Superintendent Residential Construction Job Description

A residential construction superintendent is the project's lead point of contact and management in the field. The superintendent is responsible for monitoring, directing and controlling the daily operations of a residential construction site. A superintendent will serve as the liaison between the construction workers and the project manager.

Features

A residential construction superintendent is responsible for maintaining the project's schedule and controlling costs on the job site. Although a project manager is typically above a superintendent on a company's organizational chart, superintendents are at the top of the chain of command on a project site. They will monitor progress and quality as well as answer questions that may arise from subcontractors.

Function

Superintendents are responsible for controlling a project site; they ensure order is maintained and disputes do not arise between subcontractors. They must schedule daily activities and coordinate between the trades so there is no work overlap in a particular area of construction. Superintendents document progress and generate requests for information to the project manager and architect if needed.

History

Superintendents are a long established position in the construction industry. In the Ancient Roman Empire, a type of superintendent was used to monitor the construction of road infrastructure. This person would ride his horse back and forth along the work path and confirm all workers stayed busy and on course. If a worker was caught slacking or not building the road to plan, the superintendent would be responsible for assigning punishment or reprimanding the individual.

Misconceptions

Superintendents are sometimes viewed as experienced laborers; however, this is not the case. In today's home construction, where the latest structural designs and building techniques are utilized, superintendents are comparable to building engineers. They are familiar with the technical workings and calculations involved in construction and are a great reference resource on a job site.

Expert Insight

Superintendents typically possess many years of construction experience. A residential construction superintendent averages over 20 years of building experience. They are responsible for people and resources and thus need to be competent at their jobs.