Robert Merry is an independent Stone Consultant and Project Manager who also runs training courses on project management. He continues this series setting out some guiding principles for successful estimating and project management with a discussion of: Site Managers.

Site managers may be gruff and difficult, full of reasons why you can’t and demands why you must, but this is a long term relationship… smile, have fun, be positive.

You work for the builder now, its official. And it’s going to hurt… a lot… unless…

Contracting is about not being caught holding the packet of fags behind your back as the headmaster walks down the line. You see, sites are traditionally run by men, god bless us, and we just hate being blamed or caught out. Conversely, when the chips are down, we always hope the other is caught holding the packet of fags.

The Site Manager, our headmaster, is positioned between his immediate boss (probably the Contracts Director), the Quantity Surveyor (“my cup is nearly full, yours is always half empty and will remain so”) and the design team (architect[s], designer[s], lighting designers, specialist equipment suppliers and all the rest). He will also be asked to host a sprinkling of visits by the eventual owner or developer, who likes to feel at one with the common man and often drops in for a chat with the Site Manager, though usually declining the offer of a cup of tea from the canteen – who wouldn’t, given the choice?

As well as sitting firmly in the middle of the team, the Site Manager has to deal with the likes of us – the

sub-contractors. Sub is defined in the dictionary as: “from a lower or inferior position”, lest you should forget.

Never mind that ‘builders’ rarely have a hammer and nail or bucket and spade between them, you are a

sub-contractor who is working for the builder and there are rules and regulations to be obeyed!

He (as it almost invariably is a he), our Site Manager, is usually knowledgeable and is the main conduit for the flow of information between all parties. He can make your life extremely difficult or relatively easy. He will do you favours to help your work run smoothly – clearing the way in advance for your men to progress profitably; sign your day work sheets when asked; accept your thin excuses for turning up tomorrow instead of today.

But… cross him and he will do none of these things. He will do the opposite and more.

A well run site has a weekly

sub-contractors’ meeting. From this the Site Manager will report to his Contracts Director. He can’t cover for you indefinitely, but he can hold the fort for a couple of days while you muster some more cavalry and provisions (labour and materials).

But if the reports are negative, the Contracts Director reports to the Contracts Administrator, who is often the Architect (Him Big Chief). This may be a problem if the Architect recommended you. It will certainly be a problem financially if you continue to hold up the site.

Remember, this is a long term relationship with the main contractor and you will need allies. The site manager is one of the most important you can have.

I had a job in Scotland some years ago and I sent my Portuguese head fixer to control and install the stone. His spoken English was passable, but heavily accented. I had difficulties understanding the broad Scottish accent of the Site Manager and wondered if there would be any hope of a successful job with no-one understanding anyone else.

I heard little – nothing, in fact – from site, week after week. The job finished relatively on time, without complaint and we were paid in full. On his return I asked my fixer how come it had been so successful?

He explained that they couldn’t understand a word each other said but they understood how each other worked. Sometimes language just gets in the way of communication.

May all your sites be that easy.