Under this delivery method, the CM acts as an extension of the owner's staff and manages the work of all prime contractors who have direct contracts with the owner. An agency CM typically does not self-perform trade labor work on the project. This is the preeminent CM delivery method for public sector work.

This arrangement is used most often in the private sector, and combines the responsibilities of Agency CM with financial risk for the construction cost of the project. In this case, the CM prepares a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) at some point prior to the start of work. In this delivery system the trade contractors may have direct contracts with the CM or the owner depending on the terms of the Owner/CM agreement.

This is essentially “Agency CM” except that it provides the CM with the opportunity to submit a bid for portions of the work. If the CM is awarded the bid, then it will be allowed to perform that work under a separate contract with the owner. This method provides an advantage in schedule and quality control, but is sometimes perceived as creating a conflict of interest in instances where the CM is evaluating the performance, change order requests, or quotations for its own trade contracts. CM as Constructor is not always perceived as a separate and distinct delivery method from Agency CM, but it is contractually very different. While this form has not gained wide acceptance in the public sector, increasing numbers of owners are discovering this is a viable and effective method once the competitive aspects are understood.