A Project Manager runs the day-to-day work of your remodel. That means scheduling the trades, ordering and tracking materials, handling permits and inspections, protecting your home, managing changes, checking quality and walking you through the finished work. In short, the Project Manager turns an approved design into a finished space, on a schedule, while keeping you informed.
In design-build remodeling in Chicago, the Project Manager works alongside the designers who drew your plans, so most questions are answered inside one team. This guide explains what the role typically covers, stage by stage, and what to ask before work begins.
What a Project Manager Is
In construction, the titles overlap. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook says construction managers, “often called general contractors or project managers,” coordinate and supervise projects. It sums up the job as planning, coordinating, budgeting and supervising construction projects from start to finish.
The duties it lists will sound familiar to anyone who has remodeled:
- preparing cost estimates, budgets and work timetables;
- selecting subcontractors and scheduling their work;
- reporting progress and budget matters to clients;
- responding to delays, emergencies and other problems;
- making sure the project complies with building and safety codes.
On a residential remodel, that adds up to one person who knows where every part of your project stands. At Areté, every project is run by a Project Manager.
Scheduling the Trades
A remodel is a sequence. Demolition comes before new framing, rough plumbing and wiring go in before the walls are closed, and finishes come last. When one trade runs a day late, every trade behind it moves.
A Project Manager typically builds that sequence into a schedule, books each trade for its window and adjusts when something shifts. O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor’s occupational database, lists planning, scheduling and coordinating construction activities to meet deadlines among the core tasks of construction managers. It also lists putting new or modified plans in place in response to delays, bad weather or site emergencies.
For you, the useful questions are simple:
- Who will be on site each day?
- Which trades come when?
- Which days will be loud, or will need water or power shut off?
A good schedule answers them before you ask. For the household side of the work, see our guide to living at home during a Chicago remodel.
Ordering and Tracking Materials
Your selections, from cabinetry and tile to faucets and lighting, have to arrive before the trade that installs them. O*NET lists requisitioning supplies and materials among a construction manager’s tasks. In practice, a Project Manager typically:
- confirms each order matches the final selection, down to the model, size, finish and quantity;
- tracks lead times and delivery dates against the schedule;
- checks deliveries on arrival, so a damaged or incorrect item is caught before installation day;
- arranges storage and protection for materials waiting on site.
Many finishes are made or cut to order, so a late or incorrect order can hold up every trade behind it. Catching a problem at delivery, rather than on installation day, is often the difference between a short delay and a long one. Our guide to remodeling selections and lead times explains why the order you choose finishes in matters.
Permits and Inspections
In Chicago, you need a building permit before beginning most types of construction, demolition, rehabilitation and repair work, according to the Department of Buildings. Permits bring inspections, and both take management.
The Federal Trade Commission’s Hiring a Contractor guide describes a general contractor as managing all aspects of a project, including hiring and supervising subcontractors, getting building permits and scheduling inspections. It also says your contract should state the contractor’s obligation to get all necessary permits.
Chicago puts the inspection duty in writing. The Department of Buildings says general contractors are responsible for scheduling inspections as permitted work progresses, so the city can verify the work matches the permit drawings and the building code. Requests are accepted online only, and when you ask for a specific date, the Department asks for at least 4 business days.
Deadlines That Keep a Permit Active
In an August 2024 notice to licensed contractors, the Department reminded them that requesting rough and final inspections is their responsibility. The notice also said:
- the permit fees must be paid and the permit certificate posted at the job site before work begins;
- for new construction and renovation permits, work must begin and pass an initial inspection within 180 days of paying the permit fee; for an Express Permit Program permit whose certificate says inspections are required, work must begin and pass an initial inspection within 365 days of the permit being issued;
- after the first inspection, at least 1 inspection must be requested and passed every 365 days for a permit to remain active.
A Project Manager keeps those dates in view and times the work so it is ready for each inspection. Rules change, so confirm the current requirements for your project with the city or your contractor.
Condo Projects
In a condo, the association adds a step. For a nonstructural interior alteration filed through the city’s Express Permit Program, work in a condominium unit needs a condominium association approval letter uploaded with the application. Our guide to condo board approval for a Chicago remodel covers that process.
Protecting Your Home and Building
A remodel happens inside a home people still live in, or inside a building full of neighbors. Site protection is part of the Project Manager’s job: covering floors and finishes along the work path, separating the work area to contain dust, and leaving the site safe and orderly at the end of each day. The National Association of the Remodeling Industry’s Contractor Checklist for Homeowners suggests confirming cleanup responsibilities and site protection before work starts.
Older homes add a federal rule. The EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule requires anyone paid to disturb painted surfaces in homes built before 1978 to be certified, with workers trained in lead-safe work practices. If your home was built before 1978, ask how the crew will contain and clean up the work.
High-rise buildings add house rules. Condo associations commonly set permitted working hours, and many buildings require contractors to schedule work and service elevator time with management in advance. The Project Manager is usually the person who keeps the crew within those rules.
How You Will Hear From Your Project Manager
Good communication has a rhythm you agree on at the start. NARI’s checklist suggests establishing a single point of contact, deciding how often you will receive updates and asking for a written timeline with milestones. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists reporting progress and budget matters to clients as a core duty of the role.
A simple rhythm to agree on before work starts:
- a regular update on a set day;
- a walk-through at key milestones;
- a prompt call when something unexpected comes up.
Keep your own records too. The FTC suggests keeping the contract, change orders, correspondence and a record of all payments in one place, and taking photographs as the job progresses.
Managing Changes
Changes happen. You may see a room framed and want an outlet moved, or the crew may open a wall and find a condition no one could see during design. Either way, the Project Manager’s job is to turn the change into a clear decision before the work happens.
The FTC defines a change order as a written authorization to the contractor to make a change or addition to the work described in the original contract, and notes that it could affect the project’s cost and schedule. Its guide says your contract should explain how change orders are handled. NARI’s checklist adds a plain rule: document all changes in writing.
A well-run change typically includes:
- a description of what is changing and why;
- the effect on cost;
- the effect on the schedule, including any new or reordered materials;
- your written approval before the work proceeds.
Verbal changes on site are where misunderstandings start. Routing every request through your Project Manager keeps the record, the budget and the crew aligned.
Quality Checks Along the Way
Quality is checked as the work goes, not only at the end. O*NET lists developing or implementing quality control programs, and inspecting projects for compliance with building and safety codes, among a construction manager’s tasks.
In practice, a Project Manager typically reviews each stage before the next trade covers it: framing, plumbing and wiring before drywall, and waterproofing before tile. These checks run alongside the city’s rough and final inspections. They catch issues while they are still easy to fix, rather than after a finished surface hides them.
The Punch List and Closeout
Near the end, the Project Manager walks the finished space with you and records anything that still needs attention. That record is the punch list, which the Cambridge Dictionary defines as a list of jobs or things that need to be dealt with before something is finished. NARI’s checklist recommends a final walk-through using a punch list, and confirming that all work matches the contract and your expectations.
Closeout then gathers the paperwork. The FTC advises against making the final payment until you are satisfied and know that subcontractors and suppliers have been paid. Its sign-off checklist asks you to confirm that:
- all work meets the standards spelled out in the contract;
- you have written warranties for materials and workmanship;
- you have proof that all subcontractors and suppliers have been paid;
- the job site has been cleaned up and cleared of excess materials, tools and equipment;
- you have inspected and approved the completed work.
NARI adds lien waivers from subcontractors and suppliers, along with warranty documents and maintenance instructions. A Project Manager typically assembles this package, so you finish the project with answers rather than loose ends.
How the Role Works in Design-Build
In a traditional project, the designer and the builder are separate firms, and questions travel between them. The FTC’s guide describes a design/build contractor as one who provides both services. That changes the Project Manager’s day: a question from the site goes straight to the designers who drew the plan, and a design decision reaches the crew without passing through another company.
Areté has practiced design-build remodeling in Chicago since 2002, with design and construction under one roof and an in-house interior design team. Every project is run by a Project Manager.
For more on the model itself, read why design-build firms lead the way in home renovations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Project Manager the Same as a General Contractor?
The titles overlap. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that construction managers are often called general contractors or project managers. In many remodeling firms, the general contractor is the company responsible for the job, and the Project Manager is the person who runs it day to day.
Who Pulls the Permit, Me or My Contractor?
The FTC recommends that your contract state the contractor’s obligation to get all necessary permits. It also lists a contractor who asks you to get the required building permits among the signs of someone you may not want to do business with.
Will My Project Manager Be on Site Every Day?
It depends on the firm and the project. NARI’s checklist suggests confirming who will be on site daily, the firm’s own team or subcontractors, and how often you will receive updates. Ask both questions before work begins.
How Should I Request a Change During the Project?
Bring it to your Project Manager rather than to a crew member, and ask for a written change order that shows the effect on cost and schedule. Approve it in writing before the work proceeds.
What Should I Have in Hand When the Project Ends?
A completed punch list, written warranties, maintenance instructions, lien waivers from subcontractors and suppliers, and confirmation that the required city inspections were passed. Keep them with your contract and change orders.
If you are planning a remodel and would like to meet the team that would run it, schedule a consultation or call 773.683.3033 to talk through your project with Areté.
