Did you know Design-Build can actually save you money? You have probably heard that if you want to build a custom home, the first place to start is with an architect. Even Contractors will refer you to an architect if you don’t have blueprints done, because they need plans in order to give you a proper estimate. The trouble with this is that most architects are going to draw you whatever you want and will not give you much guidance on what things cost. So if you have a budget, you will likely experience sticker-shock when you bring your completed blueprints to your Contractor and find out it will cost you far more than you expected to build what you want.
At our company, we saw many tears and much frustration in our conference room when homeowners discovered that they could not afford to build what their architect had drawn them. Since our purpose is to make the building and renovating process less stressful and more enjoyable for homeowners, we decided there had to be a better way to help our clients create their dream homes within their budgets. Because, let’s face it, not everyone has the cash flow of Warren Buffett – and even Warren runs a tight budget. That is when we discovered Design-Build.
What is Design-Build?
Design-Build is a project delivery system in the construction industry in which one entity handles both the design and the build aspects of a construction project. This means that one company (in our case, the Contractor) runs the design and planning portion of the project in addition to the construction. Not only does this give both the Contractor and the homeowner more control, it saves the homeowner a ton of money.