The 4 Stages Of The Design Build Process

The design build process is a popular way to construct a house. It is distinguished from other approaches by the centralization of all design and construction work under a single contract with one company. This streamlines building processes that often require extensive coordination among many contractors. Customers need to understand what the stages of the process are. Follow this list of four stages to get a sense of what your project will entail.

Consultations

At this point, you're talking about the big picture items. What is the footprint of the house going to be? How many rooms do you want to have? Are you shooting for a particular style, such as modernist or colonial?

On the design build company's side of the discussion, the goal is to translate your ideas into something workable. They need to understand your objectives well enough to propose an estimate. Similarly, they will start thinking about which of their team members and subcontractors is right for the job.

It's also wise to assess the build site at this time. The company will send people out to test the soil and survey the property. Similarly, they'll check the local registry of titles to verify there aren't any previous problems on the site, such as sinkholes or boundary disputes.

Planning

Presuming you're happy with how the consultations went, you will then commit to planning the project. At this stage, you will start to commit a noticeable portion of your budget to the project. The design team will start turning proposals into plans, and then you and the team leader will finalize the plans.

A design build firm also starts looking at practical issues. How will different parts of the projects like wiring and putting up drywall have to sequence? When will the equipment be onsite? How will materials deliveries fit into the build?

Preparation

With plans set, it's time to prepare the site for construction. The company will need to acquire permits and file regulatory paperwork. If there are issues with the site, they must engineer solutions to make the property ready for building. They have to get utility companies to connect lines, too. If the builders require an access road into the site, they will create one at this time. Also, they'll create staging areas for equipment, people, and materials.

Construction

You've made it to the end game. With the site ready, the design build team will now pour foundations, put up walls, install pipes and wires, and throw on a roof.

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