Commercial project management in Miami

What project management means when we do it

On a project management engagement we run the job day to day for you. That goes beyond oversight. We build and maintain the master schedule, manage the architect and engineers, run the bid process, coordinate the contractor and every owner-direct vendor (furniture, IT cabling, security, audio-visual, signage, movers), keep the permit file moving and drive the project to the day you open the doors.

The difference from our owner’s representation service is mostly one of depth. An owner’s rep watches the team on your behalf. A project manager is the person the team calls with questions, the one coordinating deliveries, booking freight elevators and making sure the landlord’s building engineer is ready for the fire alarm test. Many clients start with one and shift to the other as the project moves along.

Our principal, Sal DiBenedetto, holds a Florida Certified General Contractor license and a Florida plumbing contractor license. We manage projects with a builder’s sense of how work is sequenced and where it goes wrong.

Project types and what drives each one

The 50 percent rule and older Miami buildings

For buildings in flood zones, federal floodplain rules adopted by local governments say that when improvements or repairs reach 50 percent of the structure’s market value, the building generally has to be brought into compliance with current flood requirements. That can mean elevating, flood-proofing or substantially redesigning a ground floor, which is a very different project from the one you planned.

The details matter. Municipalities differ in how they measure market value, what costs count, and whether improvements are added up over a period of years. Some buildings also have exemptions or historic status that changes the analysis. Before a major renovation in Miami Beach or another low-lying area, we work with your architect to estimate where the project lands against the threshold and confirm the approach with the building official. Getting this wrong after permits are filed is expensive.

Building a Miami project budget

Most budget surprises come from categories nobody listed at the start. We build every budget from the same template so nothing is missing.

We update the budget at every design milestone and after bids, so you know the real number before you commit.

How a typical Miami project is sequenced

Every job is different, but most commercial projects move through the same stages. Here is what drives the length of each one in Miami.

Overlapping stages is where we save the most time. Ordering long-lead items before permits are issued, or starting landlord review while engineering is finished, can take weeks off a schedule if it is done carefully.

Scheduling around the Miami calendar

A few local patterns affect how we plan construction in Miami-Dade.

• Summer rain. Afternoon storms are routine in the wet season. Roofing, concrete pours and exterior work are planned for mornings, and schedules carry weather days.
• Hurricane season. Projects with open roofs or exterior openings during storm months need a plan to secure the site and a schedule that gets the building closed in.
• Opening seasons. Retail and restaurant clients often want to open before the winter season and events such as Art Basel Miami Beach. Working backward from that date sets permit and order deadlines.
• Holidays and inspections. Building departments slow down around holidays. We avoid planning critical inspections for those weeks.

Coordinating owner vendors

On most build-outs, a large part of the work is not in the general contractor’s contract. Furniture, IT cabling, access control, cameras, audio-visual systems, signage, kitchen equipment, racking and movers are often hired directly by the owner. Each one needs drawings, deliveries, access to the space and coordination with the contractor’s work.

We put every vendor on the master schedule, coordinate pathways and power with the electrical design, make sure blocking is in the walls for screens and equipment before drywall closes, and book loading docks and elevators for deliveries. Most opening-day problems, such as dead network drops, missing door hardware or furniture that does not fit, come from gaps between vendors. Closing those gaps is a big part of the job.

Notes by Miami submarket

In Brickell and Downtown, tower rules and freight access shape the schedule more than the work itself. Wynwood projects often involve older warehouse buildings converted to restaurants, offices and retail, which brings upgrades to electrical service, restrooms and fire protection. Design District retail work follows strict landlord design standards and tight delivery windows. Coral Gables requires design review for exterior changes, and Doral projects are often warehouse fit-outs where fire protection and racking approvals drive the timeline.

Closeout and turnover

A project is not done when the contractor leaves. We run closeout to a checklist so you can actually operate:

• Final inspections passed and certificate of occupancy or completion issued.
• Certificate of use and local business tax receipt in place where required.
• Fire alarm monitoring active and sprinkler certifications on file.
• Warranties, operation manuals and as-built drawings delivered.
• Spare materials (extra tile, ceiling tile, paint) labeled and stored.
• Staff trained on HVAC controls, access systems and equipment.
• Final lien releases collected and final payment made.

What we check on the first walk-through

The first visit to a space tells us most of what will drive cost and schedule. We look at the building with the eye of a contractor who has to price it.

• Electrical. Panel capacity, available service from the building, condition of existing wiring and whether a new transformer or meter is needed.
• HVAC. Age, tonnage and zoning of existing units, condenser locations, ductwork condition and how outside air is provided.
• Plumbing. Location of waste stacks and water risers, restroom counts against the planned occupancy, water heater capacity and backflow devices.
• Fire and life safety. Sprinkler coverage and design, fire alarm system type, exit paths and stair access.
• Structure and envelope. Slab condition, roof age and leaks, window and storefront ratings, signs of water intrusion.
• Accessibility. Entrance, restrooms, counters and paths of travel, which often need upgrades when a space is altered.

We write up what we find with photos and rough cost implications, so leasing or purchase decisions are made with real information.

Plumbing-heavy projects

Medical and dental offices, restaurants, salons, labs and fitness centers all depend on plumbing, and plumbing is where many Miami build-outs run into trouble. Floors may need to be cut for new drain lines, and in towers that can mean coordinating with the tenant below. Grease interceptors have to be sized and located where they can be serviced. Backflow prevention devices are required on many connections and need periodic testing. Older buildings may have cast iron lines that are near the end of their life.

Our principal holds a Florida plumbing contractor license in addition to his general contractor license, so we look at these systems closely during due diligence and design, not after demolition reveals a problem.

A hypothetical example: warehouse fit-out in Doral

This scenario is hypothetical and for illustration only. A distribution company leases a warehouse near the airport and needs to install high racking, add office space and bring in power for electric forklifts, with a firm start date for operations.

We would begin by confirming what the building’s existing sprinkler system can support for the planned storage height and commodities, since that answer drives the racking design. We would coordinate the racking supplier, fire protection engineer and electrician so the racking permit, any sprinkler changes and the new electrical service move together. Office construction would run in parallel. We would book dock equipment installation, set up the fire inspections, and line up the certificate of use so operations could begin on schedule.

Common project management mistakes

• Signing a lease or purchase contract before anyone has walked the space with a contractor.
• Letting design start before the budget and program are agreed.
• Submitting incomplete permit drawings to save time, then losing more time in review comments.
• Ordering furniture and equipment after construction starts, so they arrive late.
• Forgetting about the landlord’s approval and construction rules until the contractor is ready to mobilize.
• Treating closeout as an afterthought, delaying the certificate of occupancy and the allowance payment.

Fees and how to engage us

Project management is usually priced as a percentage of total project cost, a fixed fee for a defined scope or a monthly fee for longer projects. We agree on scope and fees in writing before starting. We are on your side of the table and are not the contractor on the projects we manage.

Send us your lease or contract, any drawings you have, your target date and a rough budget. Call or text 239-256-5005, email info@diberealestate.com or use the contact page. You can also read our general project management page or, if you are still looking for space, see Miami tenant representation.

Renovating an occupied apartment building

Investors who buy older Miami multifamily buildings often plan to renovate units as they turn over and upgrade common areas, roofs and building systems while residents stay in place. That kind of project needs a different plan from a vacant building.

We set up a unit turn process with a standard scope, a fixed price per unit type where possible and a target number of days from move-out to ready. Building-wide work, such as new roofing, window replacement, electrical service upgrades or plumbing repipes, is phased so residents keep water, power and access, with written notices well in advance. We coordinate with the property manager so leasing knows exactly when renovated units will be available. Throughout, we track cumulative improvement costs against flood rules where the building sits in a flood zone, so a series of small projects does not unexpectedly add up to a requirement to bring the whole building up to current standards. Landlord-tenant obligations to residents are a legal matter; your attorney and property manager should confirm notice requirements.

Medical and dental build-outs

Healthcare spaces bring requirements that ordinary office work does not. Exam rooms need sinks and often dedicated circuits. Imaging equipment can require shielding, structural review and specific power. Dental suites need compressed air, vacuum and plumbing at each chair, which means floor work and careful coordination with the space below. Accessibility requirements are applied closely. Some uses also need state or agency approvals in addition to the building permit.

We bring the equipment vendor into design early so rough-ins are in the right places, and we sequence inspections so specialty systems are tested before ceilings close. Medical tenants considering space in Coral Gables, Doral or near hospital campuses can start with a site visit so we can tell them what a given space will take to convert.

Repositioning a building for lease or sale

Owners sometimes need a building made ready for new tenants or buyers rather than a specific user. Typical work includes lobby and corridor upgrades, restroom renovations, new storefronts, roof and HVAC replacement and white-box suites that can be leased quickly. We help decide which upgrades are worth the money based on what tenants and buyers in that submarket actually pay for, working alongside our investment sales and leasing teams.

Permit submittals that get through review

Review comments are the most common reason a Miami project loses time before construction even starts. Every round of comments means revised drawings, a resubmittal and another wait in the queue. Most comments are avoidable.

Before anything is filed, we check the submittal against the municipality’s own checklist, confirm that product approvals for hurricane-rated items are attached, make sure fire sprinkler and alarm drawings are coordinated with the architectural plans, and verify that the owner’s and landlord’s authorizations are signed. Where a project needs separate reviews (fire, health, environmental, utilities), we track each one on its own line so a single missing sign-off does not hold the whole permit.

When comments do come back, we sort them by discipline, assign each to the right consultant with a deadline, and review responses before resubmittal so the next round is the last. On some projects, a pre-application meeting with the building department or the use of a private provider for review and inspections can save time; we weigh those options early, before the design is locked. Rules and procedures change, so we confirm current requirements with each department for every job.

Projects in more than one city

Some clients open in Miami while also building out space in Fort Lauderdale, Southwest Florida or New York. We can run those projects under one schedule and one reporting format, so leadership sees a single picture. See Fort Lauderdale project management for our work in Broward County.

Repair projects that come out of a building inspection report

Older buildings in Miami-Dade go through periodic structural and electrical recertification, and Florida now requires milestone inspections for many condominium and cooperative buildings. When an engineer’s report comes back with a list of required repairs, the owner or association suddenly has a construction project with a deadline attached.

These jobs are different from a fit-out. The scope is set by the engineer’s findings, the work is often concrete and balcony repair, railings, facade or electrical upgrades, and residents or tenants usually stay in the building. We help turn the report into a bid package contractors can price the same way, keep the engineer involved through construction, and track the repairs against whatever filing dates apply. Requirements and deadlines have changed in recent years and differ by building type, so confirm the current rules with your engineer and the building department.

Associations considering this work should also see our owner’s representation page, which covers board-side issues.

Punch lists and the first year after turnover

A project is not done when the space opens. The punch list, the small items still wrong or unfinished, can drag on for months if nobody owns it. We walk the space with the contractor and the owner, write one list with photos and locations, and hold back money until each item is closed.

• Collect warranties, product approvals and operation manuals before final payment.
• Set calendar reminders for warranty walk-throughs before the warranty period ends.
• Log any leaks after the first heavy rains of the wet season; that is when roof and window problems show up.
• Keep as-built drawings for the next tenant or buyer.

This follow-through matters for an owner planning to lease or sell later, since a buyer’s inspector will ask for the same papers. Our investment sales team sees that from the other side, and Doral warehouse owners in particular benefit from tight closeout records.