A Day in the Life of a Construction Superintendent
What are the duties of a construction superintendent, and how do they differ from those of a site supervisor or construction project manager? The construction manager of course, is involved in all aspects of a project from preliminary meetings to inspections. A site supervisor is usually a senior member of the work crew, and is involved in everything from assisting with physical labor to signing for deliveries to filing reports and completing payroll. A construction superintendent is somewhat of a hybrid. In many ways, the construction superintendent duties bear a strong resemblance to those of a construction project manager. He or she attends many meetings, does a lot of report and permit filing, and may conduct presentations and represent the firm at public meetings. But he or she spends far more time at the physical construction site than the construction manager does. In this capacity, the construction superintendent hires and fires staff, determines and oversees assignments, orders and signs for supplies and equipment, monitors and documents work progress, and if not directly completing reports, then is responsible for making sure that they're completed and submitted on time. With all of the responsibilities that a superintendent has, it takes a specific type of person to excel in the role.
Planning the Project
His or her work began before the planning stage with the reading of bid proposals, and submitting bids for the firm. Following acceptance of a project, an assigned superintendent is involved in determining what building and environmental permits will be needed in addition to any other required paperwork. He or she will be responsible for determining what workers and subcontractors must be hired for a particular project, and usually does the related interviewing. If any of the workers require specific training over the course of a project, the superintendent is responsible for arranging it.
Out of the Gates
Once the physical phase of a construction project is underway, the superintendent generally reports to the job site on a daily basis, and usually has a temporary office there. He or she is in close communication with the construction project manager, and one of the superintendent's duties is to act as the eyes and ears of the manager at the site. But acting as the manager's representative is only one of the superintendent's duties.
Other Responsibilities
The construction superintendent is also generally responsible for both scheduling and budget management over the course of a project and in addition to developing both, is expected to conduct/attend meetings and file related paperwork. Although construction superintendents are often former construction workers, they usually don't participate in physical labor. However, they oversee all work being done, are responsible for all warnings and notifications issued on site, and may act as a arbitrator when worker or subcontractor conflicts arise.
And the savvy superintendent is not without Raken's app for daily reporting. The many features of this software make the many functions and long days of a superintendent in construction much easier and move much more quickly.