What Can a Building Project Manager Do for You?

According to the data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) early this month, residential building approvals fell 1% in December. Some important notes that ABS released that are concerned with this statistics were on the initiatives within the government stimulus package, which include the "Building the Education Revolution" (BER) program and Social Housing initiative, and the interest rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) whose impact is yet to be felt. RBA's further interest rate cut this month would potentially support the housing activity in the succeeding months.

If you're planning to develop a real estate property and want to know how to go about your building project management smoothly and all required approvals done, it would be better to have a building project manager to guide you through and process the documents and requirements needed for your project. Hire an independent project management specialist who is familiar with the ropes and can help you from the planning and designing stage to the overseeing and completion of the project. A building project manager can take care of preparing and processing your Development Application (DA) and other necessary requirements to ensure approval from ABS and other building certification bodies.

Duties of a Building Project Manager

It would be advisable to employ the services of someone who knows more about how the home building process works and can competently liaise with tradesmen, suppliers and building contractors. A building project manager is a building professional who can assist you in building project management, whether it is a new construction, renovation or home extension, to produce quality results. Hiring a good building project manager is value for money because this ensures that your project will be completed within budget, on time, and with all requirements and quality expectations met.

Here are some basic tasks of a building project manager:

• interpret plans
• estimate costs and quantities of materials needed
• plan construction methods and procedures
• coordinate the supply of labour and materials
• supervise construction sites
• direct site managers and subcontractors to maintain the standards of building performance, quality, cost schedules and safety
• prepare documentation
• keep building regulations, standards and by-laws in building operations in check
• consult with architects, engineers and other technical workers

Necessary Requirements and Documents for Approval

The project manager prepares all necessary documentation and required permits for your building and its construction. Here is a list of some legal documentation needed for approval:

• Development Application (DA)
• needs to be lodged with Council (unless it is Exempt or Complying development), together with other documents
• first part of the council approval process
• Building Construction Certificate (BCC)
• second part of the council approval process
• required before construction
• confirms that all construction types noted on the plans are compliant with building codes and regulations and minimum standards of quality have been adhered to
• Building Sustainability Index (BASIX)
• pledges the homeowner to water and energy saving commitments, verified by an accredited certifier
• Materials Reuse Statement (or Waste Management Report)
• a statement to local council how demolished materials will be disposed of or recycled, and how waste will be managed during construction
• Geotechnical Report

To help you through your building project, from preparation to documentation and completion, find the right building project manager for you. Contact MJ Wood Management for all your independent building project management needs.