Construction superintendent
In the United States, a construction superintendent is responsible for the day-to-day operations on a construction site, overseeing all the phases from initial planning to completion. The equivalent in the UK is the general foreman.
The superintendent is typically site-based and coordinates with the more office-based project manager on quality control and subcontractor coordination. Typically, the superintendent is involved in pre-construction budgeting and estimating, and monitors costs during construction to help ensure they stay on budget.
A superintendent can specialise in different types of project, whether infrastructure works such as bridges and dams, residential or commercial projects. On very large projects there can be multiple tiers of superintendents, broken down into different roles, including:
- Program superintendent (responsible for overall coordination and completion of the project).
- Superstructure superintendent.
- Mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection superintendent.
- Interior superintendent.
- Assistant superintendent.
The superintendent is often tasked with interviewing and selecting workers for the site, in addition to communicating the site rules and ensuring that they are enforced. They also prepare the work schedule, organise site logistics, approve time-off requests, time cards, are the point of contact for workers relating to pay and benefits, provide necessary training, inspect and approve the works, and so on.
It is essential that construction superintendents have several years experience in the industry and some employers also require college degrees in construction project management or related subjects.
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