Johaun,

In my experience, design build firms are a one stop shop. Much of the design fee is in the build fee. Therefore, you may save some money in the entire process but you will be giving up some control as well as a third party, such as the architect working on your behalf. Finally, design build firms usually are very strong in one skill but may not be as strong in the other. By hiring a designer on skill, then selecting a contractor on skill and a competitive bid against other similar contractors, in my opinion, you can be assured a much smoother process.

Here's a quick overview.

Architect-bid vs Design-Build vs Build-Design


Architect-Bid often assumes the critical differentiator between
builder/remodeler is price. They also often assume that the client
needs protection from the (implied) dishonest contractor. I submit that
if there is a lack of trust, the client and the contractor shouldn’t be
working together.


Build-Design – Buying the cheap (and/or inexperienced) design build
firm often results in “build-design” – poorly planned and reactionary
construction that can end up as a series of patches rather than a
well-conceived and executed design and project


Design-Build – for me, marries both the worlds (design and
construction). This requires a mutually respected team of a designer; a
builder; and an owner. The team is fairly paid for their expertise and
work and the client’s budget, wants and needs all get respected.
Win-win-win!

If you can't decide between the options offered by Mark IV, you might want to consider an approach the American Institute of Architects calls "Integrated Project Delivery" or IPD for short. With IPD you pre-select your architect and contractor who work together with you as a team from the outset.

I strongly encourage you to involve your contractor early in the process. Their years of experience in the field helps them to identify potential problems in the design phase and they can offer practical solutions and real time cost information on each.