A home builder project manager runs the development side of a new community: the site work, utilities, permits and lot schedule that come before the houses. They keep that budget on track, work with engineers, agencies and site contractors, and hand finished lots to production on time.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, residential builders and remodelers · BLS, May 2025
Oversee and execute home building projects by coordinating timelines, managing budgets, and facilitating stakeholder communications for large developments. Serve as the primary point of contact for project teams, ensuring successful project delivery and high-quality construction outcomes. Contribute to company growth by ensuring projects are completed on time, within scope, and in alignment with organizational objectives. Develop and implement project management best practices that drive efficiency and improve overall project performance.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Develop and maintain comprehensive project plans that align with strategic business goals.
Manage project budgets, monitor expenditures, and ensure cost efficiency throughout the project lifecycle.
Coordinate internal and external stakeholders, including contractors, clients, and regulatory bodies.
Oversee daily project operations, ensuring timely completion of construction milestones.
Mitigate risks by proactively identifying potential challenges and implementing effective solutions.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conduct daily project meetings with construction teams and subcontractors to review progress and address concerns.
Monitor project timelines using project management software and update stakeholders on milestone achievements.
Review and process invoices, budget updates, and change orders.
Engage with clients to provide progress reports and maintain high levels of satisfaction.
Facilitate on-site inspections and quality control evaluations to ensure compliance with building standards.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Project Completion Rate: Achieve a 95% on-time completion rate.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Secure a customer satisfaction score of >4.8 stars.
Safety Compliance: Ensure 100% adherence to safety standards and regulations.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or related field.
Minimum of 5 years of project management experience in the construction or home services industry.
Strong leadership and communication skills with a proven ability to manage diverse teams.
Proficiency in project management tools and software, such as MS Project or similar platforms.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous experience managing large-scale residential development projects.
Familiarity with local construction regulations and building codes.
Hands-on experience with budgeting, scheduling, and contract negotiations in the home building industry.
Exposure to innovative construction technologies and sustainable building practices.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to occasionally lift up to 25 pounds during site visits.
Capability to work in diverse environments including outdoor sites with variable weather conditions.
Occasional requirement to walk, stand, and perform physical inspections on construction sites.
Comfortable with extended periods of on-site supervision as needed.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard work hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Occasional weekend or evening work required to meet project deadlines.
Regular travel to job sites and meetings with stakeholders.
On-call duties may be required during critical project phases.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary Range: $85,000 - $115,000 USD per year, commensurate with experience.
Eligibility for performance-based bonuses and profit sharing.
Comprehensive benefits package including Health, Dental, and Vision insurance.
401(k) plan with company match and opportunities for professional development.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we pride ourselves on fostering a collaborative, innovative, and supportive workplace environment that empowers our team to excel and grow.
Our culture is built on mutual respect, continuous improvement, and a commitment to delivering quality service in every project.
We encourage creativity and value the unique perspectives each employee brings to the table.
Join us in our mission to build inspiring homes and vibrant communities with integrity and excellence.
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 project manager at a home builder
At a home builder, the project is the community itself. Production builds the houses, and the project manager makes sure there are finished lots, with streets and utilities, ready for them.
Filling wetlands can take a federal permit
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act calls for a permit before fill goes into waters of the United States, wetlands included, and EPA lists fill for development among the regulated activities. Whether a wet spot counts takes an expert's call, so get a wetland review before the grading plan is final. The Army Corps of Engineers makes the day-to-day permit decisions, so ask its district office before any dirt moves. Source: U.S. EPA: Permit program under CWA Section 404.
Raised lots still need FEMA's paperwork
Filling low lots doesn't change the flood map by itself. FEMA's MT-1 forms are how you ask FEMA to remove a structure or a legally recorded parcel from the mapped flood zone, through a Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill. A conditional letter gives FEMA's comments on a proposed project first. The project manager plans that request, and the surveys it needs, into the lot schedule. Source: FEMA: MT-1 application forms and instructions.
Utility companies work on their own calendar
Power, gas and cable companies design and install their own lines in a new community, on their schedule. Expect them to want streets and grades set first. A project manager who asks for the designs early, tracks each company's dates and joins their field walks keeps the first houses from waiting on a meter.
Unit prices for rock and bad soil
Grading a community turns up things the soils report missed, like rock that has to be broken out or soft ground that has to be dug out and replaced. Each one becomes a change order from the site contractor. Set unit prices for these in the contract, and track them against the development budget, not the house budgets.
How much home builder project managers make
The closest BLS group for home builder project managers is construction managers. Construction managers who work for residential builders and remodelers earned a median of $98,390 a year ($47.30 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $114,990 median for construction managers in all industries. About 56,450 of the 380,360 construction managers in that survey work for residential builders and remodelers.
Usually salaried, with the bonus and profit sharing the template lists.
Residential builders and remodelers
$98,390$98,390 median Middle half $75,110–$129,990 10th–90th $58,940–$170,580
All industries
$114,990$114,990 median Middle half $88,550–$151,640 10th–90th $69,690–$189,440
$25k$50k$75k$100k$125k$150k$175k$200k$225k
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
$58,940
$75,110
$98,390
$129,990
$170,580
All industries
$69,690
$88,550
$114,990
$151,640
$189,440
BLS reports home builders and remodelers together. 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
Reads civil plans, grading plans and plats
Has managed site contractors on streets, sewer and water lines
Keeps a development budget and change order log by phase
Works well with city engineers, utility companies and agency staff
Writes clear meeting notes and closes every open item
Teach these on the job
Your communities, lot release plan and land deals
Your project management and accounting software
Each city's subdivision approval steps
How production and sales use the lot schedule
Project managers at home builders work in Microsoft Project or a similar scheduler, the accounting system for budgets and invoices, and PDF markup tools for civil plans. List the scheduler and accounting system in the ad.
Home builder project 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 · Regulatory changes
After your plans were approved, the city requires added drainage work for the next phase of homes. Walk me through how you handle it.
A strong answer: Gets the requirement in writing, works with the civil engineer on a solution, estimates cost and schedule impact, tells leadership, updates the budget and schedules the work.
Behavioral · Getting ahead of schedule risks
Tell me about a time you saw early that something outside your crews' control, like the power company's meter sets, would delay closings.
A strong answer: Names the warning sign, what they did early (pressed the utility with lot lists and dates, resequenced work, told sales and leadership so buyers got honest dates), and the delays it limited.
Write your own targets phase by phase from the development budget and lot schedule the company approved. The ones in the template are a sample to start from.
Project Completion Rate
Compare the date each phase's lots were ready for house starts with the date in the approved lot schedule, and record the reason for every slip.
Budget Variance
Each month, compare committed and spent costs on each development phase with its approved budget, including approved change orders, from your accounting system.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Ask buyers about streets, common areas and amenities in the survey after closing, and ask production and sales how ready the lots were when handed over.
Safety Compliance
Track findings from safety walks on the development work and the safety records of site contractors, and follow each open item until it's closed.
Career path
Civil engineer at a land development firmDesigns streets, grading and utilities for subdivisions.
Project managerRuns a community's development from permits to finished lots.
Director of land developmentLeads several communities and helps price new land deals.
When should a home builder bring a project manager onto a new community?
Before the land closes, if you can. The project manager can check the engineer's grading and utility plans against the budget, spot wetland or flood zone issues, and line up site contractors while the deal can still be priced. Brought in after closing, they inherit whatever the plans missed.
How much does a home builder project manager make?
Construction managers who work for residential builders and remodelers earned a median of $98,390 a year ($47.30 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $75,110 and $129,990 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
Does a home builder project manager deal with buyers?
Some. Buyers in the first phase live next to ongoing site work and ask when the pool, the trail or the next street will be done. The project manager gives sales and customer service accurate dates and takes the harder questions directly, so buyers don't hear different answers from different people.
What background works for a home builder project manager?
Look for people who have built subdivisions: project managers from site contractors, civil engineers who have worked on development plans, and land development staff from another builder. A house-building background alone doesn't cover grading, sewer and water lines, or agency permits.
Which tasks match the project manager template's site visit lines?
Walking a graded site in mud or dust to look at grades, pipe work and ponds, often alongside the site contractor or the utility company. The lifting line covers carrying plan sets, a laptop or a survey rod. Weather comes with the job, since site work runs outdoors in every season. Name those tasks in the posting.
