Complicated Construction Projects Need Oversight from an Owners’ Representative

By David Atkisson / Published July 2024

An owners’ representative is the key component to every project’s success.  An owners’ representative is a role that is quickly becoming popular for its usefulness and effectiveness.  If you do not know if you need one or do not know exactly what they do, your thoughts will be completely altered.

     An owners’ representative represents the owner’s interest throughout the entirety of a project. They function as an advocate for the owner or, in an association’s circumstance, a board. Their purpose is to execute goals in a timely manner with economic efficiency in mind, all with the main goal of achieving the best work.  Each project is unique with all different scopes of work, and the project is most efficient if the owner is knowledgeable in construction and all it requires. That is why having an owners’ representative who is well seasoned in the field can help successfully execute a project.

Photo courtesy CCRS LLC Consultants

     Projects are becoming much more complex and demanding.  Having an owners’ representative lowers the risks that come along with a big, complicated job, from the reconstruction/restoration of older buildings to interesting approaches to new ones.  Condominium boards are under much more stress and scrutiny with the mandated 10-year inspections; and depending on the age of the building, a milestone inspection must be completed by “December 31, 2024.”  An owner of a building already has a surplus of responsibilities outside of the ongoing project, so hiring a third party relieves stress and ensures that someone’s sole goal is the success of your building and or project.

     One might ask, “What does an owners’ representative guide you in?” The answer is, every aspect of the work from start to finish.  They can efficiently guide you through the zoning and planning phase (permitting/code compliance), the design, bidding, construction, and occupancy/ safety phases to make sure that you are in the best position possible and following all codes accordingly.  An industry expert makes the project go by much more smoothly compared to trying to figure out the ins and outs of the project on a whim.

     Sometimes projects need someone who is willing to fight for their project and what they want.  Often it takes too much back and forth to get approval for a multitude of things; for example, an unapproved permit or code-related issue will sit and go unnoticed until it is too late, and the project time ends up prolonging or fines from the municipality accrue.  An owners’ representative is the face of your project and makes sure everything keeps moving along, no matter what.  Also, a common setback in most projects is decision-making in a timely manner. An owners’ representative already has the experience in making quick choices with complex issues.  They can advise you on matters that may be outside of an owner’s knowledge to avoid unneeded confusion.

Photo courtesy CCRS LLC Consultants

     Typically an owners’ representative will schedule weekly or bi-weekly meetings to get everyone together and talk about the work that has been completed and what is on the attack list to keep things moving seamlessly.  They are the glue to everyone involved, setting apart time for communication and collaboration to best suit the owner.  An owners’ representative serves as a liaison for the owner/ board to give the oversight needed to design professionals such as engineers and architects.  Also, they oversee all vendors, contractors, subcontractors, and municipal authorities throughout the project(s). Workers feel much better and perform well when involved in an encouraging atmosphere that is created by an owners’ representative. Establishing clear lines of communication and protocol is the key to a successful outcome.

     Overall, if you would like someone to function as your eyes and ears, be fully immersed in your project, and be financially in your best interest, then you may want to hire an owners’ representative.  The best thing is, it does not matter if it is at the start of a project or late in the game—an owners’ representative can come on at any point and help in all sorts of situations that may arise.

David Atkisson

President, CCRS LLC Consultants

     David Atkisson is president of CCRS LLC Consultants, which serves as an owners’ representative providing services for commercial construction, unsafe buildings, and restoration for condominium associations and private owners. For more information, email info@coastalconstructionind.com, call 954-320-9665, or visit www.coastalconstructionind.com.