Design-build construction references the delivery method in which your contractor provides services. Design-build firms have all your construction professionals under one roof, enabling you to work less to coordinate your remodeling needs.
This quality streamlines the process from hiring an architect, designer, engineer, and contractor to just hiring one firm. This advantage means only one contract, one point of contact, and one single source of responsibility for your remodeling job. It also makes managing your project much smoother.
You will not have to coordinate between all of your remodel professionals; you merely need to work with your designer to design the space that meets your functional and aesthetic needs.
Related: Remodeling? Why You Need a Residential Designer.
Advantages of Design Build Remodeling
The design-build model provides convenient construction delivery with no surprises along the way. The reason design-build is becoming so popular is precisely for these reasons. There is also an increase in demand for using a designer that can design to your budget; because all your construction professionals are under one firm, your designer helps price out your construction agreement while they are collaborating with you on design and will guide you to stay within your budget when selecting materials. And when you start to add to your project, they will remind you that this will take you outside of your budget to ensure you have thought this through and are comfortable spending the extra money before making any design changes.
Alternatively, the design-bid-build process has the designer showing you gorgeous materials and design options that may be out of your budget but very desirable. When you take this design, you love to get bids, and you find out that your designer put you at double your budget. And now you need to go back to the drawing board and pay for a new design to be developed. Design build construction delivery takes all these inconsistencies out of the process. It also adds quality service and construction elements by having a well-planned layout with proper documentation, materials purchasing, and project management to deliver solid construction.
Are you looking for a one-stop solution to your next remodeling project? Check out Sea Pointe today!
Cost Savings of Design Build
Design-build construction delivery can save you money in many ways; the first is value-engineering. Value engineering is where your designer and engineer collaborate to design your floor plan in the most economical way by leveraging existing structure and knowing the most affordable parts versus expensive parts to move and remodel. Because design-bid-build is different professionals, you will not find this collaboration possible.
This process also enables your designer and builder to guide you on features you are considering with pricing and ROI, so you have full disclosure before deciding what to remodel. For example, you may be considering remodeling three different spaces, but the designer shares that you will need to reduce your bathroom budget or select alternative materials for your kitchen if you use the materials you want. You also have the outstanding feature of asking what-if, what-if, and what-if again to ensure you select your priorities when remodeling and staying within budget.
Related: 5 Types of Residential Remodeling Contractors to Know About
How the Design Build Process Works
Below you will find the detailed steps of working on a large design-build remodel project. This outline includes every step of the process, so you know what to expect and enjoy the design-build benefits of no surprises.
- Your complimentary design consultation with your professional designer
- Meet and greet clients to understand remodeling needs.
- Discuss and interview the client for practical space use by using the space and identifying likes and dislikes in design style by looking at the design portfolio together.
- Discuss project priorities and budget with the client.
- Provide contractor qualifications with ways to check references.
- Explain the design-build process and the value provided in design-build remodeling.
- Take preliminary measurements on the project for a design agreement; explain the design agreement process and what it covers.
- As-built floor plans
- New floorplan designs
- Black and white elevations
- 3D color renderings
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- Discuss client living arrangements for larger projects.
- Design agreement meeting
- The designer will present you a review of a similar project to yours and what that entails.
- The designer will give you a budget range you can expect your project to cost from low to high.
- The designer will provide a list of your stated remodeling goals and services necessary to accomplish your goals.
- The company will ask you to sign your design agreement if you like what you see and want to start working with Sea Pointe Design & Remodel.
- You will be asked for a design fee at this time to cover the design deliverables.
- Designing your space to be remodeled
- You will schedule weekly meetings with your designer to design your space; these meetings will cover the following:
- Conduct a detailed review of current space and needs.
- Develop a proposed new layout for better function.
- Cabinet selection – this can be more time-consuming than most think.
- Cabinet colors (2-toned and 3-toned are popular now)
- Cabinet door style
- Cabinet inserts and accessories
- Cabinet pulls and knobs
- Lighting selection (ambient lighting, task lighting, and accent lighting)
- Custom electrical pending how you want your lighting displayed and where.
- Countertop selection; learning different materials and their benefits and drawbacks.
- Backsplash selection.
- Hood design and selection.
- Flooring selection with grout color as needed for flooring type.
- Plumbing fixture selection.
- Sink selection.
- Review doors and windows as appropriate for the space you are remodeling.
- Your designer will schedule a trade walk for technical measurements and engineering if necessary.
- You will schedule weekly meetings with your designer to design your space; these meetings will cover the following:
- Preliminary drawing presentation to the client
- Invite the client to review the 3D elevations.
- The client reviews all perspectives and agrees to or changes materials based on renderings.
- Many people select different backsplash, hoods, and flooring at this step as they could not picture the pattern in living color.
- Make new product selections and deliver final renderings for sign-off.
- Construction cost estimating for approved plans
- Estimate using actual costs for all materials and labor.
- Discuss initial costs with the client compared to budget.
- Give client cut back options or expansion options based on their needs.
- Make required changes for client sign-off.
- Construction Agreement
- The designer puts all plans, costs, and procedures for remodeling in a construction agreement.
- The client can make an addendum to this for additional items you may determine along the way you want to incorporate.
- Once you sign your agreement, you’re ready to move forward with us as your design-build partner with no surprises. We keep you on budget and on time.
- The company will take a deposit at this time to cover your initial materials purchasing – the company will supply you a payment schedule for milestones in the project where payments will be due.
- Apply for Permits
- Your project manager will take your construction documents to the city and apply for your permit.
- Lead, and asbestos testing will co-occur as required by the state of California.
- If you have an association, your project manager will facilitate getting you the information to get your association to approve the work.
- Pre-construction conference
- We do a job walk with you, your designer and your project manager to discuss all the details together.
- At this same meeting, we will get all the preferred methods of entry, pets’ names, children’s names, and we will leave a construction folder giving you the anticipated timeline for each part of the process.
- Start construction
- Install fencing if necessary as well as company sign if approved.
- Inform nearby neighbors that construction is starting and who to call if they have any issues.
- Provide a dumpster if necessary.
- Start demo and proceed through the project.
Related: 5 Ways to Stick to Your Remodeling Goals
Design Build versus Design Bid Build
The design-bid-build process is fraught with opportunities to misstep as a novice. Your designer may design something outside of the budget. You also cannot leverage value engineering with this as your construction professionals are not collaborating. Having the design-build model enables you to have a lot less hand-holding in the process. You may trust that your project will be handled professionally from beginning to end with licensed professionals the whole way.
How to Get Started with the Design Build Process
Once you determine that design-build construction delivery is the correct method for you, you will want to assess your priorities in selecting a design-build firm. There are so many intricacies in remodeling that you want to be sure to do your due diligence before partnering with a firm.
You will want to check their google reviews; you can find Sea Pointe’s 5-star reviews in several places:
- See Google Reviews here: https://bit.ly/SeaPointe-Reviews
- See Houzz Reviews here: https://bit.ly/HOUZZ-reviews
- See Guild Quality Reviews here: https://bit.ly/GuildQuality-reviews
You also want to check out their awards earned. You can find Sea Pointe Design & Remodel’s recent awards here:
- Find Houzz Awards here: https://bit.ly/SeaPointe-Awards
- Find Best of Orange County on page 102 here: https://issuu.com/scng/docs/boc_0920
- Find Top 500 Remodelers here: https://www.qualifiedremodeler.com/top-500-2020/
Check out the work from the firms for which you are shopping. We are happy to take you to a job site to show you our work during and after a job. Any design-build firm should be willing to do the same.
- See our remodeling design portfolio here: https://bit.ly/Seapointe-Home-Design.
Sea Pointe Design & Remodel has been doing design build construction delivery since 1986. We have remodeled over 3,000 homes and LOVE what we do. We take pride and passion in the quality of our work and the happiness of our clients. It’s a testament to our work that over 50% of our business is from repeat customers and referrals. When you’re ready to take the hassle out of remodeling, give us a ring. We’re here to help. (949) 861-3400
Are you ready to skip the hassle with your next remodel? Head over to Sea Pointe now!
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