6 benefits of Design-Build services

The Design-Build project delivery method is a great and effective alternative to the traditional Design-Bid-Build project delivery method in which you have to seek out each company separately.  Design-build is a more holistic approach to construction; a start-to-finish process for your project needs.  The project accountability is placed upon your Design-Build company for both design and construction.  Therefore, this integrated delivery process allows a team to fully focus on your project, bringing together designers, architects and builders, all at once.

Hesitating to hire a Design-Build company for your project?  In this article, we list out the 6 major benefits of Design-Build services.

1. You only need to sign one contract

With the traditional Design-Bid-Build project delivery method, you need to find a company for each and every job during the project, along with signing a contract with each one of them separately.  It gets messy and hard to manage, but what's worse is that multiple separated contracts between you and all the designers and general contractors will leave you with most of the liability for anything that goes wrong.

However, with the Design-Build project delivery method, you only need to sign one contract with your Design-Build company.  Since both design and construction in the hands of a single entity, there will be only one point of responsibility for quality, cost and schedule adherence.  Plus, if any problem occurs, only one entity is held accountable, which eliminates homeowner's liability for design and construction issues.

2. It saves you time

With a Design-Build company, you don't need to contact all the designers, architects and general contractors back and forth as mediator for any design changes or construction issues that occur for each party.  This not only is a tedious job which can become overwhelming for you, but also increases working hours for your project as it's harder for so many different companies to work together and collaborate as a cohesive unit.

Additionally, when the entire team works together with a calculated approach, it's easier for everyone to cooperate with each other and to figure out the most effective way to get the job done.

Plus, as bidding periods and redesign are eliminated, and as design and construction are overlapped, the total design and construction time for your project can be significantly reduced.

3. It saves you money

The cost of Design-Bid-Build services are more likely to increase during the design phase as designers don't have access to construction costs.  On the other hand, Design-Build services can establish an estimated cost much sooner than traditional Design-Bid-Build project delivery method.  With Design-Build project delivery method, you will determine a budget very early in the process, and your Design-Build company will help you to stick with it.  Also, when the designers and general contractors work and communicate as a team during the whole design process, they can evaluate alternative materials and methods effectively and accurately, identify issues, or suggest changes.  This helps you to save money in order to not go over your budget.  In short, the Design-Build method is more cost-effective than the Design-Bid-Build method.

4. It minimizes your risk

In the States, 79% of homeowners agree that having lower risks is the primary reason they chose to work with a Design-Build company.  The Design-Build system reduces risks by combining design and construction quality, cost, and scheduling into a single point of liability.  Unlike the Design-Bid-Build method, you might be facing problems such as inaccurate estimates, project disputes, oppositional relationships, design changes, etc.  The responsibility for these situations will fall on the shoulders of the homeowner.  

As design and construction services are delivered under a single contractual responsibility, Design-Build services reduce risks and management requirements.  Ultimately, this means a Design-Build project is typically higher quality and completed on schedule.

5. Efficient communication and better collaboration

Because everyone on your Design-Build team works for the same company, everyone will be on the same page with all the design and construction needs.  This makes a significant difference in the team's ability to work together seamlessly with better understanding of what the client wants to achieve.

Most importantly, you only need to contact one person to understand what's going on at any given moment with your house, rather than calling back and forth between five to ten different companies to find out who has the ball right now.

6. Much less stress

Managing bids and contracts with designers, architects and contractors by yourself is a stressful job which is probably best avoided.  The Design-Build method provides a single source for your entire project which significantly reduces the stress.  

In the traditional Design-Bid-Build method, you must:
1) Find an architect/designer and sign a contract with them 
2) Finalize the design  
3) Bid the project  
4) Find and sign with contractors for each piece of your project 
5) Mediate workflow and bidding between contractors

This process is time consuming and it can become chaotic and overwhelming.  However, with the Design-Build project delivery method, you don't need to worry about any of those.  You don't have to coordinate and interpret your idea of dream homes between an architect and a contractor, while you still maintain overall control.  

A successful and stress-free residential home project

Design-Build services can definitely offer peace of mind, cost-effective design, faster and higher quality work than any other project delivery method.  If you don't want a stressful and over budget home remodeling project, a good local Design-Build company may be a great choice for you.

For a successful home remodeling project with an experienced Design-Build company, give us a call at (770) 777 0100, we would love to hear from you.