A residential developer project manager takes land from approvals to finished streets, utilities and lots ready to build on. They keep each phase on time and on budget, work with engineers, towns, state agencies and site contractors, and report to the general manager.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, residential builders and remodelers · BLS, May 2025
Lead the planning, execution, and delivery of residential housing development projects while maintaining strict adherence to timelines, budgets, and quality standards. Champion effective stakeholder communication and coordinate cross-functional teams to drive project success. Contribute to organizational growth and client satisfaction by ensuring projects are completed on time and within financial parameters.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Oversee the full project lifecycle from concept through completion while ensuring compliance with local building codes and regulations.
Manage project timelines, budgets, resources, and quality control to consistently meet or exceed expectations.
Serve as the primary point of contact for stakeholders, providing regular updates and addressing any project challenges.
Collaborate with architects, engineers, contractors, and suppliers to ensure seamless project execution.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Monitor daily project progress and coordinate schedule adjustments to align with overall project plans.
Conduct routine site visits to inspect work quality and adherence to safety standards.
Facilitate daily or weekly team meetings to review progress, discuss challenges, and outline upcoming deliverables.
Respond promptly to stakeholder queries and resolve issues to maintain project momentum.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Project completion rate: Achieve on-time project delivery at a target of 95% or above.
Budget adherence: Maintain a variance of less than 5% relative to the planned budget.
Stakeholder satisfaction: Secure an average satisfaction rating of >4.8 stars from client feedback.
Quality compliance rate: Ensure 100% compliance with all safety and building regulations.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or a related field.
Minimum of 5 years’ experience in project management within the residential construction or development industry.
Proven leadership, excellent communication, and strong problem-solving skills.
Proficiency in project management software and budgeting tools.
6. Preferred Experience
Prior experience working directly with residential builders and developers.
Demonstrated success in managing large-scale housing development projects.
Familiarity with sustainable building practices and green construction initiatives.
Exposure to regulatory compliance and permitting processes within the residential construction industry.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to conduct regular site inspections which may involve walking on uneven terrain and climbing ladders.
Capability to lift up to 25 lbs occasionally in a site environment.
Comfortable working in outdoor conditions and varying weather environments.
Must meet general requirements for site safety and professionalism at job sites.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard work hours typically from 8 AM to 5 PM with flexibility for site visits during early morning or late evening as needed.
Occasional travel to project locations and contractor meetings may be required.
Possibility of extended hours during project deadlines and critical phases.
Work environment includes office settings combined with on-site construction areas.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Competitive salary range of $85,000 - $110,000 USD per annum based on experience and qualifications.
Eligible for performance-based bonuses.
Comprehensive benefits including Health, Dental, and Vision insurance.
Employer-matched 401(k) retirement plan.
Additional fringe benefits such as paid time off, professional development opportunities, and commuter support.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we pride ourselves on fostering an innovative and supportive workplace where every team member is encouraged to grow and excel.
Our company culture emphasizes collaboration, integrity, and a commitment to quality in every project we undertake.
We invest in our employees’ professional development, offering mentorship programs and continuous training opportunities.
Join us to be part of a dynamic team dedicated to building high-quality residential communities and making a positive impact on our clients’ lives.
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 project manager at a residential developer
Here the project is land, not a single house. The project manager takes a subdivision through state permits, town approvals and site work until the lots are ready.
New Hampshire's terrain permit
In New Hampshire, a project needs a state Alteration of Terrain permit if it disturbs more than 100,000 square feet over 10 years. The limit drops to 50,000 square feet if any part is in the protected shoreland. Count the roads, lots and stockpiles of every phase together, and get the permit before earthwork starts. Source: N.H. Code of Administrative Rules, Env-Wq 1500: Alteration of Terrain.
The state reviews subdivision plans too
Under New Hampshire's sewage disposal law, a subdivision that needs state approval goes to the state's environmental department with its town-approved plans, apart from a few exceptions in the law. If the town's final plans differ from what the state saw, they go back for a new review. Ask the department early which steps apply, and put its review on the schedule. Source: N.H. RSA 485-A:29, submission and approval of plans and specifications.
Approved plats are protected for a time
In New Hampshire, a recorded subdivision plat is protected from later changes to town subdivision rules, zoning and impact fees for 7 years after approval. Health rules, such as water and sewage standards, still apply. The protection holds only if active and substantial development starts within 3 years, or as the approval says, and any required road, drain or sewer bond is posted. Track those dates by phase. Source: N.H. RSA 674:39, exemption for approved subdivision plats.
Field changes go back on paper
When a site crew hits ledge, wet soil or a buried line, the fix can change the engineered plans. Get the engineer's revised sheet and the town's okay before the crew builds it, and keep a log of every revision by phase. Those records answer questions years later, after the streets have been turned over.
How much residential developer project managers make
The closest BLS group for residential developer 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.
Expect a salary, and often a bonus when phases hit budget and dates. For construction managers at residential builders, BLS pay runs close to the center of the template's range.
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, drainage, sewer and water sheets
Tracks permits and their conditions without missing a date
Builds and updates a phase budget and a cost-to-complete
Writes clear updates for owners, lenders and town staff
Runs a meeting with engineers and contractors and closes each open item
Teach these on the job
Your towns' approval steps and staff
Your project management and job cost software
The state permits your sites need
Your lenders' reporting rules
Your standard lot sizes and home plans
The work runs on project scheduling software, a job cost system and the engineers' plan sets, usually opened as PDFs on a tablet in the field. Naming your software in the ad helps candidates match their experience to it.
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 · Managing consultant delays
The civil engineer's drawings are a month late, and the loan closing depends on approved plans. What do you do?
A strong answer: Gets a firm date and the cause, escalates to the firm's principal, tells the lender early, looks for ways to split the submittal, and protects the closing date.
Behavioral · Bidding site work
Tell me about a time you bid out site work, like grading, utilities or paving, and chose the contractor.
A strong answer: Wrote one clear scope with quantities, leveled the bids line by line, checked exclusions, schedule, bonding and safety record, and chose on value rather than the lowest number.
Start from the template's targets, then choose numbers from past phases and lender commitments. Look at them again each time the town approves a new phase.
Project completion rate
For every phase, measure the gap between the approved schedule's date for buildable lots and the day they were actually ready.
Budget adherence
Compare each phase's actual land development cost with its approved budget at each milestone, and list the line items behind any variance.
Stakeholder satisfaction
When a phase wraps up, ask the general manager, any lot buyers and town staff to rate the work briefly, and note what each would change.
Quality compliance rate
Track open permit conditions, failed site inspections and state permit findings, and close each one with a dated record.
Career path
Assistant project manager at a site work contractorTracks submittals, change orders and pay requests for streets and utilities.
Project managerCarries a subdivision from approvals to buildable lots.
Land development managerRuns approvals and site work for several communities at once.
General managerLeads the company's communities and its department heads.
Other roles in a residential builders & developers business
Should the project manager or the civil engineer run town approvals?
Both have a part. The engineer draws the plans and answers technical questions at hearings. The project manager owns the calendar, tracks every condition of approval and makes sure each one is met before the next milestone. Don't leave the calendar to the engineer's office, which is working for many clients at once.
How much does a residential developer 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.
Each month, what should the general manager hear from the project manager?
A one-page update per phase works well. List permits and their expiry dates, open conditions of approval, spending against budget and the cost still to come. Compare lots ready with the starts construction needs, and name the top risks with a plan for each. Add any open request from the town or a state agency.
Can a project manager from commercial construction do this job?
Yes, if they've run civil work. A commercial building project manager may know budgets and contracts but not subdivision approvals, street work or how lot sales pay for the next phase. Ask about a project where they managed grading or utilities, and what they did when a permit condition changed the plan.
On a land project, what do the template's ladder, 25-pound and weather lines involve?
Those template lines stay as written. For land work they mean walking graded lots and road beds before paving, keeping clear of open trenches and equipment, climbing a ladder to see a framed upper floor or a roof, carrying plans, a laptop and a level up to 25 pounds, and holding site meetings outside in rain or wind. Talk through these tasks with candidates and handle accommodation requests individually.
