If you are a business owner planning a commercial renovation or expansion, you are likely searching for someone to manage the chaos. You might call them a Construction Project Manager, a Development Advisor, or an Owner's Representative.

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Regardless of the title, the goal is the same: You need an advocate.

But how do you distinguish a true expert from a generalist who is just "winging it"?

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What is an Owner's Representative?

An Owner's Representative (or Owner's Rep) is a project manager who works exclusively for you, not the contractor or the architect. Their job is to protect your budget, enforce the schedule, and ensure the technical quality of the build.

Unlike a General Contractor, who is incentivized to maximize their own profit, an Owner's Rep is incentivized to protect your investment.

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What is an Owner's Representative?

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‍An Owner's Representative is an independent advocate hired to protect the business owner's interests during a construction project. Unlike a General Contractor, who focuses on building, an Owner's Rep focuses on budget protection, contract compliance, and quality control to prevent costly disputes.

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The High Cost of a "Leadership Vacuum"

I learned the importance of this role the hard way.

During the pandemic, my development company decided to flip houses to keep the team productive. I bought the properties and set the budgets. Then, confident in my team’s ability to handle complex commercial work, I let them off the leash on these smaller projects. I assumed that because the work was simple,

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I didn't need to babysit.

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I didn't set a routine. I didn't demand a specific reporting structure. I stepped back.

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The result? The project finished $125,000 over budget and eight months late.

It wasn't because my team was incompetent. It was because I created a leadership vacuum. Without a system to provide accountability, human nature took over. Well-meaning people took the path of least resistance. Small issues that should have been caught in Week 2 became expensive disasters by Month 6.

I realized that complexity isn’t the only risk in construction; complacency is.

How to Vet an Owner's Rep: The Two Critical Questions

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If you are interviewing candidates for your facilities project, you cannot afford to hire someone who lacks a system. To find the right partner, you only need to ask two questions.

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1. "Show me your Playbook."

Most consultants will sell you on their resume or their rolodex. That isn't enough. You need to see their operating system. If they cannot produce a physical document that outlines how they manage risk, they are banking on luck.

At DeVore Consulting, we use a Project Standards Manual. It isn't a brochure; it’s the contract we make with ourselves on how we show up. It defines our "Customer Success Flight Plan"—a structured roadmap that governs everything from the kickoff meeting to the final punch list.

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When you interview a candidate, ask them how they spot problems before they happen.

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We use a concept called "Canaries". In a coal mine, a canary dies before the air becomes toxic to humans. In construction project management, "canaries" are the small details that predict big failures. We check a specific list every week:

• Communication Canaries: Are meeting minutes issued promptly?
  
• Schedule Canaries: Is the superintendent spending time in the field, or hiding in the trailer?
  
• Budget Canaries: Are invoices accurate and submitted on time?
  

If a candidate tells you they manage projects simply by "checking in," run. You need a structured framework.

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2. "How many other projects are you running?"

This is the question most business owners forget to ask.

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The biggest sin of any entrepreneur or consultant is over-commitment. It is tempting to say "yes" to every check that comes through the door. But construction management is a game of details. Someone stretched across ten projects cannot dot the i’s and cross the t’s on yours.

If your Owner’s Rep is juggling 15 other clients, they are not monitoring your budget; they are putting out fires.

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I operate differently. I only engage in two projects at a time.

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My services are more expensive than the generalist who takes every job. That is intentional. You are paying for the "No" I say to everyone else. You are paying for the bandwidth required to enforce accountability, track the KPIs, and ensure that when a contractor tries to cut a corner, I am there to stop it.

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The Bottom Line

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When you hire an Owner's Rep, you aren't buying their time. You are buying their discipline. Don't hire the person who tells you what you want to hear. Hire the person who has a playbook to handle what you don't see coming, and the time to execute it.

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