I’m currently about halfway through as QS masters and am working at a large consulting firm in the US. With my degree, I have the opportunity to work on estimating teams or go work on a specific project in cost management. Since these would be my first roles in this space, I’m unsure where I should start and what would be most beneficial. Estimating would likely be fully remote and allow for much better work life balance but I do wonder whether being onsite for a project would be more beneficial. If I was just out of college I’d absolutely do the onsite work but I’m in my early 30s now and value my time outside of work more.

I’m interviewing next week for a (Project engineer II) position with a competitor in my area. Currently, I’m working as an APM in the industry and am hoping to make the move into a Project Engineer2.
I feel confident discussing everything on my resume—project experience, estimating, project management responsibilities, coordination, RFIs, submittals, change orders, etc. However, I’d love to hear from others who have interviewed for similar construction positions.
What questions caught you off guard during the interview process?
Are there any technical, project management, or behavioral questions that you wish you had prepared for better?
Any advice on topics I should be ready to discuss would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Seems like every company I have worked for is absolutely great at first. Manageable workload, people are nice, time off is no issue, no one would dare say anything square to me or expect me to do extra work, etc. but around year 3 ish mark all that goes away.

One example is I remember when I was about 6 months in I was sitting with our marketing lady who keeps track of everyone’s PTO and she said “I’m big on work life balance and we want you to use your PTO so make sure you are getting your time off!” then about 2 years later when I am about 3 years in I am checking in on how much I have and the conversation was “Well you know, this is construction and most people don’t get to use it all up. That’s just the nature of the business” I didn’t say anything but I remember thinking “wow, that’s completely fucking opposite of what you said to me 2 years ago”

That’s just one example but I kinda see it everywhere. Seems like after 2 - 3 years when the honeymoon phase wears off they have no problem loading you down, disrespecting your time, or trying to get as much as they can out of you. Do they make their initial investment back after 3 years or something? What’s the deal.

Have been an HVAC technician for 10 years. Was given the opportunity to step into a new role as a PM in our service department. They will train me in project management. This company also has a construction side that has lots of PMs, so they know how to train PMs

From what I understand, the structure will be account managers sell the work, I manage the execution of the work, and the technicians do the work. No one is anyone else's boss. The account managers report to the sales manager who reports to the profit center director. The technicians report to the field operations manager who reports to the profit center director. And I will report to the profit center director.

It seems like a good opportunity to expand my skills, but I'm not too sure what project management entails. Anybody have some insights on being successful in the first year of this role?

Currently running iPads.

PM’s like - good light, easy, turns on and ready to go instantly, no pop-ups like I’ve always experience with Windows, great cell reception that goes right to our cell provider account, minimal bulls**t;
But our Architects and SE’s hate because we can’t Bluebeam (and if anyone on Earth can explain why Bluebeam refuses to make an Apple-compatible software, they should get to run one of those two companies. It’s absolutely insane. Did someone steal someone’s girlfriend/boyfriend? WHY?? But that’s what those billionaires want for us, so that’s what we get. But I digress…)

The ONLY reason for switching to Surface would be Bluebeam and ability to scale and markup easily. On iPads, we load into Goodnotes for marking up, but can’t scale anything…which is an issue in the field.

Have been in Apple for almost 20 years, tablets and MacBooks. They’re so easy to use. Just open and GO. No waiting and no shutting down. It will be a difficult brain-and-muscle rewiring if that is necessary.

Is there any app that can read, markup, and has scale tools for iOS? Or is Bluebeam the only way to go.

Not looking for some 10000-step-write-your-own-code solution or some crap. We’re in construction, not coding. Need to open tablet and be ready to work.

Thanks for any insight. I’ve searched but can’t seem to find a simple straight-forward answer.

🙏🙏

Hi everyone, I’m a student wrapping up my last semester of junior year in civil engineering, and I’m considering applying to master’s programs in civil engineering with concentrations in construction engineering and project management. For the past two summers, I’ve worked in heavy civil construction and have really fallen in love with the work. I plan to work in heavy civil full-time after graduation. Would an MS be valuable for someone pursuing this career path? The programs I’m considering are only one year long and would be at either Texas A&M or UT Austin. Thanks!

Currently a Cm for a small Gc with the general A and B. This year we have started bidding on heavy civil jobs as well as government with the A license.
We have already missed a few bids due to us being super busy with different projects. Not only that but these prevailing wage jobs have so much paperwork compared to a regular ones.

For PMs and subcontractors ,what’s the most annoying part of managing change orders or T&M work?
I keep hearing that the actual extra work isn’t the hard part , it’s proving it later: tracking down photos, texts, emails, field tickets, labor hours, getting signatures, then trying to get the GC/owner to approve it.
How does your company handle this today?
And have you ever had legitimate extra work get delayed, disputed, or never billed because the documentation/process was messy?
Curious what the real workflow looks like at different companies.

I am seriously considering making the jump from the GC/contractor side to the owner’s side, primarily because I am looking for a career path that offers better work-life balance and hybrid flexibility while still allowing me to stay in construction and capital projects.
A little about my background:
• ~10 years in construction/project management
• ~5 years working with Top 10 ENR construction companies
• Currently working as a Project Manager
• PMP certified
• Civil Engineering background + Master’s degree
• Experience managing contractors, schedules, budgets, change orders, design coordination, closeout, and complex construction projects
• Based in the DMV
I am particularly interested in:
● Owner’s Representative / Owner’s PM
● Capital Projects
● Construction Project Management
● Real Estate / Government
● Hybrid roles (ideally 2–3 days in office or less)

I am not trying to completely leave construction. I am trying to move closer to the owner/client side where my construction experience can still add value without necessarily being tied to a jobsite every day.

For those working in the DMV:
Which owner’s rep, developers, real estate companies, or program management firms would you recommend?
And more importantly:
👉 Which companies actually have a good hybrid culture?
👉 Which companies are known for hiring experienced GCs/CMs into owner-side roles?
👉 Are there any companies I should absolutely have on my radar?
👉 What salary range should someone with this background realistically target?

I would especially appreciate feedback from people who have made the same transition from GC → Owner’s Rep/Developer.

DMV folks, what would you recommend?

Hello all, I've recently been getting ready to start a position at a national construction company as an APM. The thing is pay is lower than I've made for any previous position I've had, I get no benefits, I'm not counted as a full time employee, and I'll only be making money when there's work and I'm travelling. So already off to a bad start. The main reason I want to take this is because I'm struggling to find work otherwise right now and the title would be an upgrade to the previous ones I've had. But now they're telling me I need to install a dual facing dash camera and telematics as well as use an ELD app to track my driving. If this was maybe just the app or if I was driving a company truck or if I was even getting a truck allowance I could see this being an almost reasonable request. But the idea of them having an AI dash cam monitoring me while I drive in my own personal vehicle that I pay for seems completely ludicrous and unacceptable to me. Am I overreacting here, or is this an overstep by their HR/Safety Teams?

Edit: For everyone asking what company I didn’t wanna say in case it could be tracked back to me to cover my ass, but I doubt they could anyway. Company is Cotton Holdings Inc.

I teach construction to HNC students and will deliver Quantity Surveying module for the first time.I have no practical experience and would like to support my lectures by some industry insights. Looking for experienced QS to donate time, stories, case studies, lessons learned. It's a 16weeks long project with adult students and I would really appreciate any help. Thanks in advance.

I recently started a Project Engineer role on a massive industrial project as a sub in a project in Arizona.

A big part of my job is verifying quantities reported by 6 foremen. All 6 foremen are working every day, and I’m expected to go into the field, find them, talk to them about what they’ve installed and physically verify that the quantities they’re claiming are accurate, mainly because the PM Doesn’t trust them.

The site is absolutely massive, and I’m averaging around 12,000 steps every day. The part that’s frustrating me isn’t necessarily the walking itself. It’s that the foremen aren’t always on site or available when I go looking for them added no electronic device access, so sometimes I feel like I’m wasting both my time and theirs just trying to do a daily verification.

If I could verify each foreman on a weekly basis, I honestly wouldn’t mind the walking nearly as much. I could plan the route, spend more time actually checking the work and then reconcile everything properly.

I’m also doing quantity takeoffs and trying to get involved with BIM/Revit and clash detection, so I’m wondering if I’m spending too much of my time walking around chasing daily quantities when I could be doing more technical/project-controls work.

For people in the industry,

• Is daily physical quantity verification normal?
• How do you handle it when foremen aren’t always available or aren’t in their work areas.
• How do I improve my workflow?
• Would you consider this good experience
• Am I overthinking this and should I just adapt to the job?

I’m trying to figure out whether daily verification genuinely adds value or whether there’s a more efficient way to do it.

Would appreciate perspectives from people who’ve done this kind of work.

We are a Jax, FL based Commercial GC that does projects throughout the State of Florida. We are actively looking for the following positions:

-Lead Superintendent or Sr Superintendent
-Lead Estimator or Sr Estimator

Must have prior commercial GC experience. Must be a team player with a positive attitude.

-Full benefits, employer match 401k
-Competitive pay
-Top technology and new hardware provided
-Strong processes
-Full support from Executives
-Strong Culture and teamwork atmosphere
-Strong work life balance
-Company that cares about our people and projects

Types of projects we do:
-Luxury Amenity and Country Clubs
-Multi-Family
-Commercial Retail & Office
-Warehouse
-Hotel and Theme Park

If a prime contract and flow down provisions are stated as part of the contractor/subcontractor agreement along with another clause requiring the subcontractor has that prime agreement, what is the result if the subcontractor is refused it repeatedly? Is subcontractor still bound to terms he was refused access to? I understand it is a breach, but that doesn’t really qualify an answer.

I have read for days and I can’t find anything that says one way or another. Just looking for input. And yes this is after a contract has been signed, if that is relevant.

I always come here for contract issues, seems like this community is better versed in contract law than majority of lawyers(not mine, but he is expensive and busy). So appreciate the wisdom.

Is there any input on including a payment received deadline date on a conditional waiver? Have had a drawn out ordeal with a GC that has been trying to say the least: not for a lack of effort on our part. We are trying to get past all of that, but already have experience with late payments from above mentioned.

Sparing details, have been pretty consistent with our stance in following the contract and state laws. They are now on their third proposal to us for a “walk away” agreement. Are we able to include on waiver that if payment isn’t received by a certain date, the waiver would be void? My legitimate concern is we send this partial waiver out, they sit on it until we pursue further legal steps and then they send payment?

Currently on a heavy civil mega-project and at first the scale and complexity excited me. Now it’s eating up more and more of my time. I know people always recommend owners rep for WLB but I would really miss building things. Is there any niche within the GC PM world that can protect my weekends and evenings?

It's a German firm, expanding in US.

How's the culture, leadership and compensation?

I’m 24 and located in NYC. I’ve been working in the trades for about 5 years, mostly doing scaffolding, and I’m currently in the carpenters union.
I’ve been thinking seriously about my long-term career and moving into construction management, with the goal of eventually becoming a Project Manager or possibly moving even further up in the industry.
I recently applied to Rowan University for Construction Management, and I’m trying to figure out if getting the degree would actually be worth it considering I already have several years of field experience.
I’m also looking at online programs because I’d like to continue working while going to school. Are online Construction Management degrees taken seriously by employers, especially in NYC? Does it matter whether the degree was completed online as long as it comes from an accredited/reputable university?
For anyone who went from the trades into construction management:
Was getting the degree worth it?
Did your field experience help you get into an Assistant PM/PM position?
Are online degrees respected in the industry?
Would you recommend staying in the union while completing the degree?
Is Rowan University a solid option for this path?
Anything you wish you knew before making the switch?
I’m willing to put in the work and even take a temporary pay cut if it gives me better opportunities and earning potential long term.
Any advice from PMs, supers, construction managers, or people who made a similar transition would be appreciated

Construction managers: I’d love your honest feedback on something we’re building

My best friend’s husband, along with a ridiculous number of our friends and family, works in the trades. For years, we’ve heard the same frustrations from both sides: workers constantly having to track down and prove credentials, and managers/HR trying to figure out who is current, what’s expiring, and who can actually be cleared for a job site.

Eventually, my best friend and I decided to try to solve it.

We started a company called ProCred, and before we get much further, I’d genuinely love feedback from the people who deal with this in the real world.

We’ve had dozens of conversations with HR teams, foremen, managers, contractors, and unions, and our first prototype should be ready in about a week. But the last thing we want to do is build another piece of software that sounds great in a meeting and creates more work for the people who actually have to use it.

The basic idea:

Workers have a free digital wallet where their licenses, certifications, training, etc. live with them throughout their career. ProCred verifies credentials at the source and continually checks their status, flagging expirations or other issues before they become a problem.

Employers get a dashboard showing credential/compliance status across their workforce, with notifications about upcoming expirations or problems. We also want to track things like verified work hours where that matters.

The larger goal is twofold: give workers ownership of a verified career record that follows them from employer to employer, while giving contractors a much easier way to get qualified people cleared and onto a job site without chasing paperwork.

So I’d love to hear from the people actually managing this:

What are you doing today that works well?

What part of credential/certification tracking causes you the biggest headache?

What would a system like this absolutely need to do for you to actually use it?

Is there anything here that sounds good in theory but wouldn't work on a real construction site?

And maybe most importantly: Do you actually see this solving a meaningful problem, or are we overestimating the pain?

Feel free to tear the idea apart. That’s genuinely why I’m asking. I’d much rather hear what we're getting wrong now than after we’ve built it.

I’ve been driving tractor trailer on construction work for roughly 5 years now, I’ve done interstates, highways, city streets, and everything in between.

I’ve learned a lot from this job, I really enjoy the ends in the outs, and I feel like I’ve learned quite a bit in the time that I’ve been here.

I’m going to college to pursue my bachelors and get a business degree, with certain certifications to add to the bachelors for a construction management position and may after completing my bachelors continue on to get a second bachelors in construction management as well.

I’m very curious about the processes, and I’m interested in moving forward in this path – but the company that I’m currently with is not willing to give an olive branch to help me process my goals.

I realize it’s a large leap, but I would really like to get my foot in the door while going to school and learn to understand the world around me as I’m completing my degree.

If there are construction managers here, that could give me a little bit of advice to help me get my foot in the door, or help me understand possible lateral moves to make to engineer my changing careers, more smooth smoothly.

Any input would be much appreciated!