What is Design + Build?

As a residential custom home builder, we use a Design-Build process that is different than how most custom homes are designed and built. Conventionally, a client would hire an Architect or Designer to produce the construction drawings. Those drawings would then get handed out to potential General Contractors to bid the project. While this process works well, Design-Build offers an alternative to help solve some of the inefficiencies and problems of the conventional design, bid, build model.  The Design-Build puts both the Designer and the General Contractor on the same team from the beginning of the process. This approach allows for greater collaboration between the design and construction teams, resulting in improved communication, cost savings, and schedule efficiencies.

The Design-Build team is responsible for all aspects of the project, including design, permitting and construction, which helps to streamline the entire process. This method offers more flexibility than traditional design-bid-build as the owner can make design changes and construction decisions while the project progresses. We see overall cost reductions and schedule reductions by using Design-Build. A major benefit of this process is that we can also provide cost estimates and constructability input during the design phase, which can help the owner make informed decisions about the project.

If you are curious for more information as to why Design-Build might be for you, constructiondive.com covers the advantages and disadvantages of Design-Build.

We begin by gaining an understanding of your family dynamics, lifestyle, habits, and budget. We learn how you live and what your specific space requirements are, as well as your essential needs, desired features, and future aspirations for your home. We use this information to create a personalized plan to ensure that your home will be functional, efficient, and most importantly, tailored to your unique lifestyle.

After understanding your vision and dreams, we create a detailed set of construction drawings. The drawings will contain the structure, layout, features. We add color, details, and finishes to help bring your home to life. This is one of the most exciting parts  of the process. I use 3D design technology to create an immersive experience where we can fly around the home virtually. This allows us to see the size and scale of each room. This will also be helpful for making final adjustments to the design before construction begins.

During the bid phase, we actively submit the construction drawings and specifications to all sub-contractors on our team, we gather the bids and evaluate them by verifying and accounting for all factors in price and scope. We then formalize a hard cost for you, and provide a transparent breakdown of all costs and expenses. I generally use a fixed price contract with allowances and a percentage contingency, to ensure that you have a clear understanding of the final cost of your project. If the price and terms are agreeable, we can proceed to phase III, where we begin the actual construction of your dream home.

During the construction phase, everything comes to life. Each subcontractor brings their unique set of talents to the project. I am present on the construction site daily to keep the project on schedule and I closely monitor the quality and accuracy of all work being performed. Regular site meetings are scheduled with you so I can make sure we are performing to expectations. I truly enjoy this part of the process, as it’s where your dream home comes to life.

For peace of mind, I include a 2-year warranty on workmanship for all of our homes.