Design-build, explained: one team from first sketch to opening day
Why hiring one firm to design and build your project can save time, money and a lot of phone calls.
Most building projects start the same way. You hire an architect to draw the plans. When the drawings are done, you send them out to contractors for bids, pick one, and hope the two teams work well together.
That approach is called design-bid-build. It works, but it puts you in the middle. When the plans and the job site disagree, you end up managing the conversation between them.
What design-build does differently
With design-build, one firm handles both the design and the construction under a single contract. The architects, designers, project managers and builders work as one team from the first meeting.
Builders can flag cost and constructability issues while the drawings are still on the table, when changes are cheap. Designers stay involved during construction, when decisions come up daily.
What it means for you
- One contract and one point of contact, start to finish.
- Fewer surprises, because pricing is shaped alongside the design.
- Faster starts, since design and planning can overlap instead of running back to back.
- Clear accountability. If something needs fixing, there is one firm responsible.
When it makes the most sense
Design-build is a strong fit when time matters, such as a store or restaurant paying rent before it opens. It also suits owners who would rather spend their time running their business than coordinating trades.
At LMI, design-build goes a step further: the same team can handle landscaping, signage, furnishings and ongoing maintenance after opening, so the space is cared for by the people who built it.
Planning a project?
Talk to the team that designs, builds and maintains it.