Renovation Project Manager

Homeowners doing larger renovations or additions, landlords and small property investors.

A management fee or a markup on subcontractor and material costs, usually built into a fixed-price or cost-plus contract.

• Reading plans and estimating costs
• Organising people and deadlines
• Negotiating with suppliers and trades
• Knowledge of local permit processes

• You are often responsible for subcontractors' work and site safety, check your legal duties as the prime contractor in your province
• Verify that subcontractors have their own liability insurance and WCB/WSIB clearance
• Commercial general liability insurance, and consider builder's risk coverage for larger projects
• Licensing, permits and warranty requirements differ by province and municipality
• Cash flow gaps when paying trades before the client pays you, use staged payments
• Quebec has its own licensing and French-language requirements, check the provincial regulator

As an estimate, startup costs are typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on your home office setup, software, vehicle and insurance. Check insurance options, including builder's risk coverage for larger projects.

Check your legal duties as prime contractor in your province, since you may be responsible for subcontractors' work and site safety. Verify their insurance and WCB/WSIB clearance, and check licensing, permits and warranty rules. Quebec has its own licensing and French-language requirements.

As an estimate, monthly revenue is typically around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on project size and how many you run. The estimate assumes about 20 hours a week or more. Watch cash flow when paying trades before clients pay you.