Executive Assistant Service Plans for Construction Executives
Executive assistant service plans are the structured offerings that managed virtual executive assistant providers use to define what the executive receives at each price point. Understanding what different service plans include and how to select the right one for a construction executive’s specific needs prevents both over-paying for unused capacity and under-investing in support that is genuinely needed.
The Standard Plan Structure
Most managed executive assistant service providers offer plans organized around three to four primary tiers. While naming conventions vary across providers, the structure is fairly consistent.
Entry or Starter Plans
Typically include 40 to 60 hours of monthly support (10 to 15 hours per week). Pricing: $800 to $1,500 monthly.
These plans suit construction executives with light, episodic support needs: basic calendar management, occasional email assistance, and specific project-based tasks on a regular but not intensive basis.
Entry plans often use shared assistant models rather than dedicated assignment. This limits institutional knowledge development. For construction executives who need consistent ongoing support, shared models deliver lower value than they appear.
Best for: Early-stage construction firms, executives exploring delegation for the first time, or those supplementing existing in-house support.
Core or Professional Plans
Typically include 80 to 160 hours of monthly support (20 to 40 hours per week). Pricing: $1,800 to $4,500 monthly.
The most commonly selected tier for construction executives with genuine, ongoing support needs. At 30 to 40 hours per week, a dedicated assistant handles the full range of CEO support tasks: calendar, email, travel, research, meeting prep, document management, and stakeholder communication.
This tier should offer dedicated assignment (same assistant for each client). Confirm this explicitly when evaluating providers.
Best for: Construction CEOs managing three or more active projects with active business development, investor/board relationships, or complex stakeholder coordination.
Full-Time or Executive Plans
Typically include 160 to 175 hours of monthly support (40 hours per week). Pricing: $3,500 to $7,000 monthly for US-based dedicated assistants.
Full-time service plans for construction executives with high, consistent support needs. At full-time hours, the assistant provides the coverage and context depth that matches or approaches an in-house employee.
Best for: Construction CEOs at firms with $30M+ revenue managing complex multi-project portfolios, active board or investor relationships, and extensive external stakeholder coordination.
Premium or Elite Plans
Full-time hours with the highest quality standards: most experienced assistants in the provider’s network, more intensive onboarding, active account management, and white-glove service standards. Pricing: $6,000 to $12,000 monthly.
Best for: Construction CEOs at large, complex firms where the quality of executive representation and confidentiality standards is particularly high.
What Plans Typically Include
Service plans should clearly specify what is included. When evaluating plans, look for explicit definition of:
Task categories included: Calendar management, email management, travel, research, document preparation, stakeholder communication. Are all of these included at every tier, or do some require add-ons?
Assistant dedication: Is the assistant at this tier dedicated exclusively to one client, or shared? Dedicated assignment should be explicitly stated, not assumed.
Response time standards: How quickly does the assistant respond to tasks and communications? Better plans have faster guaranteed response times.
Communication channel access: Can you reach the assistant by phone, email, and messaging? What are the hours of availability?
Backup coverage: What happens during assistant unavailability? Is backup coverage included or an add-on?
Account management: Is there a dedicated account manager or client success contact? How accessible are they?
Onboarding: What onboarding is included in the plan? How thorough is the intake process?
Overage policy: What is the overage rate when the plan hours are exceeded?
Common Plan Pitfalls to Avoid
Shared Models Presented as Dedicated
Some providers offer plans that appear dedicated but are actually shared. The language “your primary assistant” does not mean dedicated; it means you have a preferred assistant who may support other clients simultaneously.
Ask directly: “At this plan tier, does my assigned assistant work exclusively for my account during their working hours?” If the answer is not a clear “yes,” the model is not truly dedicated.
Aggressive Overage Rates
Plans priced attractively at base level sometimes include overage rates of 40 to 100 percent above the blended plan rate. Construction executives with variable demand (active months versus quieter months) can find that actual costs significantly exceed plan pricing.
Review overage rates carefully. Providers with overage rates above 25 to 30 percent above the plan’s effective hourly rate are using aggressive pricing to upsell.
Unused Hours Without Rollover
Most plans operate on a use-it-or-lose-it basis monthly. For construction executives with variable demand, consistently unused hours represent wasted budget. Plans that allow partial rollover or flexible deployment within a monthly bucket are more efficient.
Ask: “If I don’t use all my plan hours in a month, do they roll over?”
Short Contract Minimums Followed by Long Commitment Upgrade Pressure
Some providers offer attractive monthly entry terms but apply pressure to move to annual commitments quickly after the initial relationship is established. Annual commitments increase switching cost and reduce flexibility.
Negotiate for monthly commitment terms if possible, particularly in the first 60 to 90 days of a new provider relationship.
Scaling Plans Over Time
Construction firm support needs evolve. As the firm grows, as the CEO’s portfolio expands, and as the executive assistant relationship matures, the right plan tier changes.
Plan for a formal tier review every six months. Assess:
Are you consistently consuming all available hours? Are there tasks you are still handling personally that you would prefer to delegate? Has the firm added new projects, stakeholders, or functions that require more coordination support?
If yes to any of these, moving up a tier is likely warranted. Conversely, if you are consistently using less than 70 percent of your plan hours, a lower tier may be more appropriate.
See construction EA need signs to determine the right support level for your firm’s stage.
According to Forbes on subscriptions, executives who regularly review and adjust their service plans report higher satisfaction than those who remain in initial plans indefinitely.
See construction EA pricing guide for the full pricing landscape.
Negotiating Plan Terms
Construction executives have more negotiating leverage with service plan terms than they may realize.
Volume commitments: If you are confident in your ongoing needs, committing to annual terms in exchange for a 10 to 15 percent pricing discount is often worthwhile.
Custom plan configurations: If standard tiers do not match your needs precisely, many providers will customize a plan. Requesting a specific hours commitment at a custom price point is reasonable, particularly for higher-volume clients.
First month pricing: Many providers will discount the first month of a new engagement as part of the trial period or new client incentive. This is worth requesting explicitly.
Conclusion
Executive assistant service plans for construction executives range from entry-level shared models at $800 to $1,500 monthly to premium dedicated full-time plans at $6,000 to $12,000 monthly. The right plan for most construction executives is a dedicated core or professional tier at $2,500 to $4,500 monthly, providing sufficient hours for comprehensive CEO support with dedicated institutional knowledge development. Evaluating plans carefully for dedicated assignment, clear task inclusions, fair overage terms, and flexible commitment structure ensures the plan structure supports the relationship’s long-term value rather than undermining it.
Related Reading
For further context, explore Executive Assistant Service Plans for Automotive Executives and Executive Assistant Service Plans for Consulting Executives.