Comparison shop a design-build

12 years ago

I have been working with a design-build firm for the last several months. We have a plan and a price. Some items of the price seem a little high so it would seem like good due diligence to consider other design-build firms as well.

Although the we never signed anything, the designer owns the design of course. What is the best way to consider other design-build firms? I assume we would have to start the process over with a new design though it should go quicker since we have a better idea of what we want and can afford.

I know that an architect and bids are the best route but that will not work for us as it's not in our budget.

Any previous experience with this?

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Comments (3)

User
12 years ago
Design build is MORE expensive than an architect and a competitively bid design that you own. They have you over the barrel and control the costs.
Zoe52
12 years ago
Here is our experience:
We spent over 33K on an architectural plan with landscaping done by an architect and his wife (landscape designer). We had it bid out by three builders who build in our area. Unfortunately, all three came in way over our budget. There was no way we were going back to the architect as there was no way to fix the plan. It was all finalized by a structural engineer and copies were made. The plans were completed and ready to be built when we showed them to the builders. It was the biggest financial mistake of our lives and we were not going to thow in any more good money after the bad. It would have been better if there were a builder around to price it out for us.

Since then we decided to find a plan we liked and had it adjusted to our needs. It took a long time to find one we both liked but we did and we are now having this
done through design build.

We are currently working with a builder who only builds one home and who does design builds. He even has his own woodworking shop where he makes all his own cabinets and wood trims for a house. We have seen his finished homes and fell in love with his work. We wish we had found this guy before seeing the architect.
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dbrad_gw
12 years ago
We worked with a design/build builder but agreed up-front that we wanted to do it in two phases - design & build. We agreed to pay him for the plans once that phase was finalized, and then give him a leg up on the bidding process when we took the plan to other builders. We love the plan but he came in way too high so we're currently looking at other builders - have received much lower quotes already and will probably go with someone like UBuiltit in the end.

Ask your current builder how much he would charge you for the plans - he's got you right where he wants you and may charge accordingly, but you might also be surprised if he only charges you a couple thousand for them. Would be money well-spent to break your plan free from his grip so you could then go price shopping. He won't want to charge an over-the-moon price for fear of ticking you off so go at him like that.