Building remediation can be a significant cost and disruption to an apartment building for the owners, tenants, and strata managers. Is your project manager or engineer guiding you toward cost-effective solutions or leading you into a never-ending spiral of economic loss?

A good remediation specialist should know how to minimise costs—not keep “discovering” new expenses along the way.

Before you hire a project manager or engineer to oversee your remediation project, watch out for these red flags:

❌ They charge you before they even show up and won’t provide a quote → If an engineer won’t even look at your property without a fee or refuses to give an upfront estimate, think twice. Transparency is key!

❌ They charge a % of the project cost → If they get paid more when your costs increase, where’s the incentive to save you money? Flat fees are the only way to go for fair project management in the remediation space.

❌ They have no clear project methodology → If they can’t show you their system for managing scope, tenders, and variations, they’re likely making it up as they go—at your expense.

❌ They’re affiliated with a builder or another linked business → Are they really working in your best interest, or just feeding work to their mates? Always check for independence and a transparent tendering process.

❌ They have no local business or knowledge → Every state has a gauntlet of legislation to navigate. If your project manager lacks local expertise, you could be in for major compliance headaches and costly delays.

A great project manager should protect your interests—in communication, complexity, liability, and, of course, cost. Don’t settle for less!

Have you encountered any of these red flags before? Drop your thoughts below.