Frequently Asked Questions
A Project Manager (PM) assigned by your general contractor (GC) or design-build firm works for that firm — their job is to keep the job moving on the contractor's terms. I work exclusively for you. I serve as the primary point of day-to-day contact with your contractor, ensuring execution of your agreed upon scope, budget, timeline and vision. I am a reliable additional pair of eyes on subcontractor work quality, timeliness and sequencing; I care about change orders are priced and I can step in to address routine questions. Ultimately, I ensure your project progresses as efficiently as possible and to relieve your stress about decisions and consequences. In practice, I coordinate directly with your GC's team rather than replacing them; think of it as you having someone in your corner asking the questions you don't have time to ask, or may not know to ask.
How is your role different from the project manager my general contractor or design-build firm already provides?
Do I still need an architect or general contractor if I bring you on?
Yes — I'm not a replacement for either. I sit alongside them, translating between you and the professionals doing the design and build work, so you're never the one left piecing together conflicting updates or chasing down answers.
How involved are you day to day?
That depends on where you are in the project and how much bandwidth you have. Some clients want me deeply embedded from the first design conversation; others bring me in mid-project when things have gotten overwhelming or off-track. We'd scope that together based on what you need ~ and be open to adjusting level of support as the project progresses or winds down
What do you charge your clients?
Typically a homeowner’s representative works like a standard consultant and charges by the hour versus a percentage of project cost, or via retainer. Currently I am seeking several new clients to work with on a pro bono basis in exchange for serving as a referral and providing project photos.
Do I actually need an owner's rep?
You're a good fit if any of this sounds familiar:
You're renovating or undertaking some construction work, but you don't have time to be on-site, chasing down subcontractors, or making daily decisions
You've never managed a construction project before, so you don't have a baseline for what's ‘normal’ — which means small problems can turn into expensive ones before you even notice them
You’re juggling a demanding job or live out of the area, and you need someone who can think like an owner but show up like a project manager
You've already got an architect and a GC, but no one on your side is watching the whole picture — budget, schedule, and quality — from your perspective alone
You're early in the process (pulling permits, finalizing scope) and want someone in your corner before the first shovel hits the ground
If you're nodding along to more than one of these, that's usually the moment to engage with an owner’s rep like me.
Can you step in partway through a project that's already underway?
Yes I can start at any point — before you've hired a contractor, right after you have, or mid-construction if you need another set of hands to help get things back on track.
Yes — it's just newer to residential projects than it is elsewhere. Owner's reps have been standard for years on commercial and institutional buildings: when a hospital or a company builds something, they hire someone whose only job is to represent their interests, separate from the contractor's. Homeowners take on that same kind of project — large budget, big decisions, many moving parts, a lot riding on it — but usually without anyone in their corner the way a GC has their crew and an architect has their vision. This role brings that same support to a home renovation.