Assembling the Right Project Team: Who You Need and When
Successful property development requires coordinating multiple licensed professionals, each providing specialized expertise under their own professional authority. Understanding who you need, when to engage them, how to define their roles, and how to maintain accountability creates the foundation for effective project execution.
Direct Professional Relationships
Property owners select, retain, and contract directly with each licensed professional for their specific services. No single provider should act as intermediary for all professional services—maintaining direct contracts preserves accountability and legal protections.
Core Team Members and Their Roles
Different projects require different professional combinations, but certain roles appear consistently across property development types.
Real Estate Professionals
Real Estate Brokers and Agents
When needed: Property search, acquisition, future disposition
What they do: Represent buyers or sellers in property transactions under their real estate licenses
Key services: Market analysis, property identification, transaction negotiation, closing coordination
Licensing: State real estate license required for transaction representation
Commercial Real Estate Brokers
When needed: Commercial property acquisition, tenant representation, investment sales
Specialization value: Commercial transaction expertise, market knowledge, tenant and investor networks
Design Professionals
Licensed Architects
When needed: New construction, major renovations, building additions, commercial tenant improvements
What they do: Design buildings, prepare construction documents, coordinate consultants, provide construction administration
Key services: Schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding assistance, construction observation
Licensing: State architecture license required for most commercial and many residential projects
Structural Engineers
When needed: New construction, structural modifications, seismic upgrades, foundation design
What they do: Design structural systems, perform calculations, prepare structural drawings, provide field observation
Licensing: Professional engineer (PE) license required; must seal structural drawings
MEP Engineers (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing)
When needed: Most commercial projects, complex residential systems, major renovations
What they do: Design building systems, perform load calculations, prepare system drawings, specify equipment
Licensing: Professional engineer licenses required; must seal MEP drawings
Civil Engineers
When needed: Site development, grading, drainage, utility design, roadwork
What they do: Design site improvements, prepare grading plans, coordinate utility connections
Licensing: Professional engineer (PE) license required
Land Use and Entitlement Professionals
Land Use Attorneys
When needed: Complex zoning issues, conditional use permits, variances, appeals, municipal negotiations
What they do: Navigate entitlement processes, represent clients before planning commissions and city councils
Licensing: State bar admission required
Land Use Consultants
When needed: Routine planning applications, permit coordination, zoning analysis
What they do: Prepare applications, coordinate with planning departments, manage approval processes
Note: Licensing requirements vary by jurisdiction and service type
Environmental Consultants
When needed: CEQA/NEPA review, wetlands, endangered species, contamination assessment
What they do: Conduct environmental studies, prepare environmental documents, coordinate agency review
Survey and Title Professionals
Land Surveyors
When needed: Property acquisition, boundary verification, ALTA surveys, topographic surveys
What they do: Establish property boundaries, prepare legal descriptions, create survey maps
Licensing: Professional land surveyor (PLS) license required
Title Companies
When needed: Property acquisition, refinancing, understanding encumbrances
What they provide: Title insurance, preliminary title reports, escrow services
Construction Professionals
General Contractors
When needed: Most construction projects requiring coordination of multiple trades
What they do: Execute construction per plans and specifications, coordinate subcontractors, manage schedule and budget
Key responsibilities: Labor, materials, equipment, safety, quality, warranty
Licensing: State contractor license required (e.g., California B-General license)
Specialty Contractors
When needed: Specific trades when not using a general contractor
Examples: Electrical (C-10), plumbing (C-36), HVAC (C-20), roofing (C-39)
Licensing: Trade-specific contractor licenses required
Legal and Financial Professionals
Real Estate Attorneys
When needed: Purchase agreements, complex contracts, entity formation, partnership agreements
What they do: Review and prepare legal documents, provide legal advice, represent clients in transactions
Licensing: State bar admission required
Construction Attorneys
When needed: Contract disputes, mechanic's liens, construction defects, payment issues
Specialization value: Construction law expertise, contractor relationships, dispute resolution experience
Commercial Lenders
When needed: Acquisition financing, construction loans, permanent financing, refinancing
What they provide: Loan products, underwriting, funding, construction draw administration
CPAs and Tax Advisors
When needed: Entity structure, tax planning, cost segregation, 1031 exchanges
What they provide: Tax advice, accounting services, financial planning
Insurance and Risk Professionals
Insurance Brokers and Agents
When needed: Property insurance, liability insurance, builder's risk, professional liability
What they provide: Insurance products, coverage analysis, claims assistance
Public Insurance Adjusters
When needed: Major insurance claims, coverage disputes, damage documentation
What they do: Represent policyholders in insurance claims under their adjuster licenses
Licensing: State public adjuster license required
Engagement Timing and Sequencing
Engaging professionals in the correct sequence prevents rework, delays, and unnecessary costs while ensuring each specialist has the information they need from prior team members.
Typical Professional Engagement Sequence
Phase 1: Pre-Acquisition (if purchasing property)
- • Real estate broker (property identification)
- • Real estate attorney (purchase agreement review)
- • Land surveyor (boundary verification, ALTA survey)
- • Title company (preliminary title report)
- • Environmental consultant (Phase I assessment if required)
- • Land use consultant (zoning verification, entitlement feasibility)
Phase 2: Planning and Entitlements
- • Architect (schematic design)
- • Civil engineer (preliminary site design)
- • Land use consultant or attorney (entitlement applications)
- • Environmental consultant (environmental review if required)
Phase 3: Design Development
- • Architect (design development, construction documents)
- • Structural engineer (structural design)
- • MEP engineers (building systems design)
- • Civil engineer (final site design)
- • Specialty consultants (as needed for project type)
Phase 4: Pre-Construction
- • General contractor (bidding, preconstruction)
- • Commercial lender (construction financing)
- • Insurance broker (builder's risk, liability)
- • Construction attorney (contract review if complex)
Phase 5: Construction
- • General contractor and subcontractors (construction execution)
- • Architect and engineers (construction administration)
- • Testing agencies (materials testing, special inspections)
- • Building department (plan review, inspections)
Defining Scopes and Responsibilities
Clear scope definition prevents gaps, overlaps, and disputes while ensuring each professional understands their specific deliverables and limitations.
- Deliverables: Specific work products, documents, or services to be provided
- Standards: Quality standards, code compliance, industry practices to be followed
- Schedule: Milestone dates, review periods, completion timelines
- Exclusions: Services explicitly not included to prevent scope creep
- Coordination: Interface points with other professionals and required coordination activities
- Changes: Process for modifying scope, authorizing additional services, adjusting fees
- Ownership: Who owns work product, intellectual property, project documents
Avoiding Common Scope Issues
• Site survey vs. property survey (different services)
• Geotechnical investigation (not always included in civil)
• Landscape architecture (separate from architecture)
• Interior design (separate from architecture)
• Cost estimating (not standard architectural service)
• Permit expediting (not standard consultant service)
• Who coordinates between architect and engineers
• Construction observation vs. inspection
• Project management vs. construction administration
• Submittals review (architect, engineer, or both)
• RFI responses (design team coordination)
• Permit applications (consultant vs. owner responsibility)
Contract Structure and Relationships
Direct contracts between owner and each professional create clearer accountability than multi-tier subcontracting arrangements.
- Direct contracts: Owner contracts directly with each key professional (architect, engineers, contractor)
- Standard forms: Use AIA, EJCDC, or other industry-standard contract forms appropriate to service type
- Attorney review: Have real estate or construction attorney review all major contracts before signing
- Insurance requirements: Specify required coverage types and limits for each professional
- Dispute resolution: Include mediation and arbitration provisions appropriate to contract size
- Payment terms: Clear payment schedules, retainage provisions, conditions for payment
- Termination provisions: Conditions and procedures for ending agreements
Communication and Coordination Systems
Effective team performance requires organized communication protocols and accountability for coordinating across multiple independent professionals.
- Regular meetings: Scheduled coordination meetings with all key team members
- Meeting agendas: Advance agendas ensuring all parties come prepared
- Meeting minutes: Documented decisions, action items, responsibilities, and deadlines
- RFI procedures: Formal request for information processes with response timelines
- Submittal logs: Tracking submittals from contractor through design team review
- Change order process: Clear procedures for evaluating and approving changes
- Document control: Current drawing sets, specification versions, approved submittals
- Communication protocols: Who contacts whom about what types of issues
The Role of Project Advisory
Project advisors coordinate and facilitate communication between all team members without replacing the licensed professionals' specific expertise and regulated services.
Advisory Support Functions
- • Helping identify and vet qualified professionals for owner interviews
- • Coordinating meeting schedules across multiple participants
- • Distributing information and documents to appropriate team members
- • Tracking action items and following up on commitments
- • Maintaining project documentation and communication records
- • Escalating issues requiring owner attention or decision
- • Facilitating coordination between independent professionals
- • Monitoring that all team members fulfill their contractual obligations
Project advisors work for the owner to help coordinate the team, but do not replace architects, engineers, contractors, attorneys, or other licensed professionals who must provide their specialized services under their own professional authority.
Need Help Assembling Your Project Team?
Have a complicated property or development project that needs focused, start-to-finish attention? Call or text Justin at 760-760-TROY, or use the website chat, to discuss whether Troy Pro's one-project-at-a-time advisory model is the right fit.
Troy Pro provides project advisory and coordination services. When a project requires licensed contracting, brokerage, architectural, engineering, legal, insurance, public-adjusting, or other regulated services, the client selects, retains, and contracts directly with the appropriate licensed independent professionals.