What is Design Build?

As an owner, you want your project completed with the lowest cost, in the fastest time-frame, and with the highest quality. More and more construction projects are using the design-build approach over traditional methods because it meets these objectives. Studies have shown that the design-build approach results in a 102 percent faster rate of project completion. This is not the only advantage the design-build method has. When you compare the design-build approach with traditional methods, it is easier to see why it is the superior approach to construction project completion.

1) Target Budget

Instead of giving plans to the lowest bidder and then incurring additional costs because of unforeseen problems with the design or inaccurate estimates, the design-build approach uses a target budget. Because the designer is involved in the purchase of materials and the construction of the project, they have experience and knowledge of the costs involved from the beginning. This means that the project starts with a more accurate estimate of the actual final project cost.

2) Better Communication

Because design-build includes earlier involvement with tradesmen and builders, they are able to give their expert input as the project evolves. The designers and builders work together to resolve problems and come up with solutions.

3) Reduced Frustration

This streamlined, efficient approach reduces frustration with the owner who is not needing to go back and forth between the designer and builder trying to communicate about faulty design issues and resolve problems.

4) Lower Costs

A study by the Design-Build Institute of America shows that design-build reduces costs by 0.03 percent over DBB. While this isn’t significant, it does show that having a target budget reduces project costs over the traditional lowest bidder approach.

5) Faster Completion

The same study shows that the design-build approach results in a project completion rate that is 102 percent faster than the DBB approach. Design-build skips the delays caused by waiting for the designer to finish creating the plans as well as those caused by the bidding process. Design issues are resolved more quickly as well because of efficient communication between the designer and the builder.

6) Reduced Risks

With a target budget, the owner has reduced risks of unforeseen and unexpected expenses. Not only that, but design-build virtually eliminates the risk that a project could be suspended indefinitely because of contractual disputes and unresolved issues.