Design-build vs. design-bid-build: which fits your project?
Delivery methods · The short answer
In design-bid-build, an owner hires a designer, completes the drawings, then bids them to contractors. In design-build, one team holds one contract for both design and construction. Design-build usually reaches a firm price sooner and lets early construction overlap with design, which suits owners with a fixed opening date.
How does design-bid-build work?
The steps run in sequence: design, then bid, then build. The owner holds two contracts, one with the designer and one with the contractor.
The price is not known until bids arrive, after the design is finished and paid for. If the bids come in over budget, the project goes back for redesign. Gaps between the drawings and the site become change orders, and the owner stands between the two parties.
How does design-build work?
The owner holds one contract with one team that is responsible for both the design and the building. The builder prices the design as it develops, so the budget steers decisions instead of judging them afterward.
Because the same team owns both, long-lead items can be ordered and site work can start while interior drawings are still being finished.
Where does each one fit?
Design-bid-build fits work that must be awarded to the low bidder, and owners who already have complete drawings and no pressure on the date.
Design-build fits fixed opening dates, tight budgets and technical buildings. It asks the owner to define what the building has to do, in writing, at the start.
What about construction manager at risk?
It is the middle path. The owner hires the designer and the construction manager separately, but the construction manager joins during design, prices each stage and commits to a guaranteed maximum price. The designer stays independent and the owner still gets early cost advice.
How does Blackstone work?
We are experienced design-builders. We also build as construction manager at risk and under negotiated and bid contracts. We welcome alternative delivery methods because they speed projects up and take risk out of them.
Kratos is an example: a quiet office, clean labs and a crane bay delivered as one continuous fit-out.
Common questions
Is design-build cheaper?
Not automatically. It shows you the price earlier and reduces redesign and change orders. The savings come from making design decisions with the cost in view.
Does the owner lose control of the design?
No. The owner approves the design at each stage. Control comes from a clear written program at the start.
Can I bring a builder in after design has started?
Yes. Many owners add a builder for preconstruction once a schematic design exists, then agree a guaranteed maximum price.
The project behind this post
Office, Lab and High-Bay Fit-Out
