The Benefits of a Design/Build Agreement
What is a Design/Build Agreement?
If you are new to the construction world, you may have never heard of the term “Design/Build Agreement” or “Preconstruction Agreement”, but it’s time to change that. A Design/Build Agreement allows clients to hire general contractors before the main building contract is executed, a one stop shop, if you will. It outlines the scope and goals of the project and has several benefits for the customer…
Benefits
A Design/Build Agreement will save you time, money and minimize risk.
- True design collaboration and synergy between the designer/builder and the client
- Only one point of contact, eliminating scope gaps, streamlines the process
- Allows for an open budgetary conversation throughout the entire process. No surprises!
Building a Team
A Design/Build Agreement will help you develop a relationship with the builder and their team. That could include architects, subcontractors, structural engineers, MEP designers, interior designers, and landscape architects. They can help provide their expertise on material choices, preferred vendors, and design details. Compatibility is important and you can figure out if we are a match early in the game.
Cost Analysis
A Design/Build agreement does cost money BUT it could save you money in the long haul.
- Value Engineering (VE) is integrated into the entire design phase. We embrace the principle “Form Follows Function”
- Relationships with sub-contractors and material suppliers are leveraged
- Achieving a balance between client budgets, design requests and actual build costs
A Design/Build Agreement will give you a more exact cost estimate, based upon a collaborative design, with a detailed proposal to follow. You want to know exactly where your money is going, right?
Bottom Line
We want to help you set realistic expectations right at the beginning and a Design Build Agreement is the most cost-effective way for us to do that. We will openly talk about your budget, so at the end, you have a building you helped design and most importantly, can afford! Conestoga Buildings priorities are quality, service, and price, in that order. A Design Build Agreement allows us to figure out if we work well together early on, without wasting time and resources.
If you have any questions about our Design/Build Agreement or about how we work, please reach out!