When it comes time to start your construction project, you’re always faced with the same question: do we manage and inspect the construction with in-house staff, or do we outsource it to a third party? Each option has its benefits and drawbacks. I would like to revisit a blog post I wrote last year that offers some thoughts about situations where using a third party for construction management can lead to the greatest rewards for you as a project owner/operator.

If you bring up the topic of drones in random conversation, you’re likely to receive a variety of responses. Some will be excited at the possibilities. Some will express hesitancy until the rules have been cleared up. And some will issue stern warnings about a dystopian future where our every step is watched by machines in the sky.

Count me as a member of the excited group.

Last year I wrote an article called Two Simple Checks to Verify the Validity of Your Project's Schedule. With the prime construction season just around the corner, I thought this would be a great time to offer those tips once again. I hope you find them helpful!

The decision to use an outside firm to perform construction management and/or inspection on your projects is sometimes an obvious one.  The common problems that owners face include:

• Hiring and firing staff to cover temporary upswings in construction volume

• Inefficient staff utilization in between projects

• Projects with specialized construction techniques or heightened regulatory compliance that exceed the capabilities of in-house staff inspectors

If your group has experienced any of these, you’re probably already familiar with the reasons for hiring a consultant.  However, there are some not so obvious advantages that are also worth considering.