# Project Manager & Estimator



## JDPugh (Oct 26, 2015)

I have noticed that most of the companies around here now advertise that they are looking for Project Manager / Estimator. My partner and I were old school I guess. I handled the project from take-off through contract signing. At that point I kept my estimate file and made two new files, one for him and one for the job supervisor containing copy of proposal, any takeoff notes, job stocking reports, material ordering reports etc. They looked over and we discussed any problem areas as needed and they took it from there. I moved on to the next estimate and unless their was an issue I was done with it as far as day to day project management. What is the difference ?


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## Deerhunter_28 (Oct 9, 2014)

Nothing.
What part of NC are you from?
You still retired?


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## JDPugh (Oct 26, 2015)

I am in Greensboro and still retired.


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## MrWillys (Mar 10, 2014)

When you get into multi million dollar contracts you will have a project manager to relieve the Foreman of the paperwork pressure and focus on building the job. While his title is above the Foreman he's really a support system.


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## JDPugh (Oct 26, 2015)

OK same thing I guess just depends on the meaning of "Project Manager". Once contract was signed and project entered schedule my partner would take it from there. He handled all paperwork, assigned onsite supervisor, manpower scheduling, material delivery etc. for all projects.

I usually just told everyone I did the estimates and took the blame...LOL


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## MrWillys (Mar 10, 2014)

Have you heard of BIM modeling? My last job had a bunch of college geeks building the job in 3D computer programs they claimed would avoid the unseen problems in advance. Maybe this works in new construction, but the job was a remodel and I thought it was a waste of time. Each contractor had their computer geek and the General had several.
The Toyota way of scheduling? Let the owner pick a completion date and work the schedule backwards overlapping processes and the job goes way over but claim what a success it was.


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## JDPugh (Oct 26, 2015)

Yes BIM will someday be the way things are done unless something comes along and makes it obsolete. But as with AutoCad it will take years for the majority architects to workup their nerve to depend on it and even longer for the GC's and subs to do the same. I think what you just described is where the rub is. Not many small to medium size GC's or subcontractors have the funds to keep a "computer geek" on staff" if they only see a BIM project once a year if that often and it is hard for that geek to retain his BIM knowledge if he rarely uses it. Could bring in a consultant I guess but that creates it's own can of worms.

It would be a good niche for a drywall guy if he wanted to get big fast because he would certainly face much less if any competition and be working with the bigger GC's on bigger high profile projects most of the time.

As far as scheduling goes I always felt they just picked an arbitrary finish date and worked to it anyway. Rarely did I feel like they listened to me when I told them how long our work would take. I was hedging my bets for sure and their scheduler would just whack some of the time or just say we would just need to double our crews to meet the schedule he already had roughed out. Then claim we all had agreed on it and that was it. Sometimes the scheduler was pretty good but sometimes he just had no clue. Had one guy in a multistory hotel schedule our framing to be complete on each floor days before it showed the forms and shoring posts to be removed for the floor above, he just could not understand what the problem was.


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