10 Questions to Ask a Construction Manager/Owner’s Representative Before You Sign — And What to Listen For

Owners in need of construction management services request proposals for services from qualified firms. The evaluation of those proposals can vary greatly from award decisions made only on price to an evaluation based upon a firm’s experience, personnel and approach.

At ShapiroCM, we hope owners want to get to know us, and hire us again for the expertise, people and proactive style we bring to a project regardless of the basis of the contract award that formalizes our relationship.

As such, here are ten questions to ask a construction manager/owner’s representative. They will help an owner evaluate the firm’s qualifications and identify the right partner for any project.

1. Who, specifically, will be working on our project and can I interview the Project Manager?

Find out who your primary point of contact will be. Who will be watching the work onsite? Who will be running or attending the project meetings? Have they managed similar projects? Depending upon how quickly your project assignment is, you may be able to have the Project Manager named in the CM’s proposal for your project.

At ShapiroCM, we strive to deliver the personnel we propose for a project when the award is made in a timely manner. If interviews are part of the CM procurement process, we welcome the opportunity for you to get to know our team.

2. Is your focus on commercial, residential or public sector projects?

The more closely a firm's prior experience matches your specific project type, the better prepared that firm will be to handle the issues that present themselves on your project, and the more likely the firm will be to meet your expectations (Because they’ve worked with clients just like you).

3. What size projects does your firm usually handle?

Large CM firms generally handle large projects. Small CM firms generally handle smaller projects. Large firms that provide CM services often also provide other related construction services. They are more likely to have unicorn specialists on staff to handle technical problems that come up on a project. However, smaller projects may not take priority when handled by a large firm. Whereas, large projects may be a top priority for a small firm that will give it extra attention and be more invested in that project’s success.

Owners that have a complex project and/or very large project should ask to evaluate the experience of subcontractors that might be hired by the CM to provide additional personnel or specific expertise they can’t provide with in-house staff.

At ShapiroCM, we work on projects ranging from $1M to $65M, though our sweet spot is the $5M-$25M range.

However, what matters most is not the budget; it’s whether the firm has handled projects with the same level of complexity, stakeholder involvement, and regulatory requirements as yours. Ask for specific examples within your size range and reference contact information for previous clients.

4. Are you certified under any diversity or small business programs?

For public agencies with MWBE participation goals, this question matters both for compliance and values alignment. Some procurements are only open to certified firms, such as Women Business Enterprise (WBE), Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB), or Minority-Owned Business (MBE).

Often owners have requirements that CMs meet diversity goals by hiring subcontractors or employees in certain categories. For these owners, asking a CM firm how they meet diversity requirements on their contracts and for their track record doing so on past projects.

5. Would you hire subcontractors to work on my project, or would you be providing all services in-house?

There are a few good reasons a Construction Manager would subcontract, as previously mentioned.

ShapiroCM hires subcontractors for services such as Commissioning, Air Monitoring, and Elevator Inspection, specialties we don’t provide with our current staff.

ShapiroCM also performs as a subcontractor on projects for prime contract holders for a variety of reasons, including as a Small Business to meet diversity requirements. At the end of 2025, our firm became a Women Owned Small Business. Going forward we’ll be able to check that box for prime contract holders and help them meet SBE and WBE contracting requirements.

ShapiroCM is also a subcontractor to Architecture and Engineering firms when they need a Construction Manager on a project or Construction Management Services such as Cost Estimating.

6. What is your communication style and cadence?

You will be in a working relationship with this firm for months or years. How they communicate matters as much as what they know.

Owners identify requirements and expectations for chains of communication, reports, logs and meetings and expectations of onsite construction oversight. To determine whether a CM will match those needs – experience with similar projects, any project management software used by the owner, experience with similar clients and references can be good indicators, as well as how the CM communicates during the procurement process.

7. How do you handle change orders?

Change orders, which are modifications to the original contract scope or price, are where many projects go off the rails. Owners set their change order process requirements, including evaluation and negotiation. Ask who will do the estimating, the assigned project manager or an in-house estimator? Does the CM firm sub out estimating? If the onsite oversight requires managing multiple subs, contractors or a high level of field activity, an owner may require that the onsite CM only watches the work and provide budget for office support to provide estimating and scheduling.

8. How have you managed a project that started to go over budget?

Every experienced CM has been on a project where costs started trending in the wrong direction, often because schedules aren’t met or a failure to account for long-lead items. What matters is how the CM helps the GC recover.

Some Owners require CMs to provide anticipated issues on a project and how they would solve those issues during the proposal phase. Some require high level schedules which they can compare to the GCs actual schedule, which gives a window into how the CM would drive the schedule. Owners can also require past project information that includes anticipated and actual completion schedules and budgets.

9. What happens if things go wrong between us?

Owners can require a CM firm to describe its process for overseeing the performance of field personnel and staffing projects. Owners can also require a time-period by which a CM firm replaces personnel on a project if they are not meeting the owner’s expectations.

10. Can we speak with three recent clients?

Owners can ask for past projects with references. When calling them, go beyond "were you satisfied?" Ask: Would you hire them again without hesitation? How did they handle schedule slips? Did they miss anything in change order analysis or oversight of GC work performance? Were they easy to work with?

One Final Thought

The best construction management firms welcome every one of these questions. They've built their reputation on transparency and accountability, and they're prepared to deliver a project to the owner’s requirements.

Ready to ask us these questions? We'd welcome the conversation. Contact ShapiroCM to talk about your next project.

Download a PDF of our checklist below!

ShapiroCM is embarking upon its 25^th year in business. Our experienced staff of architects, engineers, project managers and more lead complex projects with care, precision and the integrity we’re known for. As a Woman-Owned Small Business, we bring an independent, owner-first perspective to every project we touch.