Questions to Ask Before Appointing a Construction Project Manager

Choosing a construction project manager isn’t just about finding someone with the right experience on paper.

You’re appointing someone who could be involved in your project for months, sometimes years. They’ll be helping you manage decisions, budgets, risks, consultants, contractors and stakeholders. When things get complicated, they’re likely to be one of the people you rely on to bring clarity and keep things moving.

Before making an appointment, it’s worth having a detailed conversation about how they work, what you can expect from them and how they would approach your project.

Some questions we think are worth asking.

1. What services are included?

Project management can mean different things depending on the project and the consultancy.

Ask what the proposed service actually covers. Will your project manager be involved in developing the brief, appointing and coordinating the consultant team, procurement, programme management, risk, reporting and delivery?

Just as importantly, ask what isn’t included.

A clear scope at the beginning helps everyone understand responsibilities and reduces the risk of gaps or assumptions appearing later.

2. How are your fees structured?

You should understand what you’re paying, how the fee has been calculated and what could cause it to change.

Project management fees might be based on a percentage of construction costs, a fixed fee, a day rate or another agreed structure depending on the nature of the project.

Ask what is included within the proposed fee, whether there are any additional costs you should allow for and what happens if the programme or scope changes.

There shouldn’t be anything uncomfortable about having this conversation. Good commercial relationships start with clarity.

3. Who will actually manage my project?

This is an important one.

The people you meet during the appointment process aren’t necessarily the people you’ll work with every day.

Find out who will be responsible for day-to-day delivery, how involved senior members of the team will be and who you should speak to when you need a decision, an update or some advice.

You need confidence in the consultancy you’re appointing, but you also need confidence in the individual or team who will be alongside you throughout the project.

4. How will communication and reporting work?

Good communication shouldn’t mean simply receiving another report to read.

Ask what information you’ll receive, how often you’ll receive it and how issues requiring your attention will be highlighted.

Depending on the project, reporting might cover programme, cost, risk, decisions, procurement, change and actions. You should also understand how frequently project meetings will take place, who needs to attend and how communication will work between those meetings.

The important thing is that you have visibility of what is happening, what needs attention and what decisions are coming.

5. How do you manage change?

Projects change. The important question is how those changes are controlled.

Ask how your project manager identifies and records changes, assesses their potential impact and makes sure the right people are involved before decisions are made.

That applies to changes in scope, design, cost and programme.

A seemingly small change can have consequences elsewhere. A clear process helps everyone understand those implications before moving forward.

6. What decisions will I be responsible for?

A good project manager manages the project. They don’t take away the client’s responsibility for key decisions.

Ask what will need your approval, when those decisions are likely to be required and what information you’ll receive to help you make them.

Good project management should make decision-making clearer. You should understand the options, implications and timing, rather than being presented with an urgent decision you weren’t expecting.

7. Have you delivered projects similar to ours?

Relevant experience matters, but this isn’t necessarily about finding someone who has delivered an identical project.

Think about where the complexity lies.

If you’re working in a live environment, for example, experience of managing construction around ongoing operations may be more important than having delivered exactly the same type of building.

If there are multiple stakeholders, a challenging programme, specialist approvals or a particularly sensitive budget, ask about projects where they’ve dealt with similar pressures.

You’re trying to understand whether their experience is relevant to the challenges your project is likely to present.

8. What challenges and risks do you see in our project?

This can be one of the most revealing questions you ask.

A potential project manager won’t know everything about your project at this stage, and you shouldn’t expect them to.

They should be asking questions though.

Ask what challenges they can already see, what risks they would prioritise at this stage and whether there is anything they think you should be considering now.

Their answer can give you a useful sense of how they think. Are they telling you what you want to hear, or are they confident to raise potential issues and have open conversations about them?

The aim isn’t to find someone who tells you there won’t be problems. It’s to understand how they identify, communicate and manage them when they arise.

9. How will you manage our stakeholders?

Most construction projects involve more people than the client, project manager and contractor.

There may be consultants, internal teams, building users, tenants, operators, neighbouring properties, regulators or other interested parties.

Ask how stakeholder communication will be managed, who will be responsible for what and how different priorities will be brought together.

This becomes particularly important in live environments, where keeping the project moving is only part of the job. The people affected by the work need to be considered as well.

Ask the questions that matter to you

These questions are a starting point, not a script.

Every project has its own pressures. If the programme is critical, talk about the programme. If keeping a building operational is your biggest concern, ask how they’ve handled that before. If a previous project suffered from poor communication or unexpected costs, it’s beneficial to share this.

If there are particular things you want from the working relationship, it’s useful to discuss those too.

You’re not trying to catch anyone out. You’re trying to understand whether their approach fits your project, your team and the way you want to work.

Paying attention to how they answer

Experience, systems and technical knowledge all matter.

So do communication, transparency and trust.

If you’re comparing project management consultancies, the answers to these questions will often tell you as much about a company’s approach as its portfolio of completed projects.

Do they answer clearly? Are they comfortable discussing fees and responsibilities? Do they acknowledge where they need more information? Are they prepared to challenge an assumption if they think it presents a risk?

You should feel able to ask difficult questions and receive straightforward answers.

In our experience, the strongest project relationships are the ones where people can be open about what’s working, what isn’t and what needs attention.

That starts before the appointment is made.

So, ask the questions, ask follow-up questions and make sure you understand not only what your potential project manager will do, but how they’ll work with you while they do it.

Ultimately, you’re not simply appointing a service. You’re choosing the people you’ll be trusting to help you deliver your project.

If you're planning an upcoming construction project and would like to discuss your options, we'd be happy to have a conversation and help you understand the best approach before important decisions are made.

Author

Darren Hewitt

Darren has over 25 years experience in the construction industry. Within this time he has led and delivered construction projects for major blue chip clients.

Darren has held senior roles in both client and consultant organisations. This gives him a full understanding of the construction process and level of stakeholder engagement required to ensure successful project/programme outcomes. He enjoys both day to day project management duties as well as strategic projects.