A general contractor's office manager runs the billing and paperwork behind each remodel, addition and new home. They send draw requests to homeowners' lenders and keep the lead paperwork for older houses. They also confirm who insures each house during the work and keep the photo record.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, residential builders and remodelers · BLS, May 2025
The Office Manager plays a critical role in ensuring the seamless operation of our office by managing administrative tasks, billing processes, and overall office coordination. This position supports project execution by efficiently communicating with on-site teams and contractors, thereby contributing to the high standards of service and customer satisfaction in our home services operations.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Oversee daily administrative operations to maintain an efficient office workflow.
Manage billing processes, including invoicing, collections, and financial record maintenance.
Coordinate internal communications and scheduling between field teams and contractors.
Implement and monitor operational procedures to ensure quality and consistency across tasks.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Process daily invoices and update billing records accurately.
Coordinate scheduling, meetings, and logistics for project updates and contractor visits.
Maintain office supplies and manage inventory to support efficient daily operations.
Serve as the first point of contact for customer inquiries, offering timely support and follow-up.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Billing Accuracy Rate: >98%.
Office Task Completion Rate: 100% adherence to daily schedules.
Customer Service Response Time: <4 hours.
Operational Efficiency: Achieve a reduction of administrative errors by at least 10% per quarter.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High School Diploma required; Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree preferred.
Minimum 3 years of experience in office management or a related field.
Proficient in office software applications and billing systems.
Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous office management experience within the home services or construction industry.
Familiarity with project management software and contractor coordination.
Experience collaborating with general contractors and on-site teams.
Proven track record of optimizing administrative processes to drive operational improvements.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 15 lbs occasionally.
Extended periods of sitting at a desk with regular breaks for movement.
Work is primarily conducted in an office environment with standard ergonomic setups.
Occasional visits to busy work sites during peak operational periods.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Occasional overtime required during peak periods such as month-end billing cycles.
Minimal travel required with occasional on-site visits to project locations.
Standard office environment with adherence to established health and safety protocols.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $45,000 - $55,000 per year USD.
Eligibility for performance-based bonuses.
Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision insurance plans.
401(k) plan with company match; additional fringe benefits available.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we foster a culture of collaboration, growth, and innovation. Our team is driven by a shared commitment to quality and customer satisfaction, and we empower our employees with opportunities for professional development and advancement. Join our inclusive environment where your contributions are valued and your potential is recognized as we continue to set new standards in the home services industry.
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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A remodel or a new home runs on paper as much as lumber: a lender who pays only after an inspection, federal lead rules in older houses, insurance on a house that isn't finished, and photos that show what was there before. The office manager owns that paper.
Lead paperwork before and after the job
EPA's lead rule for pre-1978 homes starts with paper. The owner gets the pamphlet in the 60 days before work begins and signs a receipt, or it goes by mail with a certificate of mailing dated a week or more before the start. If the owner lives elsewhere, an adult who lives there gets one too. With the final bill, or within 30 days of finishing if that's sooner, the owner gets the job's lead-safe records. The company keeps the lead file three years after the job ends. Source: 40 CFR 745.86: Recordkeeping and reporting (eCFR).
Draws from the homeowner's lender
New homes and big additions are often paid in draws from the homeowner's construction loan. Ask each lender what it needs before it releases a draw, such as an inspector's visit, lien waivers or a title update. The waivers cover lien rights: in Connecticut, for example, an unpaid sub or supplier can record a mechanic's lien with the town clerk up to 90 days after its last work or delivery. The office manager sends each request, books the lender's inspector and follows the draw until the money lands. Source: Connecticut General Statutes 49-34 (example): mechanic's lien certificate.
Who insures the house while it's built
While a new home or an addition goes up, the structure needs cover for fire, theft and storm damage. The contract says who carries it: the homeowner's own policy, or a builder's risk policy bought by the company or the homeowner. The office manager gets proof before the start and checks whether the lender wants its name on the policy. They also put the end date on the calendar, so a long job doesn't outlast its policy.
Photos before the walls close
Before a crew starts, someone photographs the house along the work path: floors, walls, stairs and the driveway. Before insulation and drywall, the lead carpenter photographs every open wall and ceiling with its wiring, pipes and blocking. The office manager sets the photo rules, checks that each job has both sets, and files them by room. Those photos settle damage claims and help the service crew find a pipe years later.
How much general contractor office managers make
The closest BLS group for general contractor office managers is First-Line supervisors of office and administrative support workers. First-Line supervisors of office and administrative support workers who work for residential builders and remodelers earned a median of $34.00 an hour ($70,720 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $69,500 median for First-Line supervisors of office and administrative support workers in all industries. About 7,630 of the 1,436,680 First-Line supervisors of office and administrative support workers in that survey work for residential builders and remodelers.
Salary is the base here, and the template adds a bonus for results. The top of its salary range barely reaches the lower end of what BLS reports for office supervisors at residential builders and remodelers. Someone who has billed lender draws and run a builder's files will likely want more. Tie the bonus to draws paid on time and job files complete at closeout.
Residential builders and remodelers
$70,720$70,720 median Middle half $53,830–$91,480 10th–90th $38,360–$110,850
All industries
$69,500$69,500 median Middle half $55,950–$85,090 10th–90th $45,610–$104,710
$25k$50k$75k$100k$125k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Residential builders and remodelers
$38,360
$53,830
$70,720
$91,480
$110,850
All industries
$45,610
$55,950
$69,500
$85,090
$104,710
BLS doesn’t publish pay for general contractors on their own. These figures cover residential 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 billed draws or progress payments for a builder or remodeler
Tracks lead pamphlet and record dates on older homes without reminders
Catches a missing name or a lapsed date on an insurance certificate
Keeps job files a stranger could use: contracts, changes, permits and photos
Supervises the CSR and keeps the homeowner phone line answered all day
Teach these on the job
Your lenders' draw forms and inspection steps
EPA's lead pamphlet and record forms
Your contract's insurance terms and your agent's contacts
Your photo rules and folder setup in the project app
Your billing calendar and month-end close with the bookkeeper
Expect a project app such as Buildertrend for contracts, changes and photos, the lenders' draw portals or email forms, and the bookkeeper's accounting system. A shared calendar for draw inspections, policy end dates and lead pamphlet deadlines keeps those dates out of one person's head.
General contractor office 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 · Paperwork before payment
A subcontractor wants payment but hasn't sent a lien waiver or an updated insurance certificate. What do you do?
A strong answer: Holds payment per policy until both arrive, tells the PM, and follows up with the sub promptly.
Behavioral · Getting field paperwork in on time
Tell me about a time daily logs, signed change orders or delivery tickets kept arriving late from the field and held up billing.
A strong answer: Found why, such as long forms or no deadline, made it simple with a one-page form or photo upload, set a cutoff tied to billing, followed up and brought in leadership when needed.
The general manager and office manager reset these targets after the first quarter, once a normal month of draws and closeouts is clear. Log lender delays apart from office misses, since a slow lender can look like a slow office.
Billing Accuracy Rate
Draw requests and bills sent back by a homeowner or lender for a fix, such as a stage billed before its inspection or a missing lien waiver, out of all sent. Log the cause of each one.
Office Task Completion Rate
Each Friday, check the week's dated office tasks: draw requests, lead pamphlet deadlines, proof of insurance before starts and photo folder checks. Count those done on time out of all that were due.
Customer Service Response Time
Hours to a real answer for homeowners, lenders and subs, each on its own line from the inbox and phone logs. A slow answer to a lender holds up a draw, so watch that line closest.
Operational Efficiency
Office errors each quarter, such as a draw sent at the wrong stage, a missing photo set or an insurance proof that arrived after the start. Log each one with the change that keeps it from happening again.
Career path
Receptionist at a builder or title companyLearns the files, the phones and how a closing works.
Office managerRuns billing, lender draws, lead paperwork and the front office.
Business managerOversees billing, office staff and vendor contracts as the builder adds jobs.
Does an addition to a pre-1978 house need the lead paperwork?
Usually, if the work disturbs paint on the old house. Cutting a doorway through a painted wall, or taking off painted siding where the addition ties in, counts as renovation under EPA's rule. Small jobs fall out: six square feet of disturbed paint or less per room indoors, or 20 outside, with no window replacement or tear-out of painted surfaces. Work in one room within 30 days counts as one job. The rule also skips parts a certified renovator or inspector has tested and found free of lead-based paint. EPA runs the rule in most states; where a state runs its own program, follow that.
How much does a general contractor office manager make?
First-Line supervisors of office and administrative support workers who work for residential builders and remodelers earned a median of $34.00 an hour ($70,720 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $53,830 and $91,480 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
What if a lender funds less than the draw request?
Get the inspector's report and find which line was held back and why: work not done, a missing lien waiver, or a stage the lender reads differently. Tell the project manager and the bookkeeper that day. If the work is done, ask for a new inspection and send photos. If it isn't, bill the rest with the next stage. Either way, the homeowner hears it from the company first.
Who answers a homeowner's call, the office manager or the CSR?
The CSR takes new inquiries, routine questions from active clients and the weekly notes. The office manager takes calls about money, lenders, insurance and formal complaints, and covers the CSR's line at lunch and on days off. Put that split in both job ads, so a homeowner with a billing question reaches the right person on the first try.
What does the office manager template mean by lifting and site visits?
Leave those lines in the posting unchanged. At a builder they cover carrying a box of job files or plan sets, up to 15 pounds, and stopping by a busy site to collect a signature, check a photo set or meet a lender's inspector. Add those tasks to the posting, say whether they come up weekly or a few times a year, and invite requests for reasonable accommodation.
