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Our Services
Construction Project Management in Melbourne
A client-side project manager who manages the builder, checks every claim and reports to you from the first assessment through to handover.
Sami Strategy Co. provides client-side construction project management in Melbourne for owners corporations, homeowners, developers, builders and subcontractors. We are engaged by the client, we report to the client and we manage the builder on the client's behalf from the initial assessment through to defects and handover. The aim is a project delivered to the agreed scope, program and budget, with risks identified before they turn into disputes.
On most projects the builder has a site manager, a contract administrator and an estimator working on its side. A client-side project manager puts the same construction knowledge on your side, reviewing progress claims and variations, inspecting the works and keeping a written record of what has been delivered against what was agreed.
We are based in Melbourne, manage projects across Victoria and consult remotely for clients elsewhere in Australia.
What We Do
What does construction project management in Melbourne involve?
Our project managers act as the client's representative for the duration of the works. That means managing the day-to-day relationship with the builder, holding the contract to account and giving the client clear information at every stage so decisions can be made with confidence.
Risk management runs through the whole engagement. We look for scope gaps and contractual exposure before works start, watch for program slippage and quality issues while the builder is on site, and make sure every dollar claimed matches work completed and every variation is justified before it is approved.
- Review of the contract, drawings and specifications before and during construction
- Regular site inspections with written records and photographs
- Assessment of each progress claim against work completed on site
- Review of variation requests for entitlement, pricing and time impact
- Progress reporting on program, cost, quality and risk
- Coordination of consultants, authorities and other stakeholders
- Defects inspections, rectification tracking and formal handover
Who This Is For
Who uses independent project management?
Any party who holds a construction contract and wants a construction professional managing it in their interest.
Owners Corporations
Committees responsible for common property works, defect rectification against builders and developers, and major capital works such as facade, roof and structural repairs. We report to the committee at every stage so lot holders can see how their funds are being spent.
Learn moreHomeowners
Families building a new home or carrying out a substantial renovation. We review the building contract, scrutinise progress claims and make sure the builder delivers what was agreed, so you have a construction professional in the room at every site meeting.
Learn moreDevelopers
Property developers who need builder oversight, progress claim assessment and risk management through the construction phase of a multi-unit or commercial project. The same service also sits inside our end-to-end development management offer.
Learn moreBuilders
Growing building companies that need project management support on a short-term or ad-hoc basis. Directors get time back for business development while a project manager keeps individual jobs on track.
Learn moreSubcontractors
Trade contractors who need help with procurement, progress claims, variations and coordination on their packages, so the office can keep pricing new work while live jobs are managed properly.
Learn moreHow It Works
How does a project management engagement work?
Every engagement follows the same five stages, scaled to the size of the project and the point at which we are brought in.
Initial assessment
We start by reading everything that already exists: drawings, specifications, the building contract, any defect or condition reports, and the current program and budget. From this we tell you where the project stands, where the risks sit and what we recommend as the next step.
Scope and brief
We prepare a written scope of works and project brief that captures every item to be delivered. A clear scope is what later allows claims and variations to be tested, so this document becomes the reference point for the rest of the project.
Tendering and builder selection
Where no builder has been appointed, we run the tender, compare the submissions on a like-for-like basis, check references and recommend a contractor. Where a builder is already under contract, this stage becomes a review of the contract terms and of the work completed to date.
Construction phase management
While the builder is on site we inspect the works, attend site meetings, assess progress claims, review variations and extension of time requests, and issue regular progress reports. Issues are raised with the builder in writing as they arise so they are resolved while they are still small.
Completion and handover
At practical completion we carry out final inspections and compile a defects list, then confirm each item is rectified before handover is accepted. You receive a close-out package with certificates, warranties and maintenance recommendations, and we remain available through the defects liability period.
What You Get
What do you receive?
Written records at every stage, so decisions and expenditure can be traced long after the builder has left site.
Progress reports
Regular reports covering progress against the program, the cost position, claims assessed, variations under review, open risks and any decisions needed from you. They are written in plain English for committees, families and boards.
Claim and variation assessments
A written recommendation on every progress claim and variation before payment is made, showing what was claimed, what we measured on site and what we recommend you approve.
Site inspection records
Dated inspection notes with photographs and an issues register that tracks each item from the day it was raised to the day it was closed.
Close-out package
The defects list and its sign-off, certificates and compliance documents, warranties, manuals and maintenance recommendations collected in one place for future reference.
Scope And Cost
What affects the cost of construction project management?
Fees are shaped by how much management the project needs and for how long. The main drivers are listed below.
- Project value, complexity and the length of the construction program
- The stage at which we are engaged, from pre-design through to a builder already on site
- Frequency of site inspections and the reporting cycle agreed with you
- Whether tendering and builder selection are part of the engagement
- Number of contracts, consultants and stakeholders to coordinate
- Condition of the existing documentation, including contract clarity and prior defect reports
Why Sami Strategy
Why engage Sami Strategy Co. as your client-side project manager?
We work solely for the client
We are engaged and paid by the client and have no commercial relationship with the builder on your project. Our recommendations on claims, variations and defects reflect the contract and the work on site.
Estimating and contract knowledge behind every review
Sami Strategy Co. also provides estimating, tendering and contract administration services. Progress claims and variation pricing on your project are checked by people who also price and administer construction contracts.
Everything in writing
Scope documents, inspection records, claim assessments and progress reports create a clear paper trail. If a dispute arises, the record of what was agreed, built and paid is already in hand.
Sandra and her Sami Strategy team are the professional Project Management resource for our projects. Very Highly recommended.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What does a client side project manager do?
A client side project manager represents the party paying for the works. They review the contract and documents, inspect the site, assess progress claims and variations, report on progress and manage the builder through to completion and defects. The role exists so the client has construction expertise acting in their interest throughout the project.
Is a client-side project manager the same as an owner's representative in Melbourne?
In practice the two terms describe the same role and are used interchangeably across Melbourne and Victoria. Both refer to a construction professional engaged by the owner to manage the builder and protect the owner's position under the contract. Some contracts also name a superintendent, which is a specific administrative role defined by the contract itself.
Can you step in when the builder is already on site?
Yes. We begin with a review of the contract, the program and the work completed to date, then compare what has been claimed and paid against what has actually been built. From there we take over the day-to-day management of the builder, including claims, variations and inspections, through to completion.
How are progress claims and variations assessed?
Each progress claim is checked against the contract sum, the agreed payment schedule and the work we have measured on site, and we give you a written recommendation before payment is made. Variations are reviewed for entitlement under the contract, the reasonableness of the pricing and any effect on the program. Approval is recommended only once the entitlement, price and time impact have been confirmed.
How often will you inspect the site and report?
The inspection and reporting cycle is agreed at the start of the engagement and set to suit the construction program and the builder's claim cycle. Inspections are also scheduled around key milestones, such as the stage inspections on a residential build or the hold points named in the specification on larger projects. Every inspection is recorded in writing with photographs.
What happens at defects and handover?
Before handover is accepted we carry out final inspections and compile a defects list, then confirm each item has been rectified to the required standard. We collect certificates, warranties, manuals and maintenance recommendations into a close-out package. After handover we can continue to manage defects raised during the defects liability period and ensure the builder returns to fix them.
Which construction PM services can be engaged on their own?
The full engagement runs across all five stages, and each stage can also be engaged separately. Examples include a scope of works and tender process for an owners corporation, progress claim and variation review for a homeowner, or completion and defects management for a developer. We confirm the scope in writing before work starts.
Do you provide independent project management outside Melbourne?
Yes. We are based in Melbourne and manage projects across Victoria, and we provide consulting and document review remotely for clients elsewhere in Australia. The approach to site inspections depends on location and is agreed as part of the engagement.
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