Letter: CM Viewpoint Confuses Important Differences
In her viewpoint column, “Managing the Construction Manager in a Cost-Plus Contract,” Barbara Res expresses a significantly obsolete understanding of agency construction management. In fact, what she describes in detail corresponds better with what the industry now calls construction management-at-risk.
For example, Res states, “The CM may have a coterie of subs that it works with, but that might eliminate the owner’s chance of getting a good price.” That is not the case. An agency CM will hold contracts with no subcontractors or general contractors, but only a single contract with the owner, obligating the CM to act as the owner’s trusted adviser in the best interests of the project.