Builders, architects, QS and project managers. Who manages what when building a home

Expert builder Kieran McCarthy on how to keep a project on time and on budget

Building is quite complex nowadays, and there are many moving parts, but it is possible with the right approach to manage the process

Hi Kieran,
Myself and my husband have a family site where we are planning to build our home. We have our finances in place and despite the current inflation we want to move ahead with the project. My question is about builders and project managers and how they interact with each other. I have friends who said they project managed their own projects themselves but we both work full-time so I’m not sure if that would work. Could you explain from the builder’s point of view how project managers, builders, architects, and quantity surveyors (QS) all interact on a project like a house build?
Thank you, Imelda, Killorglin

Hi Imelda,
This is indeed a wonderful question and one very close to my own heart. When I started my professional career as a foreman/engineer with some of the big building companies in Cork and Dublin, what baffled me at the time was how complicated building appeared to be.