Construction management is a professional service that provides a project’s owner(s) with effective management of the project's schedule, cost, quality, safety, scope, and function.

The Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC) project delivery method allows an owner to engage a construction manager during the design process to provide constructability input. The Construction Manager is generally selected based on qualifications, past experience or a best-value basis.

During the design phase, the construction manager provides input regarding scheduling, pricing, phasing and other input that helps the owner design a more constructible project. At approximately an average of 60% to 90% design completion, the owner and the construction manager negotiate a price for the construction of the project based on the defined scope and schedule.

If this price is acceptable to both parties, they execute a contract for construction services, and the construction manager becomes the general contractor.

A general contractor, or GC, in a construction project is the party responsible for scheduling and overseeing the day-to-day activities of a construction project. General contractors are hired to manage the project from ground break to its completion, providing the materials, labor, and equipment. For commercial construction projects, the scope of the general contractor’s responsibilities is broad. But their specific responsibilities are likely to vary by project and owner. However, common responsibilities of a general contractor for a construction project include:

• Creating and managing the construction schedule

• Organizing and managing the jobsite

• Hiring subcontractors and managing their quality

• Contracting suppliers and vendors

• Licensing and renting equipment

• Providing field management and labor

• Assisting with cleanup, safety procedure, and demolition

On projects that require this level of project management, the general contractor usually submits a bid, or a project proposal, which outlines the scheduling, cost, and labor details of the project. Often, creating these proposals demands significant effort from the contractor, requiring quantity and material takeoff from the project specifications to create detailed cost estimates. In creating these cost estimates, the contractor considers and bills for materials, equipment rental, labor, office space, insurance expenses, worker’s compensation, and time.

In a Design Build delivery model, the Owner manages only one contract with a single point of responsibility. The designer and contractor work together from the beginning, as a team, providing unified project recommendations to fit the Owner's schedule and budget. Any changes are addressed by the entire team, leading to collaborative problem-solving and innovation, not excuses or blame-shifting. While single-source contracting is the fundamental difference between design-build and the old ways, equally important is the culture of collaboration inherent in design-build.