ᐅ Carrying Out a Home Renovation – General Contractor or Independent Construction Supervisor?

Hello,
I am new here and have some questions about carrying out a house renovation.

My house is going to be extended by adding an extra floor (roof extension/adding a story), including a complete refurbishment of the existing living space and renewal of the facade. A friend who is an architect is handling the planning. I have a building permit / planning permission, and the architect is involved in calculating the structural engineering, etc.

Now the project needs to be executed. Since I work full-time, I don’t have time to receive contractors every morning, let alone enough technical knowledge to supervise the proper execution of the work. The architect friend is doing the planning on a part-time basis and therefore doesn’t have time to carry out construction supervision. I need someone to coordinate the contractors and check the work. I have read a lot online but have no idea whether I should hire a construction company, an independent site manager, or something else. And how to find a reliable person.

I hope you can help me or give me some advice.
Best regards
michahab

michahab schrieb:
Hello,
I am new here and have some questions regarding the execution of a house renovation.

My house is going to be extended by adding an additional floor (expansion/raising of the roof structure, complete renovation of the legal living space, and renewal of the facade). A friend who is an architect is handling the planning. I have the building permit / planning permission, and the architect is involved with the structural calculations and so on.

Now the project is ready for execution. Since I am working full-time, I do not have the time to receive craftsmen every morning, let alone have sufficient technical knowledge to supervise the proper execution. The architect friend does the planning part on the side and therefore does not have time to oversee construction supervision. I need someone who coordinates the craftsmen and inspects the work. I have read a lot online but have no idea whether I should hire a construction company, an independent site manager, or something else. Also, how do I find a reliable person?
I hope you can help me or give some advice.
Regards
michahab

Hello Michahab,

I hope the structural engineer is doing the calculations and not the architect.

For a small renovation, the site supervision can be done by a skilled tradesperson who is on-site most of the time (e.g., a carpenter or a bricklayer). However, you should know and trust this tradesperson!

Of course, I can only recommend an independent, experienced site manager.

Best regards

K.Brodbeck

The structural calculations were done by a structural engineer. Unfortunately, none of the craftsmen involved are well known. All companies (except the carpenter) have already completed several smaller and larger jobs on the house. Independent site supervision will likely be handled by a nearby architecture/engineering firm. However, I’m concerned that they might revise our architect’s plans again, which would unsettle us once more.
Regards
michahab