When you sign with a builder, you meet the salesperson and maybe the owner. The person who actually runs your build day to day is usually someone else: a site supervisor or construction manager. How good they are has more effect on your home than almost anything in the brochure.
Here's what a good one does, and what to ask about yours.
What the job involves
A construction manager (or site supervisor, depending on the builder) is responsible for getting your house built to the plans, on time, to standard and safely. That means:
- Programming the job. Setting the order of works, booking trades and deliveries, and keeping it all moving.
- Managing costs. Raising purchase orders, keeping trades to their scope and flagging anything that will become a variation.
- Coordinating people. Trades, suppliers, engineers, the certifier and you.
- Quality and safety. Checking work at every stage, fixing problems early and running a safe site.
On a project build, one supervisor may be running a dozen or more homes at once. That's normal, but it affects how much attention your house gets.
What makes a great one
From 24 years on site, these are the qualities that separate the good ones:
- They communicate. They tell you what's happening before you have to chase them, explain problems plainly, and answer questions.
- They solve problems calmly. Something always goes wrong on a build. A good supervisor finds a fix without drama and keeps the job moving.
- They're organised. Trades turn up when the job is ready for them, materials arrive when they're needed, and nothing waits on a missed booking.
- They know their stuff. Building codes, Australian Standards, manufacturer installation requirements, and how all the parts of a house fit together. They spot issues before they're covered up.
- They lead. Trades respect them, take direction and do the job properly because they know it'll be checked.
- They're straight with you. They tell you when something's gone wrong rather than hoping you won't notice.
How a good supervisor manages quality
This is where you'll see the difference.
- Regular site inspections. Walking the site at least a couple of times a week to check workmanship and materials.
- Checking materials before they go in. Making sure what's installed matches the plans and specification, and rejecting what doesn't.
- Dealing with poor work straight away. Talking to the trade, getting it fixed, and replacing them if it keeps happening.
- A thorough pre-lining inspection. Once the frame and services are in, but before the plasterboard goes up, checking everything. It's much easier to fix problems before the walls are closed in.
- Managing mandatory inspections. In Queensland, the private building certifier inspects at set stages (such as footings, slab, frame and final). The engineer may inspect too. A good supervisor books these on time, is there for them, and fixes anything raised. They should also welcome any independent inspections you've booked.
- Practical completion. Walking through the finished home with you, listing anything that needs fixing, and getting it done promptly. You then pay the final progress claim to the builder, and the 12-month defects period starts.
My C16 Practical Completion Inspection and C17 Handover checklists help you do your part of that walk-through. You'll find them at constructor.net.au/checklists.
Questions to ask about your supervisor
On most project builds you don't choose the supervisor, but you can ask about them before you sign and at your pre-start meeting:
- Who will be my site supervisor, and can I meet them before work starts?
- How many jobs are they running at the moment?
- How often will they be on my site?
- How will they update me, and how often? Is there an app or portal I can see?
- Who do I contact with questions, and how quickly should I expect an answer?
- Will they meet me on site at each stage?
- Can I book independent inspections, and will they attend?
- Who covers for them when they're on leave?
- What happens if they leave the company during my build?
If you're building with a smaller builder, you'll often deal with the owner, who is also the supervisor. Ask the same questions. A busy owner can be stretched just as thin.
The bottom line
A good supervisor makes your build smoother, quicker and better. Find out who they are, how stretched they are and how they'll keep you informed, before the slab goes down, not after.
