What’s the best approach to choosing a design-build contractor?

Choosing the right design-build contractor involves finding someone who can expertly manage both the design and budget aspects of your project. With responsibility for construction, they understand associated costs and incorporate them into the design phase through value engineering. This contractor guides the project from initial discussion to final completion, delivering results that meet both your needs and your budget.

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As you set out on your remodeling journey, keep these tips in mind to help you choose the right design-build contractor confidently, ensuring your project goes smoothly and successfully.

1. Interview and Research Candidates

Before selecting a design-build contractor, it’s crucial to interview and research multiple candidates. Talking to at least three candidates allows you to gather different perspectives and assess compatibility.

2. Ask the Right Questions

During the interview process, ask specific questions to evaluate each candidate’s expertise, experience, and communication style. Don’t forget to request references and follow up with past clients to gain insights into the contractor’s track record.

3. Understand the Design-Build Advantage

Recognize the unique benefits of the Design-Build model, including integrated design and budget considerations. A good design-build contractor works closely with you to align design ideas with budget constraints from the outset.

4. Embrace Transparency

Understand that you are going to be working with this person for three, six, or twelve months. Be sure you will be able to work with this person for that long of a time. Opt for a contractor who values transparency and will involve you in design discussions, present creative ideas along with cost estimates, and work iteratively to ensure informed decision-making.

5. Select Early, Collaborate Often

Contrary to traditional approaches, selecting a design-build contractor early in the process fosters a deeper understanding of project nuances and facilitates a collaborative relationship from the outset. This approach minimizes the risks associated with comparing disparate bids and leads to more successful outcomes.

Design-Build vs Bid-Build

Now you may be wondering if this applies to bid-build as well as design-build (if you’d like to learn the difference, here’s an explanation). The short answer – it doesn’t.

Comparing the two is like comparing apples to oranges. It may seem risky to select a contractor before you have exact costs, but the alternative of getting three bids and then trying to make an intelligent decision comparing very different models can have a greater chance of a bad result.

In our Design-Build process, we include both design ideas and costs at each meeting with our clients and work from general ideas to very specific ideas so our clients can make informed decisions on both design and costs in the design and estimating phase. We then know the systems that we will use to construct the project. This method has proved well for over 50 years of being in business.