For businesses, landlords and developers
Best Construction Project Management Firms: How to Choose
Sviatoslav JerdetchiiCEO & Founder of Craftex. Updated , 5 min read
The short answer
The best construction project management company is the one whose role matches what you need. That is either independent oversight of others, or one team that plans, manages and builds.
- Decide first between an independent PM and a delivery team.
- Ask for projects like yours and speak to the client.
- Ask how cost, programme and CDM duties are controlled.
- Meet the named project manager before you sign.
"Project management" means very different things in London construction. To one firm it is a consultant who checks the contractor. To another it is the contractor's own manager running the site. To a third it is a development manager steering a scheme from land to sale. All three are useful. Hiring the wrong one is expensive.
This guide shows how to choose between construction project management companies. It covers the five types, six checks and the fees. We provide project management as part of delivering projects, so we also say when an independent consultant is the better choice. Have a project in mind? Book a site visit and we'll review your plans.
Five types of construction project management companies
Decide which role you need before you compare firms. Our guide to what construction project management is explains the role itself.
| Type | What they do | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Independent client-side PM | Represents you, appoints and manages designers and the contractor | You want someone to check other parties' work |
| Quantity surveyor-led practice | Cost plans, tenders, valuations and final account | Cost control is the main worry and the designers are in place |
| Architect as contract administrator | Designs, then administers the building contract | Design-led projects on a traditional contract |
| Contractor-led design and build | One team plans, prices, manages and builds | You want one accountable party and a fast route to site |
| Development manager | Runs the whole scheme: appraisal, planning, funding, build and exit | You own land or a building and want a developer's skills |
The last row has its own fee models. See development management fees.
How fees and independence differ
The biggest difference is independence. A consultant who does not build can police the builder. A delivery team cannot, because it is the builder.
| Type | Independent of the builder | How it is paid |
|---|---|---|
| Independent PM or QS practice | Yes | A fee on top of the build cost |
| Architect as contract administrator | Yes, on contract matters | A fee on top of the build cost |
| Contractor-led design and build | No: it also builds | Included in the project price |
| Development manager | Depends on the deal | A fee, a share, or both |
Our guide to design and build vs traditional procurement compares the two main routes.
Six checks for any construction project manager
These six apply whichever type you choose.
1. Projects like yours
Ask for finished projects of a similar type, size and setting. An occupied office, a live school and a listed building are three very different jobs. Then speak to the client.
2. Cost control in practice
Ask how the last budget was set and how changes were priced. Ask how close the final account came to the contract sum. A monthly cost report only helps if someone acts on it.
3. Programme discipline
A realistic programme, every trade coordinated and progress tracked weekly. Ask what the project manager does on the day a key delivery fails. Our construction project planning guide shows what a good programme contains.
4. Approvals and CDM 2015
Building Regulations, planning conditions and landlord consent all need an owner. So do the duties under the CDM Regulations 2015. As a commercial client you must make suitable arrangements for the project.
Where more than one contractor is involved, you appoint a principal designer and a principal contractor. Read our CDM 2015 client duties guide.
5. The named project manager
Ask who exactly will run your job. Ask how many other projects they run now, and who covers when they're away.
6. Reporting and decisions
Ask what you'll see each week or month. Ask which decisions come back to you. Good reporting shows problems early, while they're still cheap.
Where Craftex is not the right fit
We are a contractor as well as a project manager. That shapes when we are the wrong choice.
- You need oversight of a builder you've already appointed. An independent client-side PM has no conflict. That is the cleaner choice.
- Projects well under £100,000. We typically work on projects from £100,000.
- Very large schemes that need a big consultancy. A large client-side team across cost, design and legal is better placed.
What our project management covers
Most projects fail in the decisions before site, not on site. So our project managers start early.
- A realistic programme, every trade coordinated and progress tracked weekly.
- Budgets reviewed, prices compared and changes assessed properly.
- Drawings checked for buildability before they reach site.
- Advice on procurement and on choosing suppliers.
- Building Regulations, CDM 2015 and planning conditions managed throughout.
- Weekly quality checks, with snags closed before handover.
Every project we have delivered has finished ahead of programme and on budget. See our construction project management service and how we keep projects on time and on budget.
Great experience from start to finish. Communication was clear, the workmanship was excellent, and the whole project was managed professionally.
Four projects where the management was the job
- Beaumont House, Kensington. Five weeks left on a lease, more than 150 staff to move. Others quoted at least 12 weeks. We were on site two weeks after first contact and finished 750 sq m in three weeks, with zero snags.
- Portsoken House Reception, Aldgate. A 70 sq m reception rebuilt over 12 weeks. We worked through the night and at weekends, so tenants weren't disrupted.
- Francis Holland School, London. A 1,250 m² swimming pool refurbishment in a live school. It took 16 weeks and was ready for the start of term.
- Macmillan Cancer Care Centre, London. A 2,100 m² healthcare fit-out over seven months, with every trade managed directly.
The people who would manage your project
Earlier projects below are from each person's career before Craftex.
- Martin Hickey, Preconstruction Director: more than 50 years in construction, from labourer to site manager, with his own company from 1987 to 1996. He leads preconstruction and project management.
- Joe Crawford, Operations Director: 37 years, on projects from £100K to £135M, including Dior's flagship on Bond Street.
- Konstantin Jegorovs, Projects Director: 16 years in retail and commercial, an Oxford Brookes construction management graduate.
- Rob Barton, Development Director: he leads when project management becomes development management. He delivered over 4,000 homes in earlier housebuilder roles.
If you're comparing construction project management companies now, book a site visit. We'll review your programme and budget and tell you honestly which type of manager you need.
