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1. Title: A Comparative Analysis between Construction Management and General Contracting
Article Summary:
Many individuals’ and home buyers opt to construct their own home than to settle for the existing
homes that are on sale. They are very much willing to deal with the cost of home building than deal with
repairs and improvements of an existing house
Article Body:
A Comparative Analysis between Construction Management and General Contracting
Many individuals’ and home buyers opt to construct their own home than to settle for the existing
homes that are on sale. They are very much willing to deal with the cost of home building than deal with
repairs and improvements of an existing house. They believe that constructing their own home is more
beneficial to them and since they consider a home as their most valuable property and most important
investment, they make sure that is built and made according to their preferences and choices. El Paso
construction TX may involve hiring a lot of employees to make the building process a lot easier. This
may involve the employment of a general contractor and a construction manager. But did you know that
these two are not the same entities? Find out why in this article.
General contractors are solely responsible for making the drawings and designs of the architects in
reality. A construction manager is chosen based on experiences and skills prior to the completion of the
drawings and outlines. He is responsible for reviewing the designs, the schedule and the budget as the
design develops and established. He ensures that the schedule and budget are ready come to the time
that the drawings and outlines are completed. Take a look at the comparison between construction
management and general contracting in details.
Objective Alignment
The primary difference of a general contracting and construction management has to do with incentive
performance. A general contractor’s contract is highly dependent on the final drawings to be followed in
the building or construction process. When they are completed, that is the time when the contractor
will establish and set a price for the project. The GC is rewarded whe4n the project costs is less than the
price of the bid. The difference between the project costs and the bid price is the general contractor’s
fee. This is the main reason why the GC aims to complete the project in a least cost. While He is earning,
the cost for the owner is still the same, there is no additional benefit. The Owner’s objectives and the
contractor’s aims are opposing elements from the start.
On the other hand, construction management fee is fixed and established. There are no other
opportunities for the Cm to earn more money while the owner does not save. Thus, the CM and the
owner will share a common goal of getting the best and most reasonable price for the cost of the work
ranging from the supplier down to the materials needed. The architect, owner, and the construction
manager work hand in hand to ensure the success of the project. It is the responsibility of the
construction manager to protect the Owner’s interests with the sub contractors and supplier all
throughout. The errors and the problems in the GC approach are avoided in the CM approach.

2. Early Participation
The decisions made prior to the construction process produce a great impact on its success. This helps
in the development of the schedule and in the allocation of the budget. During the pre-construction
phase, the construction manager’s role is to provide data, recommendations and suggestions that will
help the owner to create the best design and the right decisions. The construction manager may
provide inputs on the following:
 Estimates of the cost of work
 Alternatives to materials, systems, and design
 Time frame of the design and the building process
 Material and equipment selections
 Recommendations for subcontractors and bidding process

These are necessary for the owner’s and architect’s decision making process. With the suggestions of
the CM, the owner will be able to maximize the utilization of his money helping him not to over spend
and save more. The CM is also responsible for the reviewing of the design once it is done. He can
provide possible solutions and alternatives to those items that he thinks are not feasible and he may
also request little changes in the design that will greatly affect the ability of the project to be
constructed.
Access to overall costs
In the CM contract, the owner will only pay those works that are already completed. Unlike in the GC
contract, the contractor bids for an estimated amount of completion for scheduled works so the owner
will be the one to judge if the percentage and the set value of work completion is precise and accurate
without even knowing if all works are completed at the same time. The construction manger is
responsible for providing the backup to substantiate and augment costs. The owner is not required to
pay in case a backup cannot be provided.
The listed statements and information above are just some of the many benefits of a construction
management contract compared to general contracting. Knowing all these things may help you out in
making your construction project a success.