I like to run my own projects. I make lists. I color code. And yet, my condo remodel ate my lunch. So I hired a condo project manager. You know what? I thought I’d hate giving up control. I didn’t. I slept.
What I Needed Help With (and why I caved)
I live on the 15th floor in Seattle. Small kitchen, one bath, tight hallways, and neighbors who can hear a spoon drop. My plan seemed simple. New cabinets. New tile. New lights. But then came elevator bookings, noisy work hours, permits, and a plumber who swore the shut-off valve was a myth. I was out of my depth.
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So I brought in Maya, a condo project manager I found through a friend in the building. Her fee was 12% of the job. If you don't have a word-of-mouth lead, you can skim profiles of vetted condo project pros on PMO Network and reach out in minutes. That number stung at first. But I had meetings, a dog that hates drills, and a board that loves rules.
The Kitchen and Bath Story (Unit 1507)
Day one, Maya posted a neat notice on every floor near my stack. It had the dates, the hours, and her phone. Not mine. She booked the service elevator for all demo days. She even wrapped the door frames with blue tape and foam. That small thing kept our HOA happy.
We hit a snag with the countertop. I wanted a fancy stone with a 6-week lead time. She called me at lunch and said, “If we use MSI quartz, white with a soft vein, it’s in stock. You’ll save 9 days.” I said yes. It looks clean, and I can set a hot mug on it. Win.
The plumber found a frozen shut-off in my ceiling. Maya moved fast. She got building maintenance to open the riser at 8 a.m., right at the start of the noise window. No drama. No angry neighbor texts. She kept a WhatsApp chat with me, the GC, and the cabinet guy. Short notes. Photos. Times. I didn’t have to chase anyone. Watching her juggle the crew reminded me of the tug-of-war captured in this first-person field review on superintendent vs. project manager.
One more thing: the bathroom fan. Our board is strict. Backdraft noise is a big deal. She swapped the first fan for a quiet one from Panasonic after a test. No extra labor charge. I didn’t ask. She just handled it.
The Lobby Refresh (I Put on My Board Hat)
A month later, our HOA tapped Maya for a small building project: paint the lobby, new tile at the entry, and LED lights. December, which was wild. People coming and going with boxes and wreaths.
She ran three bids, same scope for each. One tile we loved had a 10-week wait from Italy. She pushed back, kindly. We switched to a Daltile we could get in 6 days. She taped sample boards on the wall, and, honestly, the “perfect gray” looked green under our warm lights. She admitted it fast and did a big sample patch before paint day. That saved us from a very green winter.
There was a hiccup with the sprinkler heads. The new lights sat too close. That meant a change order for $2,300 to adjust the heads. Not fun. But she brought it to us right away, with two cheaper options that would look worse. We paid the $2,300. It was the right call.
Tools and Touches That Helped
- Weekly 20-minute Zoom check-ins. Short and focused.
- A Trello board with three lists: To Do, Doing, Done. Simple. Clear.
- A shared budget in Google Sheets. I could see fees, holds, and paid items.
- DocuSign for approvals. No paper chase.
- Punch list day with blue tape everywhere. Satisfying and useful.
- Want to understand the dual role some pros play? Dive into this candid story about wearing both hats as a project engineer and project manager.
Where She Shined
- Calm with rules. She knew the noise window (9–4), the freight elevator quirks, and the insurance letters the board wanted. No back and forth.
- Schedule discipline. She padded delivery windows by a day. It felt slow, but we finished on time.
- People care. She introduced herself to my two closest neighbors and gave them her number. Complaints went to her, not me.
- Clean work. Daily sweeps in the hall. No dust drama with the fire alarms.
Her attention to the building envelope almost made me wish she’d authored that eye-opening take on roofing project management.
The Not-So-Great Stuff
- The fee hurts if the job is tiny. For a stand-alone paint job, I’d skip it.
- She pushed her go-to electrician. He was good, but I wanted a second quote. She brought one after I asked. Next time, I’ll ask sooner.
- One delay was avoidable. A window measure was off by a half inch. It took three days to fix. She owned it. Still, three days is three days.
Real Numbers (So You Can Compare)
- My kitchen + bath job: $38,400 all in.
- Her fee: 12% ($4,608).
- Savings from in-stock materials and fewer change orders: we estimate about $3,200.
- Net pain? Not zero. But my stress dropped a lot, which you can’t put on a spreadsheet.
For an objective breakdown of why a seasoned pro can often pay for themselves, explore the benefits outlined in this construction-focused primer.
Little Things That Mattered
- She kept a spare set of felt pads in her bag. Chair legs didn’t squeak.
- Coffee gift cards for the crew on long demo days. Morale helps.
- A doorbell sign during nap hours for the baby across the hall. Tiny, kind, smart.
Who Should Hire One
- Busy folks who can’t babysit deliveries. If you’re still on the fence, compare my condo tale with this broader homeowner’s recap of when they hired a project manager.
- Anyone with a strict HOA or grumpy elevators.
- Condo boards running shared spaces with lots of eyes.
Maybe skip if you’re changing a faucet or painting one wall. Spend the fee on nicer paint.
Tips If You’re Thinking About It
- Ask for one sample schedule from a past condo job.
- Confirm they’ve handled permits in your city, not just houses.
- Set a weekly update time. Same day, same hour.
- Create one group chat with you, the manager, and the GC. Keep it tidy.
- Do a punch list walk at 90% done. Bring sticky notes and a flashlight.
Still scratching your head about timing? This condo-centric article walks through when to hire and what to expect from a project manager, start to finish.
Final Take
I thought I wanted control. I wanted a quiet life more. A condo project manager gave me that. My kitchen shines. My bath is calm and bright. The lobby looks fresh without being fancy.
Would I hire one again? Yes. Not for every job. But for condo work with rules, neighbors, and tight halls? It’s worth it. Honestly, it felt like having a traffic cop for the messy parts. And I didn’t get a single nasty note on my door. That alone was gold.
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And if you want a peek from the other side of the clipboard, here’s an unfiltered diary from a real-estate project manager who lives this chaos every day.