The Team Approach

Basically, design-build puts a professional team on your individual project the moment you sign a contact to build. When you select a design-build contractor, you'll get the services of a residential designer, builder, interior designer, kitchen designer, pool designer, landscaper-all the professionals you require all in the same place at the same time. They work together from the beginning, and they're all working off the same plan. No costly surprises when the landscape designer notes it's impossible to put trees where you want them because they'd be in the middle of the den. Under another system, this would necessitate a trip back to the architect. But with design-build it's never even an issue, because every professional knows what the other is doing from the outset. Aren't you amazed somebody didn't think of this before?

Design-build started in the commercial arena and drifted over to the residential market as large developers took on neighborhood communities and realized it would be convenient for them and their clients to have everything on-site. Today nearly all medium-sized and large residential contracting firms subscribe to design-build as a way to control product quality, prices and time. Some, like Waterlefe in Sarasota" target="_blank">Manatee County, have beautiful, big design showrooms that make shopping for your home necessities a delight.

"You can imagine how much time and stress design-build saves from the very beginning," says Drew Smith, manager of product development at Pruett Builders, a firm that has used the design-build concept since 1984. "The homebuyer has the information instantly, if, for example, a specific kind of architecture is not suitable to the site. Best of all, the homeowner has just one person to contact all through the building process."

This single-point responsibility is what most homeowners really love about design-build. Whether you're in the same neighborhood as your new home during the construction process or half a world away, you'll have the comfort of an ongoing relationship with one person who can answer your questions and address your concerns. Smith estimates that design-build shaves three to six months from most projects.

If you choose design-build, there are certain things to know. You will not be getting an architect but a residential designer who has created a series of model home plans for your construction company. You select a model nearest to your ideal and then make changes to that design to personalize it. Some design-build firms such as Pruett allow homeowners to bypass the models entirely and have the in-house designer create house plans from scratch. About one-quarter of Pruett buyers select this option.

Once you've selected your design, you meet with the interior designer, landscape architect and other experts to ensure that all the essential design elements work as a harmonious whole. Only then will construction begin. Once the trucks come in to lay the foundation, the homeowner is matched with a construction superintendent, who will meet with you throughout the building process. Having a trusting relationship with the project superintendent seems to be key to the success of the process.

John Cannon, an award-winning Sarasota-Manatee counties builder who builds about 80 homes annually, has used the design-build concept for the last 15 years and wouldn't have it any other way. "People want options, not a cookie-cutter house, but they most often want to start from a model, something they can see," he explains. "Then they want to reconfigure spaces to individualize their perfect house. I have four in-house designers to help them. If they want a completely new design, we call that a clean-sheet project; and we're glad to do it. We also have all the other pros right on staff so the homeowners can go from blueprint stage to furnishing their new home, all right in our office." And like other design-builders, Cannon stresses the importance of having one person to help the homeowner through the entire process. "I put one of our 11 builders on the project as manager, and he has the responsibility to see that home through to completion."

Cannon say he likes to use football analogy when describing design-build. "I have my team and we all know the game and how to play successfully together. The homeowner comes in offering us a chance to play in the Super Bowl, because that's how every buyer sees his home-the biggest, most important game in the league. I wouldn't trust the Super Bowl to anyone but the team I put together, and that's design-build."

Design-build projects generally come in on time and within budget because the homeowner is apprised of each development and cost. If the kitchen is running too high because the homeowner opts for up-grades, the client may wish to scale back a little on something else. With design-build there should be no bad surprises.

Contractors and homeowners alike seem to agree that this team approach is an efficient and pleasant way to build a home. The process has become so popular that some countries are using it to construct massive infrastructure. Churches also utilize the process, and municipalities buy into the concept, too. The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), headquartered in Washington, D.C., offers guidelines and training; and DBIA even certifies contractors who wish to make a business success of design-build in their hometowns.