Skip to main content

Freelancing in property & construction – the pros and cons

Published on: 1 Aug 2016
Category:

    Hub - TMD (Header Image)

    The number of Project Managers, Quantity Surveyors and, increasingly, Design and Technical Managers moving into freelancing is rising fast, this is a phenomenon being seen across many industries, but even more so in this project-based industry. Various economic factors have contributed to the rise in the number of contract vacancies, making freelancing a major current trend in construction staffing.

    Why the rise?

    One reason for this sharp rise in those freelancing within construction could be our recession hangover from 2009. This difficult period resulted in a lack of people entering the industry's white-collar disciplines. With many businesses curbing their recruitment activity during the recession and a general lack of investment in training, there is a well-reported skills gap across middle-management roles and particular disciplines - the roles that would have been filled by aspiring graduates in 2009. This scarcity of professionally qualified permanent candidates for roles means that freelancers filling these skills gaps can command a premium.

    The pros and cons for freelancers

    There are numerous benefits to freelancing, amongst some pitfalls, here are just some of them:

    PRO - Money

    Many staff with the right ‘in-demand’ skills are naturally keen to capitalise on the situation, aware that the current boom time may not last forever. While main contractors or developers with a lot of work in the pipeline may prefer to take on permanent staff, others may look at paying a contractor a day rate in order to obtain the right skilled staff for a short term contract, which works out far more lucratively for those freelance contractors. As an example, realistically quantity surveyors, who are in particularly short supply at the moment, can earn up to 40% more as freelancers. This is a clear pull factor for any professional in any sector.

    Salaries – a snapshot

     

    London

    Home Counties

    Lowest

    Highest

    Average

    Lowest

    Highest

    Average

    Design Manager

    280

    450

    400

    360

    425

    400

    Technical Manager

    380

    450

    400

    360

    425

    400

    Architectural Technician

    150

    180

    165

    140

    160

    150

    Senior Architectural Technician

    180

    220

    200

    170

    200

    180

    Intermediate Surveyor

    300

    350

    330

    280

    320

    300

    Senior Surveyor

    330

    500

    400

    350

    400

    350

    Commercial Manager/Managing Surveyor

    375

    600

    450

    400

    500

    425

    Project Planner

    350

    400

    375

    320

    360

    340

    Senior Planning Manager

    450

    550

    500

    400

    500

    450

    Site Manager

    220

    265

    250

    220

    240

    230

    Senior Site Manager

    250

    280

    265

    240

    260

    250

    Finishing Manager

    220

    260

    240

    200

    240

    220

     

    PRO - Flexibility

    Freelancers also benefit from a large amount of flexibility in not being tied to any individual firm, and the ability to enjoy a variety of different projects, although many contract staff will stay on an individual job until it completes before moving onto the next.

    PRO - Versatility

    This variety can also benefit their CV by demonstrating their versatility, and some professionals, for example QS’s, will then have the freedom to almost cherry-pick projects to work on according to the areas or types of project they would prefer.

    CON - Lack of job security

    However, it's swings and roundabouts, and with the attractive pay-packet comes the cost of a lack of job security. Freelancers will unlikely work all year round with periods of down-time between contracts. They will be the first to leave if there are any serious issues or delays on a project.

    CON - No company package

    In addition, there are none of the benefits associated with employment - no holiday pay, healthcare, sick pay and all other company benefits. The higher risk is reflected by the higher day rates.

    The pros and cons for employees - why hire freelancers?

    You may question the reasons as to why clients want to hire freelancers on short-mid length contracts? Freelancers are a pool of talent that any firm should be open to drawing from. They get access to a unique skill set which may not be available among their permanent staff, without being tied to an annual salary and contract. A client may only need someone for a month in a certain area of a project, however it could be essential expertise in helping a project to move forward and remain on time and on budget.

    PRO – Quality of work

    There is a common misconception that freelancers are not as committed to the end-goal as permanent staff but this myth is old hat. Freelance professionals are keenly aware of the close-knit nature of the construction industry. With reputation being everything, contractors are always careful to ensure that a high quality service is delivered, helping to secure their future work. They also offer extra value on a project by bringing fresh eyes to things where permanent staff may not have the same level of perspective.

    PRO – Cost saving

    Employers can often hesitate because of the high day rates that freelancers currently command but that's a 'false economy' mentality. The true cost of a permanent member of staff goes well beyond the basic salary. Commission, benefits and even obligatory costs such as Employers NI, all inflate the cost of a permanent hire. Similarly, the cost of not filling a skills gap on a project can have consequences far more expensive than the cost of a freelancer on a day rate.

    Aside from providing specialist expertise, freelancers are a practical solution to providing cover for permanent staff or additional resources to push a project across the line.

    No matter where the current wave takes the industry, one thing is undeniable - the rise of freelancers is as unstoppable as the rise of London's skyline.

    Need help finding freelancers or freelance roles?

    TDM have an extensive network of high calibre freelancers who we are in constant touch with. Knowing our clients’ needs and understanding how their businesses work helps us to successfully source contractors with the skills required to get the project to the finish line. We value our candidate relationships equally and understand that their next contract role is as important to them as it is to a permanent candidate. The strength of our candidate relationships mean that not only is our network extensive, it's also of high quality.

    Hub - TMD (Banner)

    ;