Choosing how to organize a construction project starts with the owner’s needs. How far has design progressed? Who will make decisions? When is construction input needed? The answers help shape the relationship among the owner, designer and builder.
Warren Associates provides design-build, general contracting and construction management services. These terms describe different arrangements, and it helps to understand the distinction before comparing proposals.
Compare the working relationships
| Approach | Typical relationship | Question to discuss |
|---|---|---|
| Design-build | The owner engages one entity for both design and construction. | How will owner requirements and design decisions be established and reviewed? |
| General contracting with a separate designer | The owner retains the designer and construction contractor separately. In design-bid-build, design generally precedes bidding and construction. | How complete are the documents, and when will construction input be available? |
| Construction management at risk | The construction manager contributes during planning and design, then holds trade contracts and takes responsibility for construction under the agreed terms. | When will scope and pricing be established, and which assumptions remain? |
Construction management also describes an advisory service that can support different delivery methods. Confirm whether a proposed construction manager will serve as an owner’s adviser or will take on the construction role. The label alone does not explain the full arrangement.
Start with the decisions ahead
Bring a list of unresolved choices to the first meeting. A project with an approved design presents a different starting point from one with only a site and a space requirement. Identify what the owner is prepared to decide and where more investigation is needed.
Next, discuss how often your organization can review information. A board, congregation, business owner and public agency may each have a different decision calendar. Give the team that calendar early.
Compare proposals using the same questions
- Who is responsible for each design and construction task?
- What information supports the current estimate?
- Which owner decisions are needed before work can proceed?
- How will options, changes and their effects be presented?
- What assistance is included through completion and turnover?
Ask for a simple diagram of the proposed team and a clear list of services. Those two items can make differences between proposals easier to understand than a price comparison alone.
Choose around the project
The right conversation connects the delivery approach to your available staff, design progress, decision process and intended use of the building. No method removes the need for clear scope and timely owner participation.
Review Warren Associates’ services and contact our team to discuss the arrangement that fits your project.
References: Design-Build Institute of America — Owners FAQ; Construction Management Association of America — An Owner’s Guide to Project Delivery Methods; Warren Associates services.