What is design-build? The design-build method of remodeling, used by WORKS by JD aligns the design and construction sides of your project, ultimately saving you time and money. Design-build is a construction delivery method used to simplify communications and accountability of the design and construction sides of your project. For about the past 150 years an opposing method, DESIGN-BID-BUILD became the norm. There is currently a very active movement in the construction industry to deliver projects using design-build vs. design-bid-build. The design–build method creates a single point of responsibility for the project and minimizes the homeowner’s risk, cost overages and delays. We handle the design portion of your remodel as part of our Project Planning Service.
The Traditional vs. Design Build Approach
The traditional approach for construction projects over the past 150 years has been Design-Bid-Build, but that is changing. This process consists of the appointment of a designer on one side, and the appointment of a contractor on the other side of your project. The homeowner hires an architect/designer and then hires the contractor/builder individually. The owner must manage two separate contracts which all-too-often creates an adversarial relationship between the designer and the contractor. Since the design and construction teams are not always on the same page, there is often conflict. If there are unforeseen changes, the designer and contractor blame each other. This conflict adds to the project cost and extension of timelines.
Design Build Method
The Design-Build method changes that traditional sequence of work. The homeowner hires the contractor/builder, whom subcontracts the architect/designer or vice versus. This provides the client with a single point of responsibility, having a drastic impact on reducing risks and overall costs.
Since WORKS by JD is a builder, we will use the Builder Driven Design Build Method. The architect/designer is managed by us, the builder/contractor. This is handled just like other subcontracted specialty trades, such as electrical,
plumbing, etc. We hire them, and we manage them. If there is an unforeseen change in the project, the builder ultimately has ownership of it and must work with his subcontractor to resolve it, this now includes the design team. The builder is the primary contact for the home owner and primary force behind the work from start to finish. This control reduces miscommunication between parties and keeps the quality control responsibilities in the hands of the builder. The people actually doing the work and whom warranty the project after completion. According to the Design-Build Institute of America, this process has been proven to reduce the number of delays in a project as well as cost overages. There are several methods of the design-build project delivery, but we feel this is the best method for the homeowner.
The WORKS by JD Way
No matter what price a contractor gives you at the time of initial estimate, until your project is designed, planned and your finishes selected, and actual quotes from sub contracted specialty trades collected, the price of your project is an unknown. The WORKS by JD Team does it’s best to learn about your project, your wants and your needs and set the overall cost expectations at our first conversation. Our Job Specialist will use what they learn from you, our expertise data from our recent job history to provide you with your “target budget range.”
At this point, if the target budget is within your means, we move forward to a PROJECT PLANNING SERVICE AGREEMENT. This agreement and fees collected are a nominal deposit on the preconstruction Planning & Design phase of your project. We will work with you to select a designer, architect, or engineer best suited for your project and subcontract them. Once the design team is in place, we will make several visits to your property to refine the design and scope. Shopping lists and preferred vendors are provided to you and your planner will start collecting quotes from specialty trades (electric, plumbing etc.).
Once your selections and quotes start rolling in, your project planner builds your budget. About halfway through the PPS process you will have a first budget review with your planner. This is when the true cost of your projects begins to gel. The next step (if needed) is to refine your budget by changing the scope of work or materials selected. Upon approval of the final budget, your detail scope of work and contract are written. Once the contract for work has been signed, we will order specialty and time critical materials and build a schedule based on the scheduled delivery dates. This expedites your construction timeline and reduces the delays caused by material availability.
As you know, we then go a step further by backing our craftsmanship on your home with a 5-year Warranty.