Commercial construction superintendent job description
A commercial construction superintendent runs the job site for a builder that develops its own office, retail and light industrial buildings. They walk the site every day, hold subcontractors to the schedule and the safety rules, settle problems with the project manager, and write the daily report that records what happened.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, commercial building contractors · BLS, May 2025
Builders / Developers - Commercial - Field Supervisor / Superintendent
Company Name:
[INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE]
Department:
Operations
Reports to:
[Operations Manager]
Location:
[INSERT LOCATION HERE]
1. Position Summary
Responsible for overseeing daily field operations on commercial construction sites, ensuring projects adhere to quality, safety, and schedule requirements.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Inspect job sites regularly to ensure compliance with all applicable safety regulations and industry standards.
Enforce company safety policies and ensure all team members maintain a safe work environment.
Identify and resolve field challenges promptly, coordinating with project managers to minimize delays.
Communicate effectively with subcontractors, vendors, and internal teams regarding project progress and concerns.
Prepare daily reports and documentation on site conditions, issues, and corrective actions taken.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conduct thorough walk-around inspections of work areas and verify adherence to project specifications.
Monitor worker activities and equipment to ensure a safe and efficient work environment.
Address and resolve any issues or conflicts on site, providing guidance to crew members as needed.
Coordinate with project management to update schedules and adjust workflows based on on-site conditions.
Maintain clear and consistent communication with stakeholders regarding progress and safety updates.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Job Site Inspection Compliance: 100% adherence to scheduled inspections.
Safety Incident Rate: Less than 2% reported incidents per quarter.
Project Delay Reduction: Minimize delays to less than 5% of the overall project timeline.
Quality Control Standard: Achieve a post-inspection approval rating of >95% on all projects.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent required; Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management preferred.
Minimum of 5 years’ experience in construction site supervision or a related field.
Strong knowledge of construction safety regulations and best practices.
Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Proficient in reading blueprints, project documentation, and reporting tools.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience working with commercial builders or developers in a fast-paced environment.
Proven track record of successfully managing multiple projects simultaneously.
Familiarity with modern construction management software and tools.
Background in implementing innovative on-site safety and quality control measures.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to regularly lift and carry up to 25-50 lbs.
Must be able to walk, stand, and work outdoors in varying weather conditions (hot, cold, rainy).
Comfortable operating in noisy and busy construction site environments.
Occasional climbing and maneuvering through confined spaces may be required.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Full-time position with a standard 40-hour workweek; occasional overtime may be required.
On-site work with periodic travel between multiple project locations.
Work is primarily outdoors in diverse environmental conditions.
Occasional on-call duties to address urgent field challenges or emergencies.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Competitive salary range of $65,000 to $85,000 per year based on experience and qualifications.
Eligibility for performance-based bonuses and incentives.
Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision insurance plans.
Participation in a 401(k) plan with company matching along with other fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we foster a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and safety. We pride ourselves on delivering high-quality commercial construction projects while nurturing the professional growth of our team. Our commitment to excellence, innovation, and a supportive work environment enables our employees to excel in their roles and build rewarding careers.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
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What changes when the builder is also the developer
Most superintendents work for a contractor that an owner hired. Here the company owns the building too, so the super answers for safety and quality as both builder and owner, and the schedule runs toward a tenant's move-in date.
The builder is the controlling employer
OSHA's multi-employer policy names a controlling employer: the company with general supervisory authority over the site, whether a contract gives it that power or it simply acts that way. When you run your own sites, that is you. It owes reasonable care to prevent and detect violations by every subcontractor, not only its own crew. It needn't inspect as often or know each trade as well as the sub. But OSHA expects closer checks on a sub with a history of violations, or one you haven't worked with before. Source: OSHA: Multi-employer citation policy (CPL 02-00-124).
A competent person walks the site
OSHA's construction rules call for frequent and regular inspections of job sites, materials and equipment by competent persons the employer names. OSHA's definition has two parts: the person can recognize hazards, both present and likely, and has the power to correct them right away. OSHA doesn't name a job title, but the superintendent is the natural pick. The rule says frequent and regular, not daily. A daily walk with notes and photos is the easiest way to show you meet it. Source: OSHA: General safety and health provisions (29 CFR 1926.20).
Some cities set their own training hours
New York City is one example. Under Local Law 196 of 2017, on sites that need a site safety plan and a construction superintendent, site safety coordinator or site safety manager, workers need a card for at least 40 hours of safety training and supervisors at least 62. Cards last five years, and a 2026 city law added mental health topics to the training. If you build in more than one city, check each one's rules before crews show up. Source: NYC Department of Buildings: Site Safety Training card information.
The lender reads the daily report
When a project is financed, expect the lender's inspector to check progress before each draw is released. The super's daily reports, photos and headcounts back up those draws. They also settle subcontractor delay claims and answer warranty questions years later, because the company still owns the building after the crews who built it have moved on.
Turnover means tenants, not a client walk
There is no outside owner to hand the keys to. The finish line is a tenant who can move in, so the super keeps the final inspections, fire alarm tests and punch list moving toward the lease date. Tenant build-out crews may start on one floor while the base building is still being finished on another.
How much commercial construction superintendents make
The closest BLS group for commercial construction superintendents is First-Line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers. First-Line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers who work for commercial and industrial builders earned a median of $39.17 an hour ($81,480 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $79,920 median for First-Line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers in all industries. About 106,330 of the 812,210 First-Line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers in that survey work for commercial building contractors.
Salaried in the template, with bonuses tied to results. BLS counts some superintendents as construction managers instead, and that group earns more, so a super who runs a whole building alone may expect more than this chart shows.
Commercial building contractors
$81,480$81,480 median Middle half $71,510–$102,970 10th–90th $59,780–$129,520
All industries
$79,920$79,920 median Middle half $63,400–$101,460 10th–90th $53,280–$128,260
$25k$50k$75k$100k$125k$150k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Commercial building contractors
$59,780
$71,510
$81,480
$102,970
$129,520
All industries
$53,280
$63,400
$79,920
$101,460
$128,260
BLS doesn’t publish pay for commercial developers on their own. These figures cover nonresidential building construction, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has run commercial sites with several subcontractors working at once
Reads drawings and specs well enough to catch a conflict before it gets built
Stops unsafe work, a subcontractor's included, and follows up until it is fixed
Keeps a two- or three-week look-ahead schedule with the trade foremen
Writes daily reports with photos, headcounts, weather and delays
Teach these on the job
Your project management app and report format
Your safety program, toolbox talk topics and incident forms
Your quality checklist for each building stage
How your company routes change requests through the project manager
Local safety card rules in the cities where you build
Supers live in a project management app on a tablet: the current drawing set, daily logs, RFIs, photos and punch lists. On site they use a laser level, a tape and the site radios. List the app in the ad, and mention whether a company truck comes with the job.
Commercial construction superintendent interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Suspended load safety
During steel erection, you see workers walking beneath a suspended load. What do you do?
A strong answer: Stops the lift, clears the area, meets the erector's foreman to plan load routes so no one works under a load except the connectors or riggers the rules allow, and documents it.
Behavioral · Getting subcontractors to cooperate
Tell me about a time you got subcontractors who didn't get along to work well together.
A strong answer: Brought both foremen together, laid out a shared sequence and work areas, held each to their commitments in the weekly meeting, and the work moved.
The template gives target numbers. Treat them as a starting point, and set your own from the last few buildings you finished.
Job Site Inspection Compliance
Count the planned safety and quality walks the super finished on time, from the checklist app or signed sheets. Spot-check a few against the photos to confirm each walk really happened.
Safety Incident Rate
Recordable injuries on the site, for your own crew and every subcontractor, from incident reports and each employer's injury log. Track near misses next to them, since a site that reports none is rarely that safe.
Project Delay Reduction
Days the site ran behind the baseline schedule, with a cause for each: weather, late material, design changes, inspections or a slow sub. Judge the super mostly on the delays they could control.
Quality Control Standard
Inspections passed on the first call, from city inspectors, special inspectors and your own checks before walls and ceilings close. Give each failure a cause and a date it was fixed.
Career path
Skilled tradespersonLearns the work in one trade and starts leading a few others.
SuperintendentRuns one building's site from groundwork to tenant move-in.
Project managerOwns budgets, contracts and lender reporting for several jobs.
Operations managerLeads every project and all the supers across the company.
Other roles in a commercial builders & developers business
Is OSHA 30 required for a construction superintendent?
Not by federal OSHA. OSHA calls its Outreach program, the 30-hour card included, voluntary, and says the course doesn't satisfy the training any OSHA standard demands. Some states, cities and project owners require the cards anyway, so check where you build. If a candidate lacks the card, you can list it as preferred and pay for the course after you hire them.
How much does a commercial construction superintendent make?
First-Line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers who work for commercial and industrial builders earned a median of $39.17 an hour ($81,480 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $71,510 and $102,970 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
How is a superintendent different from a project manager?
At a builder-developer, the project manager guards the money side: the budget, signing subcontracts, change orders and the draw requests that go to the lender. The superintendent guards the site: the order of work, manpower, safety and quality. Because the company is also the owner, no outside client settles their trade-offs. Agree up front which calls the super can make alone, and which cost or schedule changes need the project manager's yes first.
What should a superintendent do when a subcontractor works unsafely?
Stop the work, get the hazard fixed, and write down what happened. Then follow the steps your subcontracts set out for repeat problems, such as a written warning, a meeting with the sub's owner, and removing a worker or crew from the site. When OSHA judges a controlling employer, it asks whether there was an effective system for promptly correcting hazards and a graduated system of enforcement with follow-up inspections. Put those steps in the subcontract before work starts, so the super has backing.
What does a superintendent do at the end of a building?
Closeout is its own phase. The super runs the punch list with each trade, schedules final inspections, and collects as-built drawings, operating manuals, spare stock and warranty letters. Because your company keeps the building, those papers go to whoever manages it next. A super who finishes closeout well saves the property team months of calls.
Does a superintendent need a college degree?
No. The template asks for a high school diploma and at least five years of site supervision, with a construction management degree as a plus. Many strong supers came up through a trade and learned scheduling and paperwork on the job. Test for both by asking for a look-ahead schedule and a daily report they wrote, then talk through each one.
