Builders are focused on their project. Builders have to think about a lot of things, because a lot of money is involved. This makes it all the more important to have a competent partner at your side for all projects. This function is performed by the project manager.
In 2009, the construction project management company Matrol was founded by Verena Rossenbach, a qualified architect, and Oliver Girharz, a certified and court-approved surveyor. Since then, the highly qualified team of professionals has realized more than 100 construction projects in the luxury segment and is the leading construction project management company in Mallorca.What is a construction project manager and what services do they provide?
The project manager is the link between the client and all those involved in the construction, from the architects to the construction company to the subsequent janitor. They monitor and control the entire project from preparation to execution and completion. His services are subject to the overriding project objectives (quality, deadlines and costs) and he is responsible for the smooth running of all project phases. In addition to ensuring that the project objectives are met, the project manager's main task is to advise the client on the planning and implementation of the construction project. The project manager takes care of the necessary approvals, prepares contracts and monitors compliance with them, manages the tendering process, prepares and negotiates cost estimates, checks invoices and reports on the current construction status at regular intervals.
What tasks does a construction project manager have within a construction project?
The main tasks of the project manager are best described by the generic terms control, coordination and communication. They have to control and coordinate the entire construction process from both a commercial and construction perspective, consider the legal and tax aspects, be communicative and have the ability to see the big picture. Depending on the progress of the construction work and according to the motto "Trust is good, control is better", he should be on the construction site as often as possible. This is the only way to ensure that adequate quality control actually takes place and that he is sufficiently informed about all ongoing processes.
When does it make sense to appoint a project manager?
In general, whenever the client is either unable to manage the project themselves in terms of time, is not an expert, the project is very complex, or simply due to language barriers. The involvement of a project manager is almost always worthwhile, especially for clients who do not speak the local language.
What to look out for when hiring a project manager
As a consultant and representative of the client, the project manager should first and foremost act completely independently and be solely committed to the client. A project manager who always works with the same contractors cannot perform his services impartially. You should also make sure that he has the necessary commercial expertise as well as specialist construction skills. This is the only way to ensure that he can also adequately assess and monitor the performance of the other specialists involved. It must also be ensured that he can invest sufficient time in the project and is not responsible for several projects at the same time. Project management is a „full-time job“ that you certainly can't just take on and that involves a lot of responsibility.
What does a project manager cost?
As with architects in Germany (HOAI), there is also a fee scale for project management (AHO), but this is designed more for large-scale construction projects. In principle, the project manager's fee (but also the architect's fee) is freely negotiable and is usually negotiated as a lump sum or percentage of the construction sum for residential projects. However, it is not advisable to link the fee to the construction sum as a percentage. As one of the main tasks is cost control, the project manager should not profit economically from cost increases in the project. It is therefore advisable to agree a total fee that is linked to the project manager's services and is independent of the actual construction costs.
In contrast to the architect and the technical architect for new construction projects, the construction project manager is neither legally prescribed nor mandatory. However, the (construction) project manager is increasingly taking on a key role and it is hard to imagine demanding, extensive and complicated construction projects without them.
