When it’s time to start your building project, the key members of your project team – your designer and your builder – can perform their parts of the process in a couple of different ways: Together or separately. So, what is the difference between design-build and design-bid-build?
Traditionally, the designer and builder are two separate entities.
Traditionally, their work is discrete. There are two separate contracts, one for each. First, the designer completes their draft of what the building should look like; then, you forward that draft to builders, seeking bids to complete the work.
In other words: Design – bid – build. This three-step contracting method is widespread, but it does have inherent flaws. Design-bid-build management requires a lot of funds up-front in the design phase. It also carries an increased risk of issues later in the build process.
What if there was a different contracting method – one that allowed more room for collaboration, communication, and real-time problem-solving?
As it turns out, there is.
What Is the ‘Design-Build’ Method of Project Delivery?
With traditional Design-bid-build project delivery, a project owner employs separate teams of architects and builders. An alternative mode of management, the Design-Build system, combines design and construction. The designers and builders work together from the beginning of a contract until its end.
While it may not seem that there should be dramatic differences between the two systems, the more modern Design-Build approach comes with distinct advantages.
6 Reasons to Consider Design-Build for Your Next Project
1. Accountability
If you only have one team in charge of your entire project from its start to its end, that team is responsible for everything that happens during the scope of that project. A good Design-build team knows this and is ready to be accountable for high-quality work every step of the way.
2. Expertise
Contractors and firms specializing in Design-build delivery tend to have considerable skills and experience in design and construction. However, there’s a distinct advantage to having designers that think like constructors (and constructors that think like designers) working throughout the entire project, from start to finish.
3. Time savings
With a Design-build process, a project owner only has to interview and employ one team. Doing so takes a lot of time and energy – as does managing many different parties and employees simultaneously. Design-build offers the chance to collaborate with one company under one contract.
4. Other
While it may seem that the up-front cost for hiring a comprehensive Design-build team is higher, the increased opportunities for communication, consistent expertise, and cost-efficient planning ahead that come with Design-build will result in incredible financial benefits throughout the project.
5. Familiarity
When you hire a Design-build team, you hire a team already used to working together. They’ll trust each other, they’ll have chemistry, and they’ll all have accountability to one another. This ease will translate to reduced risk for your entire project, as most dangers posed to design and construction projects result from miscommunication or inadequate issue resolution.
6. Increased project owner involvement
Because, with Design-build, a project owner interacts with one skilled, multipurpose team, it’s much easier for a project owner to be more involved at every stage of the process. This reduces the risk of dissatisfaction later in the build and increases opportunities for a project owner to ensure the project is going as expected.
Ultimately, a Design-build process offers a much more enjoyable and confidence-building way to ensure that your next project moves from the initial contract to successful completion flawlessly. With less risk for accidents and miscommunication, increased time and money savings, and more continuity of expertise, you can be sure that a Design-build project will deliver the desired results.
Interested in finding a Design-build team ready to tackle your next project? Peak Steel Contractors can assist with your next design and construction job from start to finish. Click through our past projects to see what we can offer, and contact us for more information.