Construction Manager roles: CM-as-Advisor vs CM-as-Constructor (CM at Risk)

One-line orientation

A CM as Advisor gives the owner advice but does not hold the construction contracts. A CM as Constructor acts as the builder, holds the trade contracts, and carries the construction risk defined by its agreement.

Key points

• CM-as-Advisor / CM-as-Agent (CMa):

  • Acts as the owner’s representative during design and construction.
  • Provides expertise in scheduling, cost estimating, constructability review, and bid-package coordination.
  • Does not hold any construction contracts — the construction contracts are the owner’s. The owner may hold multiple prime contracts with the trades, or retain one general contractor; the CMa advises across either arrangement.
  • Carries no construction risk; compensated with a fee (advisory / agency role only).
  • Architect-of-record relationship is unchanged; architect still administers the construction contract.

• CM-as-Constructor / CM at Risk (CMc):

  • Engaged early in the design process — typically alongside the architect — to provide design-phase input.
  • Transitions to acting as the general contractor during construction: holds all trade contracts, manages subcontractors, and self-performs or subcontracts all work.
  • Carries construction cost and schedule risk within the agreed scope. Approved contract changes may adjust that risk.
  • Contract is typically structured as a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP). Cost risk depends on the agreed scope, allowances, contingencies, contract adjustments, and owner changes.
  • More expensive than a traditional competitively bid GC because there is no competitive GC procurement.

CM-as-Advisor vs CM-as-Constructor: who holds the trade contracts

Same three parties on the same tier — the models differ in which of them the trades hang from, and in which general conditions govern.

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Document numbers are drawn without year suffixes; the numbers are stable, the editions are not.

Confusions / comparison

	CM-as-Advisor / CM-as-Agent	CM-as-Constructor (CM at Risk)
Role	Owner’s representative; advisory only	General contractor with early design-phase involvement
Holds trade contracts?	No — the owner holds them (multiple primes, or one GC)	Yes — CMc holds all subcontracts
Carries construction risk?	No	Yes (cost + schedule)
Compensation	Fee for advisory services	Construction contract (typically GMP)
Engaged when	Design or pre-construction	Early — often alongside architect
Effect on cost	Owner retains control; no premium for GC role	More expensive than competitive GC bid; no competitive GC procurement
GMP typical?	No	Yes

Related

→ Design-Bid-Build (pp-delivery-design-bid-build): the baseline DBB framework CMa modifies · Design-Build and IPD (pp-delivery-designbuild-ipd): other early-collaboration delivery models · Cross-method comparison (pp-delivery-method-comparison): CMa and CMc in the full delivery method matrix.