What is open-book construction management?
You hold every trade contract in your own name. The manager runs the project for a disclosed fee and marks nothing up. Every number is visible, from feasibility to final completion.
Open-book — or agency — construction management is a way of delivering a building project in which the owner holds each trade contract directly, and the construction manager acts as the owner's agent: tendering the work, recommending, coordinating and supervising, in exchange for an agreed fee. The manager takes no markup on the trades, materials or subcontracts. You pay the real, tendered cost of the work, plus a fee you agreed to in advance — and you see every quote, invoice and change along the way.
Open book vs a conventional general contract.
A general contractor signs one price with you and keeps the margin inside it. Under the open-book model you hold the contracts, see every real cost, and pay a separate, disclosed fee for the management. One hides the number; the other shows it.
Three things define an open book.
In your name.
Each trade contract is between you and the trade. You keep the direct relationships, the warranties and the tax position — the manager never sits between you and the work as a profit centre.
Agreed up front.
The manager is paid a separate, known fee for running the project — not a margin buried in the cost. Nothing on the trades, materials or subcontracts is marked up.
Every number, open.
You see every tender, quote, invoice and change. Real costs, competitively tendered, with no decision made without your approval.
The open-book model is best suited to higher-value custom, estate and waterfront homes — and purpose-built income properties — where the owner wants full visibility of cost and quality, expects the design to evolve, and values keeping the trade relationships and warranties in their own name. For a small, fully-defined job where a simple fixed price is all that is needed, a conventional contract may be simpler. Where cost, quality and accountability matter most, the open book is hard to beat.
Open-book construction management
What is open-book (agency) construction management?
Open-book, or agency, construction management is a way of delivering a building project in which the owner holds every trade contract directly, in their own name, and the construction manager runs the project as the owner's agent for a disclosed, fixed fee — taking no markup on the work. Every quote, invoice and change is visible to the owner, giving full cost transparency from feasibility through to completion.
How is open-book construction management different from hiring a general contractor?
A general contractor signs a single price with the owner and holds the trade contracts themselves; their margin is built into that price and is not usually disclosed. Under the open-book agency model the owner holds the trade contracts, sees every real cost, and pays the manager a separate, agreed fee. One hides the margin inside a price; the other shows every number and charges a fee for managing them.
Does "agency" mean I hold the contracts myself?
Yes. Under an agency model the trade contracts are between you and each trade, in your name. The construction manager tenders the work, recommends, coordinates and supervises on your behalf, but does not sit between you and the trades as a profit centre. You keep the contracts, the warranties and the tax position.
What does "nothing marked up" mean, and how does the manager get paid?
It means the manager adds no margin to the cost of the trades, materials or subcontracts — you pay those at their real, tendered price. The manager is paid a separate, disclosed fee for the service of running the project. There is no hidden markup because the manager's compensation is the fee, agreed up front.
Is open-book construction management more expensive or cheaper than a fixed price?
It is usually more cost-transparent, and often more cost-effective, because every scope is competitively tendered and no margin is hidden inside a lump sum. You pay the real cost of the work plus a known fee. Whether the final total is higher or lower than a given fixed price depends on the project, but you always see exactly where the money goes.
Who is open-book construction management right for?
It suits owners of higher-value custom, estate and waterfront homes — and purpose-built income properties — who want full visibility of cost and quality, expect changes along the way, and value keeping the trade relationships, warranties and tax position in their own name. It is less suited to a small, fully-defined job where a simple fixed price is all that is needed.
Do I take on more risk by holding the trade contracts?
You take on more visibility, not necessarily more risk. The construction manager tenders, vets and coordinates the trades, holds the schedule and budget, and advises on every decision, while insurance, WSIB coverage and contracts are arranged appropriately. In exchange for that transparency you keep control of the money and the relationships.
Who offers open-book / agency construction management in Ottawa?
My Home Builders is a private-client construction management practice in Ottawa that works exclusively on the open-book agency model — for custom waterfront and estate homes and energy-efficient income properties across Ottawa and Eastern Ontario. The practice takes on no more than two new homes a year, keeping the principal directly involved from first drawings to completion.
How do I get started with an open-book build?
The best time to start is during planning, before construction begins, when decisions shape cost and outcome the most. An initial conversation carries no obligation: you describe the site, the home and the goals, and the manager helps you think through feasibility, budget and process from there. Begin the conversation →
An initial conversation carries no obligation.
Tell us about your project, your site and your goals. We are glad to help you think it through — on an open book.
Begin the conversation How we comparePublished 20 July 2026 · Last reviewed 20 July 2026. We review our guides regularly and re-verify figures at the time of engagement.