How to select a construction management consultant

If you want your project to be a success, then you need a good team of people behind you, and that starts with finding a construction management consultant that you can trust to manage the job for you. But how can you make sure you are hiring the right person?

In this blog, we look at the five most important factors to consider when you're selecting a consultant.

What does a consultant in construction do?

A consultant is a professional hired by the client to bring their expertise to a project.

Most construction projects require a team of five consultants – these can be large organisations or individuals, depending on the size and scope of the project.

1. Construction management consultant/project manager
2. Architect
3. Cost consultant/quantity surveyor
4. Services engineer
5. Structural engineer

The project manager is often the first to be hired at the pre-contract stage and can be involved in hiring other second-tier consultants.

Depending on the in-house expertise available to the client, it is sometimes necessary to hire several other consultants, for example:

• access specialist
• archaeologist
• chartered environmentalist
• civil engineer
• health and safety specialist
• interior design consultant
• landscape architect
• party wall surveyor
• planning consultant

Each consultant performs the tasks associated with their area of work under contract to the client and overseen by the construction manager.

Choosing a construction management consultant

The selection process is critical to the project’s success, but how do you choose the right consultant? The five key areas you should consider when you're picking a consultant are:

1. Personal qualifications
2. Company accreditations
3. Insurance
4. Reviews and customer testimonials
5. Price

These are good indicators of what the consultant is capable of, their professional standards, and the quality of their work.

Choosing a contractor checklist

Let's delve into each one a bit more and look at why these indicators are important.

Personal qualifications

Just like you would check an applicant's qualifications before you offer them a job, you should also do the same for the consultants you've shortlisted.

You're looking to make sure they've undergone the right training, but you also want to know that they are committed to learning and development in their field. This is key to staying at the forefront of innovations in the construction industry, and it's particularly important when it comes to knowing about changes in health and safety law.

Membership of professional bodies, like the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), is proof that they work to a high standard, and they take their development seriously.

Company accreditations

Company accreditations reflect an organisation's commitment to meet a set of standards, usually in a particular area of work.

For example, Majestic Site Management holds Elite-Standard CHAS Accreditation. This is an assessment scheme that proves we meet high standards of health and safety in the workplace and demonstrates our compliance in key areas.

Elite membership is part of the assessment standard, and it includes PAS91.  You can find out more about the different levels of membership and what they mean in our article: 'What is CHAS Accreditation, and why do you need it?

Insurance

Most reputable consultants have insurance to protect their business and yours.

It is standard practice for self-employed project managers to have professional liability insurance but, depending on the project, you might also need your consultant to have public liability, employer's liability, and property damage cover.

Should anything go wrong, this insurance will cover the costs of putting it right.

Past work/social proof

When it comes to choosing a construction management consultant, you need to be confident that they can deliver on their promises. For an insight into how they perform, look at the work they have done previously for other clients.

Positive feedback on independent review sites and customer testimonials on their own website are two strong indicators that they can do the job well.

You are looking for proof that they have experience delivering projects similar to yours in size and scope. The construction industry is large and varied, and you need to know that they have the skills and training to manage your project specifically.

Price (get three quotes)

You should always get at least three quotes before you choose a construction management consultant. No doubt your project has a budget and by comparing quotes you can check that you're getting value for money.

Price isn't always an indicator of quality, so we wouldn't recommend picking a consultant on cost alone. Put each quote you receive in context and use everything you know about their business to judge whether they are affordable.

If it's a niche area you might have to pay a bit more to get what you need, but in general any quote wide of the mark should raise alarm bells!

Majestic Site Management – who are we?

Majestic Site Management is headed up by Lee Marsden, an experienced construction management consultant who specialises in Project Management and health and safety.

Lee has more than 30 years' experience in the industry and a wealth of qualifications and accreditations, including a degree in construction management and chartered status with the CIOB – to name just two!

Our team of professionals are experienced in site management, and they have the skills and the patience required to handle teams of multi-disciplined contractors. From the pre-contract stage to completion, we pride ourselves on delivering the best possible service for our clients.

Alongside project management, we also offer a variety of health and safety services, from audits to training, site inspections, and help with CHAS accreditation.

Selecting a construction management consultant is the first step to delivering a successful project. You can rest assured that your project is in safe hands with Majestic Site Management – call our friendly team today on 01484 426302 or get in touch.