Owner's Representative Services in South Florida

What does an owner's representative do in South Florida?

An owner’s representative in South Florida is the one person on a custom home or renovation project who works only for the owner: reviewing the contract, checking the work against what was agreed, approving or refusing change orders, and verifying every draw request before money moves.

At Kass Construction & Development the role is held by Mitchell Kass, a Florida Certified General Contractor since 2006 (active license CGC1529472), a Florida Licensed Real Estate Professional (License SL334544) and a member of the Florida Bar (#784583, J.D. University of Miami). Those are the three seats usually filled by three different advisers who answer to no one in particular. Here they sit with one accountable party, on your side of the table.

Need an owner’s representative on a South Florida build? Kass Construction & Development, Florida Certified General Contractor CGC1529472, has delivered 100+ luxury residences across Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade. Call 954-607-4335 or request a consultation.

Why do owners hire a representative?

Owners hire a representative because, on most custom projects, they are the only person at the table without a professional in their corner. The contractor has a superintendent, the architect has a project manager and the lender has an inspector. The owner has evenings and weekends.

Change orders arrive priced and already half-built, and get approved because stopping costs more.
The schedule slips a week at a time and nobody owns the cumulative number.
Allowances are set low to win the bid, then spent at retail.
Draw requests get approved against a percentage, not against what is actually finished.
The contract is never read again after signing, until there is a dispute.

How does an owner's representation engagement work?

An engagement runs in four stages, and the earlier it starts the more leverage the owner keeps. Before the construction contract is signed, the allowances, the schedule terms and the change-order language are still negotiable; after it, they are not.

1. A conversation about where the project is

Before contract, mid-build, or already in trouble. The answer decides what is worth doing and what is too late to fix, and it is discussed plainly before any fee is proposed.

Where the project stands today
What has been signed and what has not
Whether representation is worth it on this project at all

2. Document review

Contract, plans, bid, schedule and allowances are read end to end, with the risks listed in writing and priced where they can be priced.

Bids compared line by line, not by bottom line
Allowances tested against real South Florida pricing
Change-order and schedule terms flagged before signing

3. A scope and a fee, in writing

What is covered, how often you hear from us and what falls outside, agreed before any work starts. Fees are set against your actual project, not a range on a web page, which is why cost is the first thing discussed rather than the last.

4. Active representation through closeout

Site visits and written reports on a set rhythm, change orders reviewed before they are approved, draws verified against completed work, and at the end a punch list run to done, lien releases collected, and warranties and as-builts in your hands.

What does representation cover during construction?

During construction the representative’s job is to make sure what is being paid for is what is being built, on the schedule that was agreed. In practice that means:

Site visits on a fixed cadence, with a written report after each one
Change-order review before approval, including whether the change was avoidable
Draw verification against completed work, not against a percentage on a schedule
Schedule tracking with the cumulative slip stated in plain numbers
Permits and coastal review: flood zone, elevation certificates and the county review path, handled as part of the job

How does an owner's representative protect cost, schedule and quality?

An owner’s representative protects cost, schedule and quality by sitting on the opposite side of every change order from the builder. A general contractor is paid from the construction budget; the representative is paid by you and has no financial interest in that budget growing.

Cost: allowances checked against real pricing, change orders challenged, draws tied to finished work
Schedule: one running number for the total slip, so a week here and a week there never becomes a quiet quarter
Quality: work inspected against the plans by someone who has built enough to know what the answer should have been

When should you bring in an owner's representative?

Before the construction contract is signed, if you have the choice. That is when the allowances, the schedule terms and the change-order language can still be negotiated. Mid-build engagements are common and still worth doing, but the leverage is smaller. Owners who are out of state, out of the country, or simply not able to be on site weekly are the ones who benefit most.

Why this particular representative?

Three licenses that are usually held by three different people, held by one accountable party:

Florida Certified General Contractor since 2006 (active license CGC1529472), so the construction is judged by someone who builds
Florida Licensed Real Estate Professional | License SL334544, so the property side is read correctly
Florida Bar #784583, J.D. University of Miami, so the contract is read the way a lawyer reads it
100+ homes attributed to Mitchell Kass and the firms he has led across Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade

Every number above is a public record.

Check them yourself: the contractor license on the Florida DBPR license register, the Bar number on the Florida Bar member directory.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an owner's representative?

Someone you hire to manage the project on your behalf: reviewing the contract, checking the work against what was agreed, approving or refusing change orders and verifying draw requests. They work for you, not for the builder, and have no financial interest in the construction budget growing.

How is an owner's representative different from a general contractor?

A general contractor builds the project and is paid from the construction budget. An owner's representative oversees the people building it and is paid by you. The two roles sit on opposite sides of every change order.

How much does an owner's representative cost?

Usually a percentage of construction cost or a monthly fee for the duration, set by the size and length of the project. The honest way to answer it is against your actual numbers rather than a range on a web page, so it is the first thing discussed.

Do I still need an attorney if I have an owner's representative?

For the contract itself, yes. An owner's representative is not your counsel on the transaction. What the role adds is someone reading the same documents with construction experience, who will be on site afterwards to see whether they were followed.

Related Guides: Owner's Representation

Go deeper on the questions owners ask most, each answered in its own guide:

Bring someone to the table

One conversation is usually enough to tell whether representation is worth it on your project. If it is not, you will be told that.

If you are planning a custom build, a waterfront project or a high-end renovation in Broward, Palm Beach or Miami-Dade and want someone on your side of the table, start with a conversation.

Kass Construction & Development

East Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Serving Broward • Palm Beach • Miami-Dade

Licensed Builder. Licensed Real Estate Professional. Florida Bar. One Accountable Party.

Owner's Representation: Common Questions

When is it too late to bring one in?
It is never too late to add oversight, but the leverage drops sharply once the construction contract is signed. Before signature is best; mid-build is still worth it.

Does the representative replace the builder’s project manager?
No. The builder’s project manager works for the builder. The representative works for you. Both are on the project; only one answers to you.

Can you represent me on a project Kass is not building?
Yes. Representation on a project built by another contractor is the normal case, not the exception.