Marietta home remodeling, kitchen remodeling, basement remodeling, home improvements and handyman services

Hey there, if you don’t really know what design-build means, your not the only one   Unless you’ve either been involved in building a custom home, remodeling something sizable or a commercial construction project, the term “design-build” wouldn’t likely even be on your radar.

Unfortunately, many people that have been involved in building a custom home or remodeling something sizable don’t know what “design-build” means or why they would want to experience it until the first big project is almost over.  They’ve usually survived, but often lost a fair amount of time, money and sometimes, sanity…often a tough lesson.

Most people do it differently if they ever sign-up again for a large, complicated construction project.  Some don’t ever do one again, or go out of there way to avoid needing to, which I wish wasn’t so, as it hurts all of us in the industry.  For those of you out there trying to sell existing homes in great condition, this probably works at least a little bit to your advantage.  Since I only occasionally sell a house, but often work on them, you can see why I’m sad about people having this kind of experience.

So, what exactly is design-build?…and why is it so beneficial to not just you, but everyone involved?  Let me start by stepping back to explain a bit about the design element, then a bit about the construction management part and finally, the special dynamic that happens when they work together with you as the customer in various ways.

The designer, draftsman or architect can, like most professions, come with very broad ranges of both experience, knowledge & price tags.

Designers can be involved and give council in all types of construction projects, but tend to take primary responsibility for drawing interior renovations, often kitchens & baths. I find that although designers generally have very good design taste & creative ideas, I have seen many get in over their heads when leaving the kitchen remodel arena for larger projects. I generally recommend letting a draftsman or architect work with the designer to make sure the drawings are standard and what the rest of the team is used to working from, not to mention acceptable to those that approve the building permits for us all

A draftsman is a less educated, but not necessarily less experienced version of an architect. I’ve always been told that our local Atlanta, GA favorite, Stephen Fuller, although wildly successful in selling new home plans galore, is actually a draftsman, not an architect. Needless to say, he and his team are incredible marketers and he likely has architects working for him these days. Draftsmen are often more than sufficient, particularly the older, more mature variety, as it was much less common and less available to go all the way through the architect degree when they were in school. You can save some money on this option, but make sure you check them out very well and get the contractor’s referral as well or their blessing on your draftsman of choice if possible.

An architect, particularly one from an excellent school, with experience, maybe even field construction experience is ideal. Just like choosing any professional though, a bad attitude, distracted time of life, too busy, super high prices, etc. can keep it from being the best option? It all just depends on the options available to you relative to the scope or size of the project and the available funds.

Our firm partners with Charles Cameron, a GA Tech grad & architect of 20yrs or so who has also actually built homes himself in the field…now there’s a rarity. Charles works for 100+ local Atlanta builders and developers, does both commercial and residential, including everything from smaller jobs to extremely large jobs. He is calm, seasoned & friendly…just flat out super professional, but even better, he’s super affordable. We’re very blessed to have him on our team.

From the construction management side, our goal is to bring our clients job in under budget, on time and with the highest possible quality of finished project. This leads to higher efficiency and ultimately more profit for the contractor and yet cost control for the customer. This causes us to get paid with gratitude instead of delays and complaints. Happy customers and high quality, good looking work generates referrals.

The proper process of design up front, will bring to light a number of potential problems or confusions down the road and give the contractor and customer a chance to decide in advance how to tackle them. This clearly impacts the budget, time line, quality of finished work and most importantly, is it the quality type of work the customer is actually wanting or expecting? It’s all about identifying the problems early, planning ahead for them, accounting for them in the budget & time line, and ultimately, creating a smooth experience.

I highly recommend having your contractor chosen before your architect. They can make recommendations based on ones they’ve worked well with in the past, or better yet, introduce you to the “design” partner of their “design-build” firm. Many design-build firms are more expensive, as they provide a better experience & higher quality product, thus allowing them to charge more. There are up-an-coming firms like that in each city or area, you just may have to dig a little deeper, but it will be worth it if you can find one that’s value priced.

Lastly, why would you as a customer or home owner want to go the “design-build” route, same reasons as the contractor. That is assuming the contractor is sharp and understands all the advantages we’ve spelled out above and that their strategy is to stay where they are and build a long-term business based on timeless business and construction principles. But even if some contractors don’t, you as the customer can advocate for yourself to get the best value and experience, and finding the right “design-build” contractor is the best place to start. Good hunting