Project Builder
What the work is
Plans, organises, directs, controls and coordinates the construction, alteration and renovation of dwellings and other buildings, and the physical and human resources involved in the building process.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Plans, organises and manages commercial and residential building, alteration or renovation project objectives, budgets and schedules
- Assesses and interprets architectural drawings, building plans and technical specifications, and determines appropriate construction methods to use
- Develops quotes and negotiates with clients throughout the construction process
- Manages the submission of building plans to local authorities and arranges building inspections
- Coordinates and prioritises resources, including subcontractors, materials and equipment, across commercial and residential building projects
- Consults with clients, Architects, Civil Engineering Professionals, Property Developers, Building Designers and construction trades workers to plan and manage the building, alteration or renovation process
- Schedules subcontractors, monitors the building, alteration or renovation process, and ensures work adheres to building standards and regulatory and client requirements
- Manages and monitors adherence to work health and safety requirements
- Identifies and resolves issues or delays in the building, alteration or renovation process
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a small licensed building company that builds extensions and renovations on family homes. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- Handing over the keys to a family who stand in their new kitchen and go quiet with happiness
- A tricky job comes together because every trade turned up in the right order
- An apprentice you took on shows you the room they framed, and it is dead square
Hard days
- Opening a wall and finding a problem nobody could see on the plans
- A client who changes their mind for the fourth time after the work has started
- Three trades needing the same room on the same morning, and a wet-weather forecast
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 131331, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.