Build the Best Team to Deliver Your Custom Home

Most people believe the first step towards building a custom home is hiring an architect. While that is definitely one avenue, there are actually several different ways to structure your team. Here we will explore three different options: Design-Bid-Build (DBB), Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), and Design-Build.

Design-Bid-Build has been the most prevalent structure of the past. Under this structure, the owner engages an architect to create plans. Once the plans are fully developed (or are they?), the owner shares the plans with multiple general contractors, who in turn, share the plans with their subcontractors.

The objective of Design-Bid-Build is to identify the construction team that can build your plans as inexpensively as possible. However, because there is little to no collaboration between the architect and general contractor, their objectives are at odds.

If a flaw in the design is identified in the field, the general contractor may seek the cheapest fix or proceed “per plan” rather than identify a solution that preserves the design intent of the project.

For instance, at one of the first projects I ever worked on, the architectural plans called out 9’0 first floor ceilings with 8’0 doors and cased openings. It’s an awesome design intent that draws your eye up and highlights a taller ceiling height.

However, on the structural plan, the headers above the cased openings were called out as 2x12s, which compromised that design intent. With 2×12 headers, the finish height of the cased openings would drop below the height of the doors, forcing your eye to focus on the staggered openings rather than appreciate the height of the ceilings.

Fortunately, we were operating under a structure that more closely resembled CMAR, so we collectively made the decision to modify the 2×12 headers to 9-1/2” Microlams (also pricier) in order to maintain a consistent height at the doors and cased openings.

Had we been operating under a DBB structure, the design intent would likely have been compromised or the cost to correct the problem astronomical. In both cases, the owner and the architect would be left feeling dissatisfied.

As described in our last example, the Construction Manager at Risk team structure is much more design-friendly than Design-Bid-Build. It’s similar to DBB, in that, the owner hires the architect of their choice. However, rather than bid the project out to several different general contractors, the owner identifies one general contractor with whom they want to work towards the beginning of the project.

Construction Manager at Risk provides the owner, architect, and general contractor the opportunity to collaborate during the planning and design phases. It also helps mitigate design flaws in the field.

CMAR is definitely a more progressive approach to custom home building, but Design-Build is still considered the way of the future.

Ultimately, the Design-Build team structure requires that the general contractor take more ownership of the planning, designing, and building of the project than they would under any other structure. And that’s because, on behalf of the owner, the general contractor selects an architect with whom they trust and have a working relationship to develop plans.

Design-Build simplifies communication. The owner gets to enjoy the process, while the general contractor manages correspondence between the architect and subcontractors.

Design-Build also offers the owner the most protection. Because the general contractor is engaged in developing the plans from day one, they are more incentivized to find viable solutions rather than cover up mistakes.

Our greatest strength is a seasoned team, which has excelled in the field for the past 30 years, supporting our innovative approach to homebuilding. At Scotford Homes, we combine the best attributes of DBB and Design-Build to deliver your dream home at the most cost-effective price.