In a traditional home construction scenario, the homeowners will first work with an architect to create the design for their new custom home or renovation. Then, once the design is finalized it is put out to bid to construction companies to price the project and then execute the design once selected. This can result in a few unexpected headaches for homeowners. Here are three reasons to consider the design build model, when the design and construction team work in an integrated way from the onset of the project.

  1. You’ll fall in love with the design… that you can afford! After months of working with a designer, and investing a significant amount of money in that phase of the project, we so often see our clients get emotionally invested in designs and specific features that they later find out are out of their budget. At the end of the day, the builders are closest to current materials and labor costs, and this is especially true in this environment where supply chain challenges have brought a whole new level of volatility to construction costs. Not only does this result in a huge disappointment for the clients, but it also ends up adding to costs and timeline when the designer has to go back and adjust the design to better reflect the budget.
  2. Stay on budget. The design on paper does not always align with the reality on site. By having the designer in house with your builder, working collaboratively and seamlessly from the start of the project, it is more likely that many of these onsite challenges can be addressed early and quickly addressed in the design – rather than needing to issue a change order with the outside designer that adds cost and time to the project. However, sometimes unexpected changes are necessary, but because our designer works with our construction team in an integrated way, modifications to the design are addressed quickly.
  3. Avoid time delays. Everyone wants their project done as quickly as possible. However, when change orders happen, there is a delay while the redesign is executed. This has a ripple effect on the subcontractors that are scheduled, too, often resulting in additional delays. The design-build model provides a more flexible, agile approach to anticipating and getting ahead of potentially issues on site, and quickly accommodating changes that are unavoidable.

Through our proprietary design build process, we deliver designs that bring our clients visions to life, and reflect the realities of the project, resulting in a more accurate quote and timeline with fewer change orders and a smoother, more enjoyable experience for our clients.