Design-build turns the traditional building process into a streamlined construction project.
The design and construction process
| Traditional Building Method | Design-Build Construction |
| Conceptual Design | Conceptual Design |
| Initial Drawings | Price Established |
| Architect and Engineer Detailed Drawings | Architect and Engineer Detailed Drawings based on approved and cost-based plans |
| Bids From Construction Companies | Permit(s) Pulled |
| Price Established | Interior Design |
| Potential redesign to fit budget (back to the start of the design process) | Project Management |
| Bid accepted | Construction |
| Construction | Punch List |
The role of the homeowner
Traditional Building
- The homeowner must choose, manage, and have contracts with both the design team and the construction team.
- The homeowner is the communication point between the design team and the construction team.
- The homeowner must manage the project to ensure the plans are completed to the design concept.
- The homeowner must manage the construction costs and scheduling of trades/contractors.
Design-Build
- The homeowner chooses a design-build firm and establishes a budget and concept.
- The homeowner is assigned a Project Consultant, Drafter, Conceptual Designer, Estimator, Interior Designer and Project Manager
- The homeowner enjoys watching their dream home building project being fully managed and completed by one team.
| Key differences | Traditional | Design-Build |
| Designed to budget | No | Yes |
| Easy Design Changes | No | Yes |
| Single design and construction contract | No | Yes |
| Quick and simple design and duild Process | No | Yes |
| Whole project managed | No | Yes |
Benefits of the Design-Build process
It’s quicker:
- The project price is established early in the process—your home will be designed to fit your budget eliminating the need for time consuming redesigns.
- The simplified process eliminates unnecessary tasks.
It’s more cost effective:
-Working to a defined budget from the concept phase often results in significant cost-savings.
-Design-build teams have established processes from concept to completion, making the project faster and more cost-efficient.
It’s less stressful:
-The design-build team manages all aspects of the build process removing the project management role from the homeowner.
-The homeowner only needs to work with one business making communication much easier.
-The simplified process establishes costs early on so the homeowner doesn’t need to worry about spiraling construction expenses.
