Examine, check, and review. Ascertain that work is completed correctly, on schedule, and within the set budget. Address and solve problems, ensuring that safety and health regulations are followed. It’s a lot to handle, especially for a foreign proprietor who resides abroad.

Renovation, repair, and construction of property are time-consuming tasks that might be difficult for a non-Italian national. He or she may feel at loss, owing to cultural or linguistic barriers, or be unable to personally supervise the construction site for long periods of time.

Being able to rely on a competent and committed construction site manager who is experienced in coordinating and supervising construction work on a property can ensure that the work is brought about cost-effectively, progresses steadily and finishes on time. But what is the essential precondition of a construction site manager’s engagement?

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The interrelation that comes to be between the person who hires professional services and the professional who provides those services (e.g. architect, surveyor or engineer) is the same as a commitment of results or means as relates to the nature of the duties implied by the assignment to be implemented. This means that, under the terms of a professional contract for work, each professional is in charge of performing a particular job using all the skills and resources at his disposal (hence managing construction) or, alternatively, of drawing up a set of documents and deeds (project) to achieve the results the client requires.

When and if a construction site manager is liable, the commitment  is of means, not of  result. Basically, what this circumstance provides for is that the duties of the manager pertain to surveying and overseeing the contracted executor’s work, rather than to the finalization of a preestablished job or task.  

The key areas that come under the direct control and responsibility of the construction manager are:

  • checking the techniques of the implementation of individual components
  • monitoring the project’s execution 
  • maintaining financial records and budgeting
  • verifying the adherence to administrative and technical requirements

The pay of a manager for a construction site, as one might expect, cannot be determined as a fixed amount or on the basis of rate per hour. For small or modest jobs, even an expert technician can only offer a fixed price. Payments are usually calculated as a percentage of the job’s total cost. The typical percentage ranges from 4% to 6% of a project’s total cost. If the project involves managing construction work, it can go up to 8% to 10%.

Renovation work is an excellent illustration of this, as it entails a range of various interventions (a widespread practice). An example? Let’s assume a renovation job includes bathroom renovation, reconstruction of the floor in a room (i.e. changing the tiles), repainting of a 100 square meter unit, implementing a hoop to open a door in a bearing wall, replacing five windows and repairing the heating and electrical system, for a total cost equal to € 80,000 + VAT. For this scenario, 6% of the total cost for the supervision of structural, architectural and plant engineering would be charged by the engineer, and adding up this would come to c 6/100 x € 80,000 = € 4,800. Plus, some technicians include the VAT that is paid out to the firm in the total, definitely unethical in our opinion!

If the design of the interior is detailed and sophisticated, one could need additional professional figures, for instance creative experts, structural, landscape or architectural engineers and so on. Theoretically, the professionals listed above might take a fee that covers solely his or her specific tasks. The manager for structure site, for instance, will charge a percentage of the work that involves structural parts only, like hoops, beams, etc.

In essence, a specialized professional or technician will ask for a percentage depending only on the progress of his or her work. 

About our services

Comprising a range of trained, skillful and experienced engineers, surveyors and architects our team facilitates and expedites clients’ rebuilding and renovation works,  overseeing and managing all construction site activities. Aiming to meet, and surpass, foreign clients’ expectations, we make construction site management easier by:

  • drafting detailed customized tax plans that minimize the effect of the cost of the renovation;
  • offering comprehensive solutions to problems: our proficient legal department and technical experts address all legal and technical issues or problems that may occur while a renovation is being carried out;
  • providing professional English-speaking assistance backed by cutting-edge technology via special software we personally developed to offer our foreign clients daily updates regarding the renovation that is going on.

Last, but definitely not least, to protect our clients' investment, our crew carefully monitors construction sites, bidding various professionals and contractors to get the best pricing and quality.

Beyond all, if you have not yet bought a house in Italy, you may not know that you need a Tax Code. The Codice Fiscale is an Italian document to be included in purchase and sale contracts.
Find out how to get your Italian Fiscal Code here.

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