Owner's Representation for Commercial Projects
An experienced builder on your side of the table, managing the architect, the contractor, and the budget so you do not have to learn construction on your own project.
Most owners build once every several years. The architect, the engineers, and the general contractor do it every day. An owner's representative closes that gap: Standard Development Company acts as the owner's full-time project advocate, independent of the design team and the contractor, with the experience to read the drawings, question the pay application, and hold the schedule.
We serve private owners, developers, nonprofits, medical practices, school and special districts, and public agencies across Northern Colorado and the mountain towns. The engagement can cover a single phase, such as contractor selection, or run from feasibility through occupancy.
What we manage for you
- Program, budget, and schedule development
- Site evaluation and due diligence coordination
- Architect and engineer selection and contract review
- Design review for constructability, cost, and scope creep
- Permit and entitlement coordination with the design team
- Contractor procurement: RFQ, RFP, bid leveling, and recommendation
- Contract negotiation and document review
- Monthly pay application and change order review
- Schedule monitoring and recovery planning
- Quality observation and inspection coordination
- Closeout, commissioning, and warranty follow-through
Independent by design
We do not act as the general contractor on a project where we serve as owner's representative, and we do not take fees from contractors or vendors. Our only client on the job is the owner. That independence is what lets us tell you when a change order is not justified, when the schedule is slipping before the contractor admits it, or when a design decision is going to cost more to build than it is worth.
Built on field experience
Our leadership brings more than $230 million of prior commercial construction experience across mid-rise, multifamily, retail, healthcare, senior living, and industrial projects. That experience was earned running jobs, not reviewing them from an office. It is why we can look at a pay application and know whether the work is really there, and why contractors treat our questions seriously.
How the fee works
Owner's representation is typically a fixed monthly fee or a percentage of construction cost, scoped to the phases you need. On most projects the fee is recovered several times over in avoided change orders, tighter contractor pricing, and a schedule that holds. We will propose a structure after an initial conversation about the project.
Common questions.
What is the difference between an owner's representative and a construction manager?
A construction manager typically holds the trade contracts and builds the project. An owner's representative holds no construction contracts; they advise and act for the owner while the contractor builds. We offer both services, but never both on the same project.
When should an owner's representative be brought in?
As early as possible, ideally before the architect is hired. The biggest cost decisions are made in programming and schematic design, and that is where an experienced builder's input saves the most.
Do you serve nonprofits and public agencies?
Yes. Boards and public bodies often have the responsibility for a building project without staff who have delivered one. We fill that role, including public procurement and reporting requirements.
Can you step into a project that is already under construction?
Yes. We regularly take on troubled or simply understaffed projects midstream, review where things stand, and put a recovery plan in front of the owner.
What are you building next?
Send the drawings, the site, or just the idea. We will tell you what it will take and how we would run it.
START A CONVERSATIONOr call 970-430-5884.