
- Electrical unit installation
Subcontractors work under respective engineers and contractors. For example, an electrical contractor supervises a team of five electrical subcontractors.
Construction
Everything is set for construction. The general contractor makes the procurement plan, including whether to buy or rent construction equipment. Once the machinery arrives at the construction site, you can begin the work.
Remember that every contractor must have a construction plan. Without a plan, even the simplest activity can lead to failure. Therefore, make sure every team head and the relevant contractor has the required resource.
You might receive different requests, such as a request for information (RFI), if anyone is unclear about the document. So, you must read and reply to the RFI on schedule to avoid delays.
Inspection
The relevant development authority visits the construction site during and after the project is completed. They thoroughly check each component and might generate a report as a formality. The report includes the following aspects:
- Environment
- Building
- Materials
- Electrical safety
- Fire protection
- Emergency toolkit
You must stay inside the building while the inspectors examine the project. You can also get continuous feedback and communicate with the team. That will reduce the rework time.
If the jurisdiction finds out any major defect, they might cease the building, meaning the area is restricted for occupancy. So, you must quickly solve post-construction issues to avoid conflicts with the client.
Occupancy
You can hand over the keys to the client once the jurisdiction approves the readiness of the building. The client might bring a list of final checkups according to the contract. Therefore, you must address each point and ensure the client verifies the list with you.
You might have to hire HVAC experts before delivering the project. These experts check the HVAC systems before the occupancy and give a green signal after inspecting them. After that, the jurisdiction provides a certificate of occupancy to the client, and then they can move in.
Conclusion
Every construction manager follows the seven stages of construction project management mentioned above. You can find a more detailed version of each project management stage for the project type and country. So, follow the above stages and efficiently manage your construction projects.
