Superintendent vs Project Manager: Roles, Responsibilities & How They Work Together

The roles of project manager and superintendent are crucial for completing a construction project as close to on budget and on schedule as possible. While it’s important that competent and hardworking people fill the jobs, it’s also important to understand the relationship between the two roles. 

Project managers and superintendents bring different skill sets, experiences, and perspectives to each project. Learning these differences — and how to leverage them as strengths —can help create a construction management team that is cohesive and effective. For people considering pursuing a career in construction, knowing the differences and similarities between the two jobs can help make an informed decision. 

This article covers the differences between a superintendent and project manager, their respective career trajectories and tips to leverage the relationship for optimal project execution.

The Project Manager Role

The project manager (PM) is responsible for the administrative oversight of a construction project, from planning and budgeting, to managing resources, to tracking progress and closeout. Put simply, the project manager plans how to complete a project and makes sure it happens. They are focused on the project being delivered on schedule, on budget, and to the owner's satisfaction. 

Project Manager Responsibilities During Construction Phases

Preconstruction:

• Defining milestones
• Planning
• Scheduling
• Budgeting
• Selecting members of the project team
• Acquiring permits

Construction:

• Monitoring progress
• Adjusting schedule and budget as needed
• Managing resources
• Regularly meeting with and facilitating communication between stakeholders
• Managing permits

Closeout:

• Coordinating inspections
• Managing and collecting closeout documents
• Facilitating communication between stakeholders
• Managing handover

Project managers generally work from an office and report to a senior project manager, project executive, or chief operating officer. They usually oversee numerous projects at a time and should have effective systems for organization and communication so they can ensure each job is progressing, owners feel cared for, and the people working on each job have what they need. 

Superintendent Roles

The superintendent is responsible for the day-to-day work and operations on a jobsite, including managing subcontractors, checking for safety, and monitoring the quality of work. The superintendent primarily focuses on ensuring the project is delivered safely and according to the approved plans and specifications. 

Superintendent Key Responsibilities During Construction Phases

Preconstruction:

Superintendents often aren’t brought on until construction, though they are sometimes asked to: 

• Review plans
• Assess constructability
• Submit RFIs
• Select crew members and subcontractors

Construction:

• Oversee daily operations
• Conduct routine inspections for quality and safety
• Serve as main point of contact for subs, labor, and suppliers
• Communicate with project team to express concerns, share adjustments and provide progress updates
• Coordinate resources to avoid delays

Closeout:

• Managing the punch list 
• Attending inspections
• Coordinating or conducting trainings
• Assisting in collecting closeout documents
• Assisting in handover

Superintendents work on the jobsite, and usually focus on one job at a time. They often report to a general superintendent, a director of field operations, or a chief operating officer, though they are often required to regularly communicate with and provide updates to the project team, including the project manager.

How Project Managers and Superintendents Work Together

Project managers and superintendents should meet regularly, as often as every day, to monitor progress, address issues and prepare for upcoming phases of the project. The project manager brings an understanding of the master schedule, the budget and administrative considerations such as permits. The superintendent brings an understanding of building methods and potential challenges and has relationships with the crew and subcontractors.

The superintendent focuses on what’s happening day-to-day, while the project manager focuses on the big picture. But these viewpoints should complement each other instead of introducing conflicting priorities. 

For example, on a project that’s supposed to have a concrete pour in two weeks, the PM might be working to ensure there’s a purchase order for the vendor, acquire a valid permit, notify the safety team, and coordinate with the third party contractor who’ll conduct the concrete tests. The PM might flag the pour in a meeting so the superintendent knows what to expect and knows that they will have everything needed to execute the work safely and effectively on the day.

Respecting Each Other's Roles

The project manager often expects superintendents to share updates and run adjustments by them. Project managers are often responsible for selecting and hiring the superintendent, and, if there was a hierarchy of roles, are often above the superintendent.

However, effective relationships between PMs and superintendents are usually more like peers, with respect for each other’s expertise and distinct roles. 

People in these roles are expected to collaborate and communicate, and the power dynamics of a supervisor/direct report relationship can make that hard to do. Many companies handle this by having the roles report to different people, so that issues of promotion, raises or workplace concerns can be resolved without complicating the relationship. 

How To Become a Project Manager

Project managers often work with or for a construction management firm and are assigned specific projects to manage and supervise. Sometimes, owners will hire their own project manager to oversee the administrative side of a project while keeping their best interest in mind.

Career Trajectory of a Project Manager

A project manager usually has a degree in construction sciences or construction management. They often start their careers as project engineers, and some go to become an assistant project manager (APM), which allows them to gain experience managing limited parts of a project.

Becoming a project manager is rarely the final stop on someone’s professional journey, as many PMs are often working towards moving up to become a senior project manager, where they will oversee more or larger projects. From there, they might work to become a project executive and a select few might strive to become a chief operating officer. A small group of people who started as PMs use their skills to start their own companies. In many cases, upward professional movement for a project manager can take them further and further from working in the field.

Project managers may make less money on a given project than the superintendent, because they are working on many projects and aren’t as involved on a daily basis as the superintendent. However, project managers will have more opportunities over the course of their career, to elevate their income and their job title.

How to Become a Superintendent

Superintendents often work for a construction management firm or for themselves, and are either assigned or hired for a specific project. They are expected to oversee the project for its duration. They are often brought in after a contract has been accepted, though they are sometimes consulted while estimates and plans are being developed.

Career Trajectory of a Superintendent

Superintendents often get their position after years of experience on job sites, as a worker or subcontractor. The position usually doesn’t require a college degree.

Superintendents are usually committed to becoming great at building things, so their career usually stays close to the field, even as they advance. Superintendents often advance by becoming a general superintendent, who might oversee many superintendents. From there, they might become a director of field operations. The room for advancement is limited compared to the path of project manager but superintendent pay is often solid and can involve bonuses for delivering projects ahead of schedule or under budget. 

Best Practices For Collaboration Between PMs and Sups

The PM sets the vision; the sup gets it done. The PM does the paperwork; the sup does the field work. The PM is thinking ahead, and the sup is handling what’s being done right now. However you think of the dynamic, there are a few things that can help cultivate this relationship into something positive and complementary. 

Involve the superintendent ASAP.

It’s easier said than done, but the sooner a superintendent can get involved, the more they’ll likely bring to the project. Getting the superintendent involved as soon as possible can help get the crew mobilized, aligned, and ready to gain valuable momentum as soon as the project begins.

Project managers will often try to ask a superintendent to provide feedback or insight on a bid as it is being made. This helps to improve the bid, assess constructability, and gather valuable information. This also allows superintendents to begin to build their ideal team of subcontractors or foremen, which can translate to later success and cohesion.

Trust each other.

The project manager has deep knowledge on the direction of the project and the plans, and the superintendent knows how to build things and get things done. Both people should make an effort to value the other’s insights and trust that, if they’re bringing something up, it’s for good reason. This is particularly true for the project manager, who should be deliberate about making space for the superintendent to share their expertise and trust their takes. 

Meet regularly.

The PM and the superintendent should meet on a regular basis, often every day. Open lines of communication builds trust, allows each person to share their expertise, and addresses issues on the job as soon as possible.

Be humble.

The success of this working relationship is dependent on both people being able to put their egos aside to share credit for successes, assume responsibility for failures, ask for help, and foster a shared sense of teamwork and camaraderie. 

Collaborate to get ahead of issues.

Project managers have a view into the future that superintendents do not. Meetings should cover work that’s a few weeks in the future, so issues can be caught and addressed without delaying the project. This creates a satisfying dynamic of the PM clearing the way for superintendents to fulfill their day-to-day responsibilities.

Choosing a Career Path

For someone considering a career in construction, it’s valuable to evaluate the path of both the project manager and the superintendent. This can be done by spending time on a job site to see what each role is doing and what elements of their work seems most fulfilling. Some people will ask to shadow a superintendent or project manager, or work as a laborer or assistant project manager. 

Both jobs are crucial to successfully completing a construction project. Some companies even allow people to move between the two positions over their career, ultimately making them more well-rounded project contributors. Each role can be demanding, so the key is pursuing the most fulfilling and exciting one.

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