About Us and Qualifications

The benefits of hiring OCA

Owners Construction Advocate LLC is a premier construction inspection and consulting firm serving bank clients, individual property owners and as expert witness in construction litigation. Our qualifications are distinguished by deep expertise in commercial, single-family, and multifamily residential construction, as well as site work and utilities infrastructure. With experience as both a General Contractor building for developers and private entities and as a Real Estate Developer overseeing our own projects, we bring a comprehensive understanding of construction processes.

Leadership and Expertise

Our firm’s President, Charles E. Strickland, brings a unique dual perspective to the industry. Before launching his construction career, he spent nine years as a banking executive with First Union Corporation/First Union National Bank, rising to Vice President of the Corporate Banking Group, where he oversaw Charlotte real estate lending, credit analysis, and collateral underwriting.

With 45 years of experience, Mr. Strickland has led the construction of over 4,000 dwellings, including apartment complexes, low-rise and mid-rise condominiums, and single-family residences and related infrastructure improvements. His construction portfolio extends to branch bank buildings, warehouses, conditioned storage and manufacturing facilities, academy schools, office buildings, retail spaces, and extensive land development projects—including roads, stormwater systems, water and sanitary sewer infrastructure. He has conducted over 9,000 construction inspections for both financial institutions and homeowners, ensuring compliance, quality, and financial integrity. The firm currently represents eleven financial institutions in commercial and residential construction lending programs and serves as an Expert Witness in legal construction disputes

Licensing Qualifications

Owners Construction Advocate holds a North Carolina General Contracting License (#81544) with the broadest classification of “Building Contractor.” As detailed by the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors, this license covers all aspects of commercial, industrial, institutional, and residential construction. Additionally, the scope includes site work, grading, paving, storm drainage, structural walls, and specialty classifications such as concrete, masonry, roofing, metal erection, and swimming pool construction.

What We Do

For financial institutions and private lenders, we perform construction loan inspections, ensuring builder draw requests align with actual progress, preventing over-disbursement, and reviewing scheduling and structural integrity.

For homeowners, developers, and investors we provide on-site inspections at critical construction stages—grading, footings, foundation, framing, exterior and interior finishes, final punch lists, site work, and overall quality control. We also verify contractor Applications for Payment to protect clients from excess fund disbursements.

Your Advocate in Construction

At Owners Construction Advocate LLC, we ensure every project meets the highest standards of quality and accountability. Our meticulous inspections pay off for everyone—because we do it right.

We are YOUR ADVOCATE

In order to receive comprehensive and knowledgeable inspection services, you need an expert. Oftentimes you won’t get that in an inspector who has never built a house or building or has built very few. In this case, the home or building is subject to major items being overlooked. You want a qualified construction advocate working alongside you when building.

To learn more about Owner’s Construction Advocate, call 704-575-5154 or send an email to charlie@ownersconstructionadvocate.com.

Contact us

Have a construction project you would like to get an estimate on?
Give us a call at 704.575.5154 or enter your email below.

    Client Reviews

    • "Owners Construction Advocate has performed 14 site inspections for us, all with 100% correct completion for a five star rating. And due to this performance record, we would continue to use Owners Construction Advocate’s inspection services for future orders as they may become available."


      5 STAR REVIEW


      - Trinity Inspection Services LLC
      Dallas, TX

    • "We chose OCA after seeing the quality of their work and how they set expectations for all workmen to perform in compliance with plans, specifications, and schedules. Unless someone is a licensed contractor with a great deal of experience, it is essential to have someone like OCA to oversee the work to make sure it is executed in a professional and timely manner. We could not have overseen our project ourselves without perhaps getting something less than what we paid for. Ours was a relatively small job, but OCA treated it as if it were the most important work on their schedule. We will recommend them to our friends and neighbours, and I would say that when OCA is on the job, builders and subcontractors be advised that accountability for quality and timely work is job one."


      5 STAR REVIEW


      - Fred and Sandy Bright
      Charlotte, NC

    • "I selected OCA due to Charlie’s extensive construction experience and my personal knowledge of his work and ethics. We were living out of town during the construction process and Charlie’s frequent communications and visits to the job site were invaluable in advising us on various issues and providing updates which alleviated stress. Also, he recommended several vendors to use after our original contractor was not able to move forward and in so doing, I was able to save a substantial amount of money. I happened to have had two projects going on at the same time and OCA was indispensable to me in both. At our second home, we hired a contractor to tear out and completely install a new shower. The contractor was not going to test the shower pan for leaks prior to setting the tile and I talked to Charlie about this and he was able to advise that testing for leaks was a must and told me how to handle this. As it was, the new pan did in fact leak and I was able to rectify it prior to the final tile installation that would have covered it up. This saved lots of potential headaches and money. I highly recommend OCA and would use them again."


      5 STAR REVIEW


      - Fred and Gloria Walton
      Charlotte, NC

    • "My husband and I contacted Owners Construction Advocate from an advertisement, and, by the luck of the draw, we got Charlie Strickland to supervise and advocate for our interests in the renovation of our master bath. There were mold issues behind the walls and new fixtures were needed to update the look of our bathrooms and both were taken care of immediately and professionally. With both of us being over 80 years old, this could have been a very stressful endeavor, but the knowledge and care Owners Construction Advocate exhibited on our behalf made it very easy for us. We highly recommend Owners Construction Advocate."


      5 STAR REVIEW


      - Dr. Richard Wing
      Charlotte, NC

    • "I chose OCA because as a developer, I rely on general contractors to create and build my product. Unfortunately, I’d run into a situation with a general contractor that was misappropriating funds and I was left scrambling to finish the project on my own. OCA stepped in and immediately helped me fill in gaps and ultimately finish the project. Charlie’s multiple years in the business and over 4000 homes built were evidenced every time we ran into an issue because odds are, he has seen and dealt with it before. OCA was invaluable in navigating the ins and outs of the permitting process and other county related restrictions and protocols and met with County Building Inspectors and City Engineering Inspectors to approve and remove project holds and went the extra mile to ultimately get us our C/O. It is money well spent. Even the most trustworthy and honest general contractors have their own personal and company interests and agendas. You need someone who is going to advocate for your interests while also working with your contractors in an amicable way that keeps the project moving forward. The value of having someone on your side looking out for your interests is immeasurable. "


      5 STAR REVIEW


      - Shaun Sanders
      Jameston Development & Capital LLC

    • "Owners Construction Advocate was strongly recommended to us by a prior client. One of our greatest benefits was the lowering of our anxiety by having a local expert monitor the process from ground breaking to completion and providing peace of mind when we couldn’t be there (lived out of state in New York). Charlie kept our builder honest with his knowledge and of the building process."


      5 STAR REVIEW


      - John Schlitz and Kim Hicks
      Indian Land, SC

    • "OCA’s sense of timing and sequencing of managing sub-contractors cut wasted time to an absolute minimum. OCA understood all aspects of the project. When there were issues, they had already anticipated them and had options for a solution. I was very pleased at how well thought-out our construction schedule was and so well executed. Their understanding of the technical and construction methods were apparent in their sequencing of subs. In addition, their communication skills -- coupled with construction and technical knowledge -- always putting our interests first, allowing us to achieve the best results. I wouldn’t hesitate to turn to OCA again to assure myself the best result in a seamless and efficiently run project with good value for the money spent."


      5 STAR REVIEW


      - Jim & Terry Huntley
      Charlotte, NC

    • "OCA provides invaluable insight with regard to the costs from initial budgeting to the construction contract and any overruns along the way. The benefits of OCA’s services far exceed the costs. In fact, the money they saved us by catching certain builder errors more than paid for their services and allowed us to feel confident and comfortable throughout the building process. In our case, OCA made periodic visits to the site to visually inspect construction and double check the plans for any possible errors or omissions. This was invaluable to us and OCA did in fact find some corrections along the way that had to be made. OCA would present their findings to the builder who would agree to the same or discuss possible alternative solutions with OCA and then to us. We would have never had a clue as to these "oversights". The process and this team approach worked extremely well. OCA was our advocate, but they were also a team player, with the builder and sub-contractors as well."


      5 STAR REVIEW


      - Bill & Susanne Hawthorne
      Lake Wylie, SC

    • "I’ve had enough experience with residential construction disputes to know that almost all of them would probably have been avoided if there had been early and consistent inspections and communication as the work progressed. Charlie’s been doing high-end residential development and construction in Charlotte since I met him in the early 1990’s, and I know him to be smart, diligent and have the eye for quality and detail that is required."


      5 STAR REVIEW


      - Prominent Attorney in a National Law Firm
      Charlotte, NC

    • "I chose Owners Construction Advocate because of its reputation and I would use them again. Once the design process and estimate were given, I didn’t have anything else to worry about and my schedule was taken into consideration when construction was planned. They were prompt, courteous, knowledgeable and professional, and I would use them again."


      5 STAR REVIEW


      - Dr. Richard Wing
      Charlotte, NC

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