Throughout this process, the design company and the contractor have no contractual relationship or obligation with/to each other. After completion of the design, the project owner solicits bids from contractors to perform the construction work according to the design. The designer delivers the complete design. Typically, the DBB process includes hiring a separate designer and contractor. Design-Build (DB)ĭBB is probably what would be viewed as the more traditional building process used in the United States historically while DB is anticipated to grow exponentially over the next two to three years to reach nearly 44% of construction spending, according to a study by Fails Management Institute (FMI) in June 2018. Usually it is not needed because the parties know and trust each other very well after working closely together on the design work.Ī typical step-by-step design-build process can be found here.ĭesign-Bid-Build (DBB) vs. Some contractors allow you to take the plans and have another contractor build them once the design phase is done, but most do not. The design work is often done as a separate contract from the building contract. The client’s budget is respected throughout the process and the final price is negotiated to the mutual satisfaction of both parties. See why we think design-build is a smarter choice than design-bid-build. This is why we are such big proponents of design-build at Legal Eagle Contractors. Even better, most design–build companies also take care of the permitting process and also the engineering work required to build or remodel. Instead of having a separate architect (who does not know what things cost, or what things might be overly complex to build), and a separate builder, they are wrapped into one firm that does it all. In fact, it’s better if they are not! With the design-build approach, one company wears both of these hats. Most people think these are two separate disciplines, but they do not have to be. There is a “design hat” and a “construction hat” needed to do a construction project. You have probably heard of the term “design–build”, but what is it that, exactly? Design-build is a one-stop, seamless way to build a home or undertake a remodeling project.

The Design-Build Process – What exactly is “Design-Build?”

Building construction process