Owner Representative Services – Essential to Project Success

Vienna, Virginia – Quintessential Construction Managers & Consultants, LLC

Every construction project owner’s desire is to get the highest possible quality at the least possible cost. Based on this position, project owners are tempted to wonder if owner representative services are really needed. While it is true that all parties involved with a project benefit from project success, they all have their interest and bottom lines to protect. The owner and the owner representative are the only parties that will look after the owner’s best interest.

An owner representative is hired by the owner to serve as an extension to the owner, to oversee the entire project including dealings with consultants, designers, contractors, and all vendors. Coordinating with them throughout the project to ensure that the owner’s interests are always protected, including handling of the project budget and timelines.

Can owners handle all of this while still managing other affairs like their job, day to day business issues/concerns, or other time-consuming construction project issues.

Owners must ask themselves the following questions to determine if an owner representative is needed:

• Do you have construction-related knowledge and experience to foresee and handle project challenges?
• Do you have time to tend to all the details associated with the various aspects of the project?
• Do you have the data and experience to choose the best project delivery method and make reliable budget estimates?
• Are you confident that you can communicate with contractors and other experts associated with the project, to make certain that quality standards and compliance are achieved?
• Do you have knowledge of all the procedures associated with the construction of a project (i.e., inspections, project punchlist, project closeout, etc.)?

If your answer is “no” to any one of these questions, you may need owner representative services.

An owner’s representative once hired can assist the owner in establishing their goals and objectives for budget, schedule, design, function, and quality. These are the anchors that guide the decision-making process through the design and construction process.

Owner’s representatives are well-versed regarding the design process and can assist the owner in selecting the architect and design firms, creating RFPs, and assessing responses.

Once the design team is selected the owner’s representative can work with the design team to manage and ensure that the design is consistent with the owner’s vision, scope, schedule, and budget. He or she can provide value engineering suggestions, constructability reviews and other evaluations which result in greater control and more predictable project outcomes that maximize the owner’s investment.

Owner’s representatives are also well-versed regrading the procurement and construction phase and can assist the owner in obtaining a completed final design, final project cost estimates, critical path schedules, cash flow analysis, financial modeling, and the finalization of all contractor and subcontractor contracts.

In all cases, the owner’s representative will act on behalf of the owner in all matters of construction, focusing on cost/schedule tracking and reporting, maintaining agreed upon levels of quality and the deliverance of the project on time and on budget.

He or she will meet regularly with the general contractor to ensure realistic activity sequences and durations, allocation of labor and materials, quality levels and the timely delivery of products requiring long lead times.

When requirements of the contract are not being fulfilled, the owner’s representative recommends actions to be taken, coordinates periodic inspections, keeps accurate records of progress achieved, and meets regularly with the owner to provide executive briefs/project status reports reflecting the current financial health (i.e., cash flow, job changes, anticipated final cost, etc.), construction issues/disputes/concerns, safety, and project schedule status.

In addition, they can help to assemble the land, arrange for demolition and utilities coordination, secure agreements with the public sectors, obtain required permits/approvals, and participate in community outreach.

During the post-construction phase the owner’s representative coordinates the preparation and finalization of all disbursements, and contract close out documentation, prior to the official turnover to the owner for occupancy.

Whether a project is big or small, experts are needed who are aware of current trends, technologies, and innovations to bring about the successful completion of a project in terms of finances, schedules, and deliverables.

The owner’s representative is that expert.

About Quintessential LLC

Quintessential Construction Managers & Consultants, LLC is a multi-disciplined, innovative, solutions-driven consulting firm, dedicated to providing competitively priced services to its clients. Our diverse team of experts specializes in innovative solutions in direct response to our clients’ needs. Established in 2006, the firm is currently positioned to provide its construction / project management knowledge and experience, which will sustain the firm’s continued growth well into the future.