One of the most common questions churches ask early in the building process is: what exactly does a construction manager do, and how is that different from hiring a general contractor? This video explains HCMI's role as a construction manager and why this delivery model is particularly well-suited to church building projects where transparency, cost control, and owner representation are paramount.
A general contractor bids on a completed set of drawings and manages the project for a fixed price — which sounds simple but often means the owner has limited visibility into actual costs and trade-off decisions. A construction manager, by contrast, works alongside the owner from the earliest planning stages, providing real-time cost guidance, managing the schedule, coordinating subcontractors through open-book competitive bidding, and ensuring quality at every stage. The construction manager's loyalty is to the owner, not to a fixed bid.
This video walks through the five core functions of HCMI's construction management approach — cost control, schedule management, quality assurance, subcontractor coordination, and owner representation — with real examples from past church projects that illustrate how each function protects the congregation's investment.
