Twenty-plus years ago, the term design-build pertained to the high-end custom home sector. At that time, it didn’t exist in the world of remodeling. But design-build has become the newest buzzword in remodeling.
At a recent remodeling contractor event held in Scottsdale, Arizona, every company in attendance from across the country defined themselves as a design-build. Yet the descriptions of their design-build processes varied drastically.
For some, design-build meant knowing a designer and having a tile rack in the corner of an office. The other side of the spectrum is a team-oriented, process-driven design phase. It is ever evolving to improve, which better describes our approach.
What does Design Build Mean?
Before defining the most critical pieces of the design-build process, let’s define what “design-build” means.
Design-Build is a process where one company takes ownership of everything, from establishing the layout (schematics) to finalizing selections with clients, purchasing, developing subcontractor scopes of work, and project management.
It’s an all-inclusive approach to remodeling that minimizes the client’s work and prepares the construction team for the job ahead while producing better, more unified results.
For Stewart Remodel Design Build, the evolution of our design-build process began out of necessity. For the better part of a decade, we were a deck-building company and still are today.
We occasionally dabbled with remodeling, only to conclude that remodeling was complex, utterly void of pitfalls, fiscally challenging, and something we preferred to avoid.
When our Design Build Process Began
It wasn’t until we hired a designer, Tera Kane, that we pursued remodels seriously, and our design-build process began. Without a robust design phase, the chances of success are unlikely, no matter how you want to define it. We proved this repeatedly, no matter how well-intended we were.
Does this mean design-build brings about perfection? No, as much as I’d like to tell you otherwise, it brings us closer to our goal of providing the best service possible.
What are some of the important pieces of the design build process?
As mentioned, not all design-build is the same, so what are the most essential pieces of the design-build process?
When plans are developed, even for something as “basic” as a kitchen, does the person completing those plans (often a designer) understand construction? I can’t tell you how many plans we’ve seen where load-bearing walls disappear, sinks are relocated, and appliances moved – and the cost and impact on the house would make those changes unrealistic.
Is the design outsourced?
Is the design outsourced, or is the designer an employee of the construction company? We used to take on an occasional job designed by someone else at the owner’s request, but we no longer will. Those jobs never went as well as we expected due to a lack of teamwork, lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities, and lack of familiarity with each other. Too many unknowns negatively impacted the construction process.
When a designer is part of the same company as the construction team, you have cohesion, processes are in place, and the client ends up with a team of people, including an estimator, who knows their project intimately well and sees it through to the end.
Who purchases the materials? Having local and national accounts as a reseller has two distinct advantages. The first is cost savings. Secondly, and more importantly, when materials arrive damaged or are incorrect, we have a company rep to call to fix the problem who knows us, knows our business, and is vested in making things right.
Subcontractors are an extension of the staff
A company’s team of subcontractors is an extension of the staff. Without buy-in from the trades, such as plumbers, electricians, drywallers, and painters – a company’s goals will never be achieved, no matter how good the planning is. The reverse is also true. If the trades aren’t set up to succeed, they’ll stop working for us.
We had this discussion with one of our electricians recently; we asked them if we were setting them up well. Their answer was yes; they prefer to work with our company due to the level of detail our designers provide and the organization of our project managers.
They did ask if, in the future, we could provide appliance specs for existing appliances that remain. We provide specs for everything installed, including new appliances, but we will now add existing appliance specs to the list.
Trying to take care of the trades does buy us some grace, too, and gets us a few extras along the way when needed.
Having a design center for Design Build Remodeling
A design center sure has advantages for the designer and the client. It serves as a place to have meetings, review materials during the selection process, and look at displays, and it minimizes the legwork and time of the client. Maintaining an office with a design center also lends credibility, which is something to consider when investing in your home.
If you are considering a remodeling or exterior project or want to know more about our design-build services, please call us at (719) 266-0336.