4 Reasons Why You Need an Owner’s Representative for Your Next Construction Project
Construction projects come with a lot of moving parts. And each one is unique, having its own timeline, scope, budget, objective, and team. With the demand on an owner's resources, it can be difficult to juggle a construction project. Especially if you’re managing other projects or working from a distance.
But an owner’s representative can do all this and more for you. An owner’s representative (also called an owner’s rep) advocates for their client using their vast industry knowledge to navigate the complexities of a construction project.
Let’s explore deeper why you need an owner’s representative to handle your construction project from start to finish.
An owner’s representative handles all the financials.
A project’s financials is a process that brings together planning, budgeting, accounting, financial reporting, internal control, auditing, procurement, disbursement, and the physical performance of the project to manage project resources properly and achieve the project's objectives. An owner’s representative can take on the responsibility by handling the various components of the project financials – like responding to bids, quotes, costs, cost escalations, and payments.
Working with you, the owner’s representative will also help create a common sense budget to prepare you for any risks, cost overruns, and anticipate hard & soft costs.
Because in reality there are unforeseen issues that will arise and impact the budget. A good owner’s representative will educate you so you understand the budget changes and don’t feel like you’re being taken advantage of.
And an owner’s rep will use their expert knowledge to manage cost overruns and come up with alternative solutions to keep your project within budget and reduce financial risk.
For example, you’ve been presented with a change order that will put the project over budget. The owner’s representative will present alternative solutions and how to change the scope to balance out the impact, or suggest increasing the budget. They act as a guide as they educate you throughout the process.
All this means you can stay focused on your main responsibilities (like life, family, and business) and not divert resources while your owner’s representative takes care of it all. You get to do what you do best, and they get to do what they do best
2. An owner’s representative manages the project schedule.
An owner often has other full-time responsibilities that can make it difficult to keep a construction project’s schedule moving. An owner’s representative will take on the burden for you by managing all the parts that impact a construction project timeline.
An owner’s rep will develop a schedule with you that utilizes their vast experience and knowledge from previous projects.
And based on what happens during the course of the construction project, the owner’s representative will make adjustments to the schedule when needed to work through issues. During this entire process, the owner’s representative will educate you about these issues and how they affect the schedule, making sure you feel good about the changes.
They will also handle many functions to keep your project moving along – like developing contracts, reviewing and updating schedules, and monitoring the actual construction progress. Additionally, an owner’s representative can resolve any conflicts or delays that can impact a project schedule – like reviewing and responding to RFIs, change orders, and supply delays.
3. An owner’s representative builds relationships and facilitates communications.
Every construction project includes multiple team members: owner, architect, engineer, contractors, subcontractors, testing agencies, utility providers, municipal authorities, financial institutions, FF&E vendors (furniture, fixtures, and equipment), and other specialty consultants and third-party vendors.
An owner’s representative acts as the central point of contact for these various teams by providing a streamlined communication process that removes any bottlenecks or delays. They create a collaborative environment, prevent miscommunication, and interpret various construction and architectural jargon to help you navigate and understand the process.
4. An owner’s representative is your construction expert to manage the quality of your build and keep it all running smoothly.
When an owner’s representative is involved in every step of the construction project, they can ensure your vision is executed, protect your interests, and manage the daily operations.
They can also explain complex issues, manage conflicts, provide advice, and help make informed decisions to keep the project on time and within budget.
With an owner’s representative’s understanding of industry standards, code, and regulatory requirements, they're your skilled “boots on the ground” ensuring the quality of the project. Plus, owner’s representatives have a broad network of other professionals and vendors they can turn to help solve problems or delays.
And you can feel confident your project is getting the attention it deserves.
To help control costs and mitigate risks for your construction project, it’s best to have an owner’s representative.
The Common Area can be your construction expert by acting as your owner’s representative. I will advocate for and defend your interests during every phase of your project.
Email or call to set up a meeting today!
Want to learn more about owner’s representatives? Check out How To Spot a Bad Owner's Representative Advisor.