Employees involved in construction project management can be assigned to a variety of classifications. When construction project management employees are employed by a construction industry contractor, they are often engaged in supervising construction operations and are assigned to their employer’s governing classification as defined in the California Workers’ Compensation Uniform Statistical Reporting Plan—1995 (USRP), at Part 3, Standard Classification System, Section IV, Special Industry Classification Procedures, Rule 2, Construction or Erection Work, paragraph b:

However, these employees may qualify for assignment to Classification 5606, Contractors – construction or erection – executive level supervisors. The requirements for assigning Classification 5606 are listed in the USRP at Part 3, Section IV, Rule 2d, Executive Level Supervisors. Classification 5606 applies to project managers whose duties include supervising construction operations or walking through a construction site during the construction phase, provided the employer retains two levels of supervision over the construction crew(s) or where all operations have been subcontracted to licensed subcontractors.

Some employees titled as construction project managers and employed by a contractor do not have duties that include supervising construction operations or walking through a construction site during the construction phase. For example, they may be responsible for managing the budget or schedule of a project, but not supervising or managing the workers on the project. In many cases such employees have duties that are consistent with Classification 8742(1), Salespersons – Outside, or Classification 8810(1), Clerical Office Employees.

Some construction project managers are not employed by construction industry contractors, but work for fee-based construction management companies. Fee-based construction management companies that do not engage in or perform supervision over construction operations, but serve as an intermediary between the general contractor and project owner or otherwise provide expertise regarding a construction project, are classified as 8601(1), Engineers – consulting. 

More Classification Resources

Classifying Construction Supervision
Classification Search
Classification Information
Online Guide to Workers' Compensation: The Standard Classification System
California Workers’ Compensation Uniform Statistical Reporting Plan—1995

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