One team. One plan. One price you can trust.
Design-build puts the people who draw your project and the people who build it on the same team from day one. It’s the most direct path from an idea to a finished home — and the most accountable.
- Best for
- Custom homes, ADUs, additions & whole-home remodels
- You get
- Design, engineering coordination, permits & construction
- Contract
- Design agreement → construction contract
Why the traditional way so often goes over budget.
In design-bid-build, a designer finishes the plans first. Only then do contractors price them. If the bids come back high — which is common — you either cut scope late, pay to redesign, or stretch the budget.
In design-build, cost is part of the design conversation from the first sketch. Your builder flags expensive choices early, offers alternatives, and makes sure what’s drawn can be built cleanly on your site.
- Budget is tested at every design milestone
- Constructability reviewed before plans reach the city
- One point of contact from concept to final inspection
- Ordering and scheduling begin while permits are in review
Design-build vs. design-bid-build
| Design-build | Design-bid-build | |
|---|---|---|
| Contracts | One team responsible for design and construction | Separate designer and contractor contracts |
| When you learn the price | Continuously during design | After plans are finished and bid |
| If something isn’t buildable | Caught and solved in design | Often found in the field as a change order |
| Schedule | Design, permitting and procurement overlap | Each phase waits on the last |
| Who you call | One project lead | Designer, contractor, or both |
Two stages, clear decision points.
You’re never locked into construction before you’ve seen the design and the price.
Design agreement
- Site visit, goals and budget range
- Zoning and feasibility review
- Concept and schematic design
- Selections and progressive pricing
- Permit drawings and engineering
Construction proposal
- Detailed scope and line-item pricing
- Allowances clearly defined
- Schedule and payment milestones
- You decide whether to proceed
Construction contract
- Permits issued and site prepared
- Scheduled build with weekly updates
- Inspections managed by us
- Walkthrough, punch list, warranty
Design-build questions
Is design-build more expensive?
Not inherently. Because the builder prices the design as it develops, you avoid paying for plans that come back over budget and then paying again to redesign. You do give up “bidding the plans out” at the end — the trade is cost certainty and accountability earlier.
Can I bring my own architect?
Yes. If you already have an architect or designer, we can join as the builder during design to provide pricing and constructability review, which captures many of the same benefits.
What is a design agreement?
A separate, smaller agreement that covers feasibility, design and pricing. You own the drawings produced under it. At the end you receive a construction proposal; if it works for you, we move into a construction contract.
Who stamps the plans?
Plans are prepared by licensed design professionals, and structural engineering is stamped by a licensed engineer where required. We coordinate all of them under the design-build agreement.
Start with a feasibility conversation.
Before anything is drawn, we’ll look at your property, your goals and your budget range and tell you plainly what’s possible.