A project delivery method in which the owner retains a construction manager to supplement its own development staff. Their agreement describes the scope of services provided, which can be during the planning and design (pre-construction) phase or the construction phase, or both. The construction manager is compensated on a fixed-fee basis for its services.

During the pre-construction phase, the construction manager collaborates with the design professional to provide input regarding:

During the construction phase, the construction manager acts as the owner's point of contact, often in place of the architect, to provide construction administration services.

This type of project management is also referred to as Construction Manager as Agent or Agency Construction Management (ACM), where the construction manager, as agent for the owner, enters into an agreement with the contractor to perform the actual construction.

For a discussion of the role of a construction manager as advisor on a privately owned construction project, see Practice Note, Private Construction Project Delivery Systems: Overview: Construction Manager as Advisor.