Budget and cost control
One budget from day one, hard costs and soft costs together, tracked monthly against what has been spent and what has been committed. Overruns are caught while they are still small enough to be a decision.
Services
What an owner's representative does
An independent professional on your side of the table, from the first budget to the day you move in. Your architect designs the house and your builder builds it. The owner's representative makes sure both happen the way you were promised, at the number you agreed.
Standard on commercial projects, rare on private homes, where the budgets are just as large and the stakes are personal.
The role
One advocate, the whole project
An owner's representative is an independent professional hired to act as your advocate and manager across the whole life of a construction project. The role begins before there is a builder, often before there is a site, and it ends after you have moved in.
Six stretches of work, each with its own ways to lose money and time:
- Planning and site selection. A master budget that counts hard costs and soft costs together, the design and permit fees as well as the building, so the site and the house you choose fit the number you have.
- Design. Drawings reviewed against the budget as they develop, so the house you fall for is one that can be built at the number you agreed.
- Permitting. The municipal approvals tracked and the authorities coordinated, so a hearing date lands in the schedule instead of on top of it.
- Construction. Weekly meetings, site visits, pay applications and change orders: the steady work of keeping the budget and the schedule honest.
- Commissioning. The systems of the house started up, tested and documented, so what was specified is what runs.
- Closeout. Punch list, warranties, manuals and the handover to you and the household, finished before the last payment goes out.
Through all of it there is one client, the owner, and no financial stake in the construction outcome. No fees come from builders or vendors, so there is no reason to want a bigger or more expensive project than you do.
Scope
What comes off your plate
Contractor selection
Bids compared line by line, references checked, and a contract that protects you before anyone breaks ground. You choose the builder with the numbers side by side and the hard questions already asked.
Schedule
A master schedule with the long-lead items in it, from windows to millwork, ordered before they can hold up the site. Slips are flagged when they first appear, before one late delivery becomes three.
Change orders and invoices
Every change order priced and explained before you approve it, and every invoice checked against the work in place before it is paid. You pay for what is done.
Site visits
Regular walk-throughs while the work is still open and a problem can be fixed without demolition. What was seen comes back to you in plain language, with photographs where they help.
Closeout
Punch list, commissioning, warranties and manuals, finished before the final payment is released, then support through the first year. The house is ready on day one, and so are the people who will run it.
Responsibilities
What the role is responsible for
- Full-lifecycle oversightOversight from planning and site selection through design, permitting, construction, commissioning and closeout. One person holds the whole picture while the rest of the team each holds a piece of it.
- Budget and schedule controlThe master budget, hard costs and soft costs, and the schedule, developed at the start and tracked throughout: pay applications reviewed, overruns and delays flagged while they can still be managed.
- Stakeholder liaisonCoordinating you, the architects, the engineers, the general contractor, the municipal authorities and the specialty vendors, so each of them hears one consistent version of what you want.
- Risk and contract managementIdentifying risks before they cost anything, helping negotiate the contracts, reviewing change orders, and enforcing quality and compliance on your behalf.
- Value engineeringFinding savings without compromising the design you chose or the quality of the work: a different way to build the same detail.
Engagements
Ways to work together
Full owner's representation
From first budget to final walk-through, one point of contact for the entire project.
- Budget and team assembly
- Weekly meetings, site visits, and reports
- Handover to household staff and first-year support
For major builds and whole-house renovations.
Project oversight
Independent eyes on a project already underway.
- Scheduled site visits
- Budget and change-order monitoring
- Status reports and risk flags
For when the team is already in place.
Project consultation
Fixed-fee advice before you buy, build or commit.
- Pre-purchase property assessment
- Bid evaluation and contract review
- Scope analysis and value engineering
For buying, planning, or choosing a builder.
Project recovery
Behind schedule, over budget, or out of sync. A calm reset and a clear plan.
- Rapid assessment
- Dispute resolution support
- A plan forward, even if a contractor walks away
For projects that have gone sideways.
Independent by design
No referral fees. No builder commissions. Paid only by you.
Every recommendation is made for one reason: it is right for you. Fixed fees for consultations; a monthly retainer during construction. Every engagement is defined in writing.
Process
From the initial scope to the final walk-through
01
Pre-purchase advisory
Understand what a property will really take before you buy it: the site and its constraints, a realistic budget with hard and soft costs, and an honest read on whether the house you want fits both.
02
Team assembly
The right architect, builder and specialists, selected to work as one team. Bids compared side by side and contracts negotiated before anyone breaks ground.
03
Pre-construction
Drawings reviewed as they develop, budgets stress-tested and value-engineered before work begins, and the permit path tracked so hearings land in the schedule.
04
Construction oversight
Weekly meetings, site visits, pay applications and change orders, each reviewed before it reaches you, with clear reporting at every milestone. You decide only what needs you.
05
Closeout and handover
Punch list, commissioning, warranties and manuals, then a smooth handover to you and your household staff. The final payment follows the finished house.
06
Year-one support
Systems, warranties and follow-up long after the builder's final payment, so the first year in the house is not a list of open items.
Project types
Four kinds of project
New custom homes
Ground-up builds, site to move-in.
Renovations
Whole-house and period restorations.
Additions
Wings, suites, and carriage houses.
Second homes
Cape, islands, and northern New England.
Roles
Who does what on your project
| Question | Owner's representative | Construction manager | Architect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works for | You, and only you | The builder, running the construction phase | You, as the designer of the house |
| Paid by | You: a fixed fee or a monthly retainer | You, through the construction contract | You, through the design contract |
| Involved from | Day one: planning and site selection | The start of construction | The start of design |
| Involved until | After you have moved in | The end of construction | The design is built as drawn |
| Manages | Budget, schedule, contracts, the team, your decisions | Site logistics, safety, subcontractors, the daily build | The design, and the design intent during construction |
| Has a stake in the outcome | None. No fees from builders or vendors. | A commercial stake: the construction contract | A professional stake: the design |
Questions
Questions people ask
Do I need an owner's rep if I trust my builder?
Trust is the right place to start, and it is not the same thing as oversight. A good builder is running a site, a crew and a dozen subcontractors; the owner's representative is checking the budget, the schedule and the paperwork against what you were promised, with no stake in the answer. The builders who do the best work tend to welcome it, because clear direction and prompt answers let them get on with building.
When should an owner's rep come in?
As early as you can manage, ideally before there is a site or a design, because the budget and the team are set then and everything afterwards inherits them. A project already in design or under construction can still be taken on; that is what project oversight is for. The first conversation is complimentary and will tell you which engagement fits.
Does this replace the architect or the builder?
No. The architect designs the house and administers the design intent; the builder runs the site, the crews and the construction phase. The owner's representative works only for you, holds the budget and the schedule, and keeps both to what was agreed.
How is the fee set?
Consultations are a fixed fee, agreed before the work starts. During construction the engagement runs on a monthly retainer. Every engagement is defined in writing, and no fees come from builders or vendors, so you are the only client.
How much of my time does it take?
Less than the project would take without it. You get a clear update on a regular rhythm and are asked for only the decisions that need you; everything else is handled and reported. Owners who travel or split time between homes find that this is the point.
What if my project is already in trouble?
Behind schedule, over budget or out of sync: that is project recovery. It begins with a rapid assessment of where the project stands, then a reset of how the owner, the architect and the builder communicate, then a written recovery plan. The aim is a calm reset and a clear path forward.
Next
Talk it through before you commit.
The first consultation is complimentary and confidential, whether you are choosing a site, comparing bids or already under construction. Bring what you have: the drawings, the budget you hope to hold and the questions still open.