When looking to start a project, it's not always easy to go through the process of hiring both a design team and a building team to bring your vision to life. In fact, you may experience added stress during the project if the teams you hire don't agree with each other's ideas, causing unproductivity and disruptions. To streamline your project, you can hire a design-build company to take care of both aspects of the project.
When choosing between design-build firms, there are many variables to take into consideration. First, you should learn more about what a design-build team is to understand the concept better. Next, you need to identify specific skills that the company should have to receive the best service. Last, you should ask additional questions to get to know them better and understand how they set themselves apart from the competition.
Here's everything you need to know about working with a design-build firm.
Instead of having two separate contracts for the designer and contractor, true design-build firms manage only one contract where the designer and contractor work together from the start of the project.
When you choose the design-build method, you meet with the same people throughout the entire process. Using the design-build approach eliminates the need for you to mediate between separate businesses, causing you to spend additional time and money. This method helps prevent the extra stress you may experience trying to deal with multiple points of contact for one project.
An added benefit of design-build is that because the dialogue is kept open between the designers and builders, it allows them to understand what they can truly achieve in design before going out into the field. Once out in the field, the team collaborates to address any issues or changes, leading to collaborative problem-solving and innovation rather than blaming others and making excuses.
Ultimately, single-source contracting is the fundamental difference between design-build and traditional projects, but the culture of collaboration in design-build is equally essential. Choosing a design-build firm can make a massive difference for your projects. But before you pick the first design-build company you see, you should ensure they have the right set of skills for your needs.
When choosing a design-build company, you'll want to keep an eye out for several qualifications to ensure you're choosing a quality company for your project. Here are some attributes you should look for when making a decision:
After determining which design-build companies have the skills you're looking for and seem like a good fit, you should ask additional questions to learn more about the companies and teams you're considering.
A key benefit of working with a design-build company is that they offer various specialists you can use for your project. The specialists involved can range from project managers to interior designers to architects. Looking at the critical elements of your project can help you determine which specialists and resources within the firm are essential to your project.
Gathering information about the history of the design-build companies you're looking to work with will help you see their past performance, giving you insight into how efficient and reliable they are regarding timing and finances. If a firm hasn't prioritized scheduling and budgets in the past, it most likely won't do so in the future. Asking for references can allow you to see how previous customers have felt about their work.
Viewing the firm's portfolios is a great way to get an idea of their work. Looking at project examples similar to the one you want to hire them for can give you an even better idea of what their work will look like. It's also an excellent way to generate ideas and inspiration for your projects.
Though often overlooked, some of the most essential details are licenses, insurance and permits. Choose a firm that's up to date with its insurance and up to code in its dealings.
To ensure the best relationship with your design-build firm, you should ask plenty of questions about communication. It's crucial to be aware of the communication protocols for when you need to get in touch with the firm throughout the project. Having a reliable line of communication will give you a better experience, so it's crucial to have your communication questions answered.
Now that you know what to look for when hiring a design-build company, you'll be able to be more informed during all of the processes of your project rather than going in blindly.
Consider Designblendz as the design-build company for your project. Our mission is to raise the standard of how environments are visualized, designed and constructed by blending overlapping design disciplines that merge the virtual and physical world together. If you're ready to collaborate on a project, check out our portfolio to see examples of our work.
Contact us to get a free quote today!