1 answer
Elijah
Student
Missouri City, Texas
1
Question
Updated
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What would a day on the jobsite as a foreman or construction manager look like?
High school senior, pursuing construction management from community college to 4 year university for a bachelors degree.
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1 answer
Melanie Guralnick, CCM
Retired, Volunteer
15
Answers
Bermuda Dunes, CA
Updated
Melanie’s Answer
You start your day at 6:30 AM on the job site with a safety meeting for the construction crew. There are two types of Construction Managers: one for the builder and one for the owner, but both have similar duties. Your main job is to make sure the project follows the plans, track work progress, payments, and any changes needed due to site conditions. You usually work from a trailer on-site and hold weekly meetings to review the past week's work and plan for the next two weeks.
You supervise on-site inspectors to ensure work is done correctly, manage material testing subcontractors, and quickly handle Requests For Information (RFIs) to avoid delays. If you work for the builder, you prepare monthly invoices and payroll reports. If you're the Owner's Construction Manager, you review invoices, approve payments, and recommend any changes to the schedule or budget.
You hold weekly internal meetings to review the status of all documents, review daily reports from inspectors, and approve meeting minutes written by your team. You also make sure project photos, including drone or time-lapse images, are stored correctly and keep a log of all communications. At the project's end, you oversee a final walk-through, ensuring a punch list is created and all corrections are made. While laborers finish at 3:30 PM, you might work longer to handle paperwork. You end the day by writing your daily report.
This is a general overview. I worked as a public works construction manager for over 20 years with agencies like ports, railroads and cities for roadway projects. The work was very satisfying, with projects lasting 2-3 years, allowing for strong team connections. It's nice that you are not on the same project for a long period of time to keep things interesting!
You supervise on-site inspectors to ensure work is done correctly, manage material testing subcontractors, and quickly handle Requests For Information (RFIs) to avoid delays. If you work for the builder, you prepare monthly invoices and payroll reports. If you're the Owner's Construction Manager, you review invoices, approve payments, and recommend any changes to the schedule or budget.
You hold weekly internal meetings to review the status of all documents, review daily reports from inspectors, and approve meeting minutes written by your team. You also make sure project photos, including drone or time-lapse images, are stored correctly and keep a log of all communications. At the project's end, you oversee a final walk-through, ensuring a punch list is created and all corrections are made. While laborers finish at 3:30 PM, you might work longer to handle paperwork. You end the day by writing your daily report.
This is a general overview. I worked as a public works construction manager for over 20 years with agencies like ports, railroads and cities for roadway projects. The work was very satisfying, with projects lasting 2-3 years, allowing for strong team connections. It's nice that you are not on the same project for a long period of time to keep things interesting!
Thanks for the help. What's the big difference between construction managers and foreman?
Elijah