Contractors have a singular goal – to complete a project on time and within budget. A contractor has to be able to handle various aspects in order to accomplish this. To ensure the best results possible, the owner of the project going up in Wisconsin has many decisions to make. Among the most important is whether to hire a general contracting company or a construction management (CM) team. Each type offers certain advantages. It is up to the owner to determine which is best suited to this particular project.
General Contractor or Construction Management?
The hiring of a general contractor reflects the traditional method. The project owner puts out a call for bids. After looking at the offers and sifting through their legitimacy, reputation, and capabilities, the owner will interview several and, finally choose one. With the general contractor chosen, he or she then selects the various suppliers and trade contractors for this project. With these groups in place, the general contracting company assumes the oversight of the project.
The CM approach is somewhat different. The owner hires a CM to act as his or her representative in a wider variety of matters both on and off site. While some duties may overlap, the Cm differs in the depth of his or her involvement from the initial phase of the project. The CM is there for every step of the project from the initial design to post-construction. The CM ensures the owner has complete knowledge of every aspect of the work, handling everything from coordinating the bidding process for subcontractors to cost control measures to field review.
General Contracting Company or Construction Management?
Both a general contractor and a construction manager can be effective on Wisconsin construction sites. It will depend upon the project. Different approaches require different solutions. As a result, it is always best to look at what each project entails before hiring a general contracting company or a CM company.
