Commercial remodeling general manager job description
A commercial remodeling general manager runs the teams that win, price and build office, store and restaurant jobs. They review department heads and project managers, watch the budget on every open job, and keep property managers and tenants coming back.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, commercial building contractors · BLS, May 2025
Responsible for overseeing and directing multiple departments within the commercial remodeling division to achieve operational excellence and client satisfaction. Drives performance metrics, fosters a culture of continuous improvement, and ensures that all remodeling projects meet high-quality standards.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Lead and manage multiple departments, ensuring seamless collaboration and clear communication.
Track and analyze performance metrics, identifying opportunities for process improvements and cost savings.
Ensure all projects are executed in compliance with industry standards, building codes, and company policies.
Maintain and enhance client relationships by ensuring high levels of satisfaction and addressing any issues proactively.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Oversee daily operations of the commercial remodeling projects from initiation to completion.
Conduct regular performance reviews with department heads and project managers.
Liaise with clients to review project priorities, update timelines, and handle feedback promptly.
Monitor budget adherence and adjust strategies to optimize resource allocation and project efficiency.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Project Completion Rate: Achieve a 95% on-time project delivery.
Client Satisfaction Rating: Maintain above 4.8 stars on post-project surveys.
Budget Efficiency: Limit project cost overruns to less than 5%.
Departmental Performance: Increase overall efficiency by 10% annually.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Construction Management, Engineering, or a related field.
Minimum of 7 years of experience in management within the home services or commercial remodeling industry.
Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and mentor diverse teams.
Proficient in project management software and performance tracking tools.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous leadership experience in commercial remodeling or a closely related construction environment.
Proven track record of managing multi-disciplinary teams and large-scale projects.
Experience in strategic planning and operational streamlining within the home services industry.
Background in customer relationship management with demonstrable success in client retention.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to navigate construction sites and occasionally inspect project locations.
Capability to lift and handle moderate materials when needed (up to 25 lbs).
Flexibility to adapt to varying weather conditions on site and in the field.
Adept at working in environments that may include exposure to dust, noise, and construction elements.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard work schedule of 40-50 hours per week with extended hours as necessary during peak projects.
Regular travel required to job sites and client meetings across regions.
Occasional on-call duties to address urgent project needs or client inquiries.
Collaborative office environment combined with active, on-site project oversight.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Annual salary range: $100,000 – $130,000 USD based on experience and qualifications.
Performance-based bonuses and incentive plans available.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance packages provided.
401(k) plan with company match and additional fringe benefits as applicable.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We are a forward-thinking company with a deep commitment to innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction.
Our culture promotes professional growth, work-life balance, and a collaborative environment where ideas are valued.
We believe in investing in our employees’ success and empower our team to drive results in a supportive, inclusive, and dynamic workplace.
Join us to be a part of a transformative journey in the commercial remodeling industry, where your contributions directly impact our trajectory of success.
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].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
What changes for a general manager in commercial remodeling
Building codes, accessibility rules and three very different kinds of clients pull your departments in different directions.
Remodeling a work area can bring accessibility work with it
Federal ADA rules reach past the room you remodel. If you redo the sales floor or staff work areas in a store, the path of travel to that area, and the restrooms, phones and drinking fountains that serve it, must also be made accessible as far as is feasible. That extra work has a cap. Past a fifth of the cost of the main alteration, it counts as disproportionate, and the rule asks for as much as fits under the cap. Have estimators flag it at bid time. Source: eCFR: 28 CFR 36.403, alterations and path of travel.
Maryland's code changes on a schedule
Maryland uses the International Building Code, energy code included, as its statewide standard. The state must adopt each new version within 18 months of its release. Counties and cities can add their own changes, but they can't weaken the energy rules. If you work in several Maryland counties, keep a short list of the edition and local changes each permit office uses. Then estimators and designers price to the right book. Source: Maryland Code, Public Safety § 12-503: Maryland Building Performance Standards.
Offices, stores and restaurants buy differently
An office tenant cares about move-in day and cabling. A chain retailer may send a run of stores built to one brand standard, often overnight. A restaurant loses sales every day it stays closed. Set up project managers and estimators by client type, so each team learns one kind of buyer's rules and gets faster with each job.
Each property manager gets one lead
A property manager with several buildings may send work all year: a vacant suite to refresh, a lobby, a restroom update. Give each such account one named lead who knows the buildings, the insurance rules and the approval steps. Review those accounts each quarter for jobs won, jobs lost and jobs you never heard about.
How much commercial remodeling general managers make
The closest BLS group for commercial remodeling general managers is general and operations managers. General and operations managers who work for commercial and industrial builders earned a median of $148,700 a year ($71.49 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s above the $105,770 median for general and operations managers in all industries. About 32,560 of the 3,503,020 general and operations managers in that survey work for commercial building contractors.
GM pay is often salary plus a bonus on division profit and client results. BLS groups general and operations managers at contractors of every size, and the template's range sits beneath that group's median.
Commercial building contractors
$148,700$148,700 median Middle half $99,830–$207,480 10th–90th $64,930–$300,370
All industries
$105,770$105,770 median Middle half $72,320–$167,280 10th–90th $50,090–$253,390
$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
$64,930
$99,830
$148,700
$207,480
$300,370
All industries
$50,090
$72,320
$105,770
$167,280
$253,390
BLS doesn’t publish pay for commercial remodelers 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
Running estimating, project management and field departments toward one profit target
Reading drawings and spotting code and accessibility issues before bid day
Coaching project managers who juggle several short jobs
Keeping property manager and chain store accounts for years
Making weekly calls from budget and schedule reports
Teach these on the job
Your project management and CRM software
How the permit offices in your market work
Your chain clients' brand standards
Your department scorecards
Most GMs here work from the project management platform, a digital takeoff and estimating tool, and a CRM for client accounts. List them by name in the ad, because someone who knows them gets going sooner.
Commercial remodeling general 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 · Competing client demands
Your two biggest clients both want their projects done the same month, and you don't have enough crews for both. How do you decide?
A strong answer: Reviews contract commitments, margin and relationships, looks at subs, temporary labor or phasing, talks honestly with both clients, and decides with leadership.
Behavioral · Saving key clients
Tell me about a time you kept a key client after a project went badly.
A strong answer: Owned the problems, met the client, fixed what was owed, changed the internal cause, and earned the next job.
Begin with the template's numbers, then swap in targets drawn from the division's last year of jobs, settled with the COO before the year begins.
Project Completion Rate
Track how many jobs reach turnover by the promised date, and sort late ones by cause: permits, materials, subs or client changes.
Client Satisfaction Rating
Send a short survey after the punch walk to whoever signed the contract, and track property manager accounts on their own, since they send repeat work.
Budget Efficiency
Compare final cost with the awarded budget on each closed job, and roll it up by department so each head sees their share of overruns.
Departmental Performance
Pick one measure for each department, such as estimating turnaround or punch items per job, agree on it with the head, and track the trend over the year.
Career path
Project managerRuns budgets, schedules and client meetings on several fit-outs.
Operations managerAssigns crews, tools and materials across the company's jobs.
General managerRuns every department and answers for the division's profit.
Should we hire a GM with an estimating background or a field background?
Either can work. A GM from estimating knows where margins come from and why bids are lost. One from the field knows what night work and occupied buildings really cost. Ask finalists to price a small fit-out from drawings, then walk a live job with your field supervisor. The candidate who handles both well is the one to hire.
How much does a commercial remodeling general manager make?
General and operations managers who work for commercial and industrial builders earned a median of $148,700 a year ($71.49 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $99,830 and $207,480 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
When should a commercial remodeler split into divisions?
When small, fast jobs start waiting behind large buildouts, or when the same project managers can't serve both well. Some remodelers set up a small projects group for property manager work and keep larger tenant buildouts in another, each with its own estimator and budget. The GM owns the line between them and moves people as the backlog shifts.
How should a GM handle a slow permit office?
Ask each permit office for its current review times when you bid, and put them in the schedule you share with the tenant. Submit as soon as drawings are ready, answer comments quickly, and ask whether early work such as demolition can go ahead under a separate permit where the office allows it. When a lease date is at risk, tell the client early and in writing.
What does a commercial remodeling GM do on a job visit, given the template's lifting and weather lines?
Visits mean walking active floors, store aisles or a restaurant kitchen under construction, with dust and tool noise around. A GM may carry plan sets, a sample box or a few ceiling tiles to show a client. That fits the template's lifting line. Some visits mean walking a roof or parking lot in rain or summer sun to look at signs or rooftop units. Expect to wear a hard hat, safety glasses and earplugs.
