Commercial general contractor sales manager job description
A commercial general contractor's sales manager picks which office fit-outs, renovations and small buildings the company goes after. They lead the reps who win that work, negotiate the bigger contracts, and make sure each price is one the field can build for.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, commercial building contractors · BLS, May 2025
Responsible for driving sales growth and forging strong client relationships for our commercial general contracting services. Leads and mentors the sales team in achieving revenue goals and negotiating high-value contracts that fuel company expansion. Acts as a strategic advisor to the executive leadership team, aligning sales strategies with overall business objectives. Ensures sustained market competitiveness by implementing innovative sales tactics tailored to the home services industry.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Lead and motivate the sales team to achieve and exceed revenue targets.
Develop and execute comprehensive sales strategies in alignment with company objectives.
Identify, negotiate, and secure new contracts that expand our client base and market reach.
Monitor industry trends and competitors to proactively adjust sales tactics.
Foster and maintain strong customer relationships ensuring high satisfaction and repeat business.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conduct daily sales meetings and performance reviews with the team.
Actively prospect and engage with potential commercial clients through calls, emails, and in-person meetings.
Analyze sales data and prepare detailed reports to inform strategic decision-making.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless transition and delivery of contracted projects.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
New Contract Acquisition: Secure a minimum of 15 new contracts per quarter.
Revenue Growth: Achieve a minimum 10% increase in quarterly sales revenue.
Sales Conversion Rate: Maintain a conversion rate of at least 25% from qualified leads.
Customer Satisfaction: Attain a customer satisfaction rating of >4.8 stars.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field.
5+ years of proven sales management experience within the construction or home services industry.
Strong negotiation, communication, and leadership skills.
Proficiency in CRM software and Microsoft Office Suite.
6. Preferred Experience
Prior experience in commercial general contracting or related construction services.
Demonstrated success in managing a high-performing sales team in a competitive industry.
Knowledge of industry-specific regulations and contracting processes.
Familiarity with market analysis and strategic planning methods.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to travel occasionally to meet with clients and attend industry events.
Capacity to work in a dynamic office and construction site environment.
Must be able to stand for extended periods during on-site client engagements.
Occasional lifting of materials and equipment up to 25 lbs may be required.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM.
Flexibility required to attend client meetings during evenings or weekends when necessary.
Environment includes a mix of office settings and on-site inspections.
Limited remote work opportunities based on job performance and company policy.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Base salary range of $80,000 - $110,000 USD per annum, commensurate with experience.
Performance-based bonus and commission structure designed to reward surpassing sales targets.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits.
401k plan with company match and additional fringe benefits as applicable.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we pride ourselves on a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability.
We are committed to fostering individual growth and professional development, ensuring that each team member has the opportunity to excel.
Our dynamic and supportive environment is designed to inspire high performance and long-term success.
Join us to become an integral part of a forward-thinking company that values excellence in customer service and industry leadership.
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 for a sales manager at a commercial general contractor
Commercial work is won by sealed bid or by negotiation, often with the same owners again and again. The sales manager picks which jobs are worth the estimating hours and which ones to let go.
Federal size rules may count you as small
Some federal contracts are kept for small businesses. To win one, a company must meet the SBA's size limit for the job's industry code. For commercial and institutional building construction, code 236220, the limit is 45 million dollars in average yearly receipts. If you're under it, the sales manager should pick which set-aside jobs fit. They should also keep the company's size claims accurate. Source: eCFR: 13 CFR 121.201, SBA size standards by NAICS code.
Federal notices give a price band
Federal construction notices must state the job's size and a price range, described in one of eight set bands. One band runs from 1 million to 5 million dollars. The notice must not reveal the government's own estimate. Use the band to drop jobs too big for your crews and bonding, or too small to cover overhead. Do it before an estimator spends a week on the drawings. Source: eCFR: FAR 36.204, Disclosure of the magnitude of construction projects.
Hawaii counts registered apprenticeships
Hawaii gives a bid edge to builders that take part in registered apprenticeships. On public works jobs estimated at 250,000 dollars or more, the agency trims a set share off your price when it compares bids. You must be party to a registered apprenticeship agreement for each apprenticeable trade you'll use, show proof with the bid, and certify it monthly during the job. The contract still pays the price you bid. Know if you qualify, since a rival who does can win with a higher number. Source: Hawaii Revised Statutes § 103-55.6, Public works construction; apprenticeship agreement.
Price type decides who carries the risk
A lump-sum bid leaves cost overruns with you. A guaranteed maximum price caps what the owner pays and usually opens your books to them. Cost-plus work leaves more of the risk with the owner, who will check every invoice. Learn which type each repeat client prefers, agree with the CFO on which ones the company will sign, and keep reps from offering anything else.
Repeat owners need their own plan
Banks, medical groups and retailers that open or refresh several sites a year may keep a short list of builders. Give each of those owners one rep, log every site they're looking at, and keep their standard finishes and last prices on file. Losing a spot on a repeat owner's list costs more than losing any single bid.
How much commercial general contractor sales managers make
Sales managers who work for commercial and industrial builders earned a median of $163,900 a year ($78.80 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s above the $148,270 median for sales managers in all industries. About 1,150 of the 637,080 sales managers in that survey work for commercial building contractors.
Expect a salary plus commission or a bonus once contracts are signed. Against what BLS reports for this industry, the template's base is nearer the bottom than the middle.
Commercial building contractors
$163,900$163,900 median Middle half $125,340–$207,260 10th–90th $75,490–$284,860
All industries
$148,270$148,270 median Middle half $100,360–$207,340 10th–90th $73,170–$290,540
$0k$50k$100k$150k$200k$250k$300k$350k
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
$75,490
$125,340
$163,900
$207,260
$284,860
All industries
$73,170
$100,360
$148,270
$207,340
$290,540
BLS doesn’t publish pay for commercial general contractors 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
Reading a bid package and making a go or no-go call quickly
Negotiating contract terms with owners, developers and their lawyers
Coaching reps on discovery questions and steady follow-up
Building a forecast from a pipeline where jobs take months to sign
Working closely with estimating so prices stay realistic
Teach these on the job
Your target building types and repeat clients
The federal and state bid sites the company watches
Your CRM stages and reports
Delaware and Hawaii public bid rules
Your company's preferred contract forms
Expect a CRM for owners, pursuits and follow-ups, Excel for go or no-go reviews and forecasts, and enough of your estimating software to read a bid summary. Name each one in the ad.
Commercial general contractor sales manager 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 · Choosing pursuits
Your team chases every bid invitation, and the hit rate is low. Walk me through how you'd change that.
A strong answer: Sets go/no-go criteria (client, project type, competition, relationship, capacity), focuses effort on fewer pursuits, and tracks hit rate by type.
Behavioral · Coaching for larger work
Tell me about a time you coached a salesperson to win larger commercial work.
A strong answer: Explains the skill gap, the coaching (joint calls, pursuit planning), and the win that followed.
These targets are samples. Base yours on the size of jobs you've won and how many reps you have, and revisit them every quarter.
New Contract Acquisition
Count contracts signed in the quarter from the CRM, splitting new owners from repeat clients and public from private work. Change orders on existing jobs don't count.
Revenue Growth
Compare contract value signed this quarter against the matching quarter a year ago, because leases and owner budgets make some quarters busier. Track backlog beside it so one big win doesn't hide a thin pipeline.
Sales Conversion Rate
Signed contracts divided by qualified bids or proposals submitted, reported by rep and by client type. Agree as a team on what qualified means before you start measuring.
Customer Satisfaction
Survey the owner's and tenant's contacts at turnover and again after the warranty walk, and read the comments with the project manager. Ask whether they would invite you to bid again.
Should a commercial builder's sales manager come from sales or from estimating?
Either can work if you cover the gap. A former estimator reads drawings, spots missing scope and knows when a price is too thin, but may need coaching on prospecting and running people. A career salesperson brings pipeline habits but needs a strong chief estimator beside them. Ask finalists to review one of your recent bid packages and tell you what they'd ask the owner before pricing it.
How much does a commercial general contractor sales manager make?
Sales managers who work for commercial and industrial builders earned a median of $163,900 a year ($78.80 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $125,340 and $207,260 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
Is public bid work worth it for a company our size?
It can steady the backlog, but it plays by different rules. Public jobs are usually sealed bids won on price, with more paperwork such as bonds, wage reports and fixed notice periods. One approach is to cap public work at a set share of the backlog and use it to fill gaps between negotiated private jobs. Track your win rate on public bids on its own, so a run of losses gets noticed early.
What should the sales manager bring to a go or no-go meeting?
A one-page view of the job: owner, architect, building type, price type, bid date, start date and length, who else is bidding, and the estimating hours it will take. Add what you know about the owner's funding and who makes the final call, and whether your best superintendent will be free. If the team can't fill in most of it, that alone is a reason to pass.
What does the site side of this sales manager job involve?
The template's standing line and its 25-pound lifting line point to real tasks. A sales manager walks empty floors and building shells with owners and brokers, stands through site meetings, and carries sample boards, binders or a display into client offices and trade shows. On active jobs you wear a hard hat, eye protection and safety boots. Go over these tasks with finalists, then ask each one whether they can do them, with accommodation if needed.
