All costs of project components can be examined at different stages, leading to wise decisions on how to stay within budget. Cost consultants will continue with cost management during construction with a fee for all service ranging from 1.5 percent down to less than 0.5 percent for more expensive projects. If you use independent cost consultants, they will coordinate directly with the architect, who should remain in control of the design process and of any changes to the plans. Cost-estimate specialists are inexpensive insurance against budget overruns. Program and construction managers.
Construction managers review the design as it progresses to keep it within budget.
They check quality of work, schedule, justification, and cost for any change orders during construction. The program manager might do these tasks, as well as coordinating multiple projects for scheduling, cost tracking, cash flow, and troubleshooting for a school district. These consultants are a second tier beyond the architect and the owner, duplicating work that one or the other should otherwise do. They are costly but can prevent a debacle when the architect or the owner lacks the appropriate expertise in these functions, particularly in cost control and scheduling oversight of construction. But using these experts does not remove the school district's responsibility.