Construction Management & Inspections

Welcome

Hello, and welcome. This is Super Structures General Contractors — a national general contractor headquartered in Powhatan, Virginia — here to help you and your clients build something that lasts. We're glad you're with us, and we look forward to connecting with you.

Alright, Construction Management & Inspections. Don't let the plain title fool you. Here's the big idea to walk away with: Document everything and manage change orders — your paper trail protects your profit. Learn it well and it's one more tool nobody can ever take from you.

During construction the developer (owner) manages cost, schedule, quality, and risk.

Cost & payment

• Schedule of values breaks the contract into line items.
• Monthly pay applications (often AIA G702/G703) request payment for work in place.
• Retainage (commonly 5–10%) is withheld until completion to ensure the job finishes.
• Lien waivers are collected with each payment to protect against mechanic's liens.

Schedule & quality

• Track the critical path; manage delays and change orders.
• Inspections — the building department inspects at milestones (footings, framing, MEP rough-in, final). Third-party special inspections (concrete, steel, soils) may be required.

Risk

• Maintain insurance and safety (OSHA) compliance.
• Document everything: RFIs, submittals, change orders, daily reports — your paper trail in any dispute.

Going Deeper (Intermediate)

During construction the developer (or their CM/owner's rep) manages budget, schedule, quality, and draws, and coordinates required inspections — both agency and lender. The job is to keep the project on time, on budget, and compliant.

Advanced / Pro-Level

The developer's role is risk and money management, not field labor:

• Manage the GC, change orders, RFIs, and the critical-path schedule.
• Lender draw inspections and the owner's contingency for surprises.
• Agency inspections at hold points (grading, utilities, building) and special inspections (structural, etc.).
• Track budget vs. actual and cost-to-complete; manage the horizontal-to-vertical handoff and phasing.
• The developer protects the equity by catching cost/schedule problems early through these controls — not by swinging hammers.

Practice Challenge

On a development deal, what is the developer's primary job during construction if not doing the building work? (Answer: managing risk, money, schedule, and compliance — overseeing the GC, change orders, draws, cost-to-complete, and required agency/lender inspections so the project stays on budget, on time, and approved; the developer protects the equity by controlling the project, not by building it.)

In Practice

A dispute arises and the owner has no documentation to back their position. Daily reports, RFIs, and photos are your protection.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Poor documentation
• Not managing change orders
• Missing required inspections

Takeaway: Document everything and manage change orders — your paper trail protects your profit.

Educational content — not legal, engineering, or financial advice. Requirements vary by jurisdiction; always confirm with the local authority and your professional team.