kim819•1mo ago

I was dead set against paying for a project manager on my basement reno, now I think I was wrong

I always figured a project manager was just a fancy title for a guy who makes phone calls and takes a 15% cut (you know, like a middleman). So for my basement in northwest Edmonton, I decided to GC it myself to save cash, about $8,000 I estimated. Three months in, I had 17 different text threads going with a framer, an electrician, a plumber and a drywaller, none of whom talked to each other. The framer showed up before the rough-in was done, that set me back two weeks and cost me an extra $600 in rescheduling. My buddy used a PM from Edmonton Contractors Pro on his place and said they handled all that chaos plus the inspection scheduling. Now I'm wondering if that 15% would have actually saved me money in the long run, or if I just got unlucky with my subs. Has anyone else gone back and forth on this, or am I just bitter about my own mistakes?

2 comments

2 Comments

lopez.simon1mo ago

I read somewhere that PMs catch like 50 things you'd miss. Might be worth it.

the_tessa1mo ago

Nah I was in your exact same spot until I watched my brother-in-law try to DIY manage his kitchen reno. Total trainwreck. The PM he ended up hiring halfway through actually saved his butt on inspection stuff we didn't even know existed.