Design Build
One contract, one team, one party accountable for the result. No gap for a problem to fall into.
One contract instead of two
In traditional delivery you hire an architect, then you hire a builder, and when something does not work you are standing between them. Design build removes that seam. PeakCM holds a single contract covering both design and construction, so there is exactly one party responsible for the building you end up with.
The practical benefit is speed. Design and construction overlap instead of running end to end - foundations can be underway while interiors are still being detailed - and that fast-track sequencing routinely takes months out of a schedule. The second benefit is cost certainty, because the people pricing the building are the people designing it, in real time, rather than finding out at bid day.
Design build suits owners who know what the building needs to do but would rather not referee a design and construction team. It works especially well on renovation and adaptive reuse, where what you find behind a wall changes the design and you need someone empowered to solve it that week.
What single-source delivery includes
- Design team assembly We bring the architect and engineers, or we work with a design partner you already trust.
- Programming and concept design Turning what the building needs to do into a plan, with cost attached from the first sketch.
- Continuous pricing The budget updates as the design develops, so there is no bid-day surprise.
- Fast-track construction Overlapping design and construction packages to compress the overall schedule.
- Permitting and approvals Handled by the same team that designed it, including AHCA review on healthcare projects.
- Single-point warranty One party responsible after handover - no argument about whether an issue is design or construction.
How design build runs
- Program and budget We establish what the building has to do and what it can cost before design starts in earnest.
- Concept and validation Concept design priced and validated against your budget, with a go / no-go before heavy design spend.
- Design development with live pricing The design advances and the estimate moves with it, so cost never diverges from drawings.
- Permitting and early packages Site and foundation packages released for construction while interiors finish design.
- Construction and turnover One team through completion, commissioning and warranty.
![[Confidential] Design & Innovation Studio, Palm Bay, FL](https://www.peakcm.com/images/projects/legacy/design-innovation-studio.jpg)
Design Build FAQs
Is design build cheaper than traditional delivery?
It is usually faster, and faster is generally cheaper - less general conditions, less escalation, earlier revenue from the building. The bigger saving is in avoided change orders, because designers and builders resolve conflicts in a meeting rather than in the field. It is not automatically cheaper if you use it to make late programme changes.
Do we lose control over the design?
No. You approve the design at every milestone exactly as you would with a separately contracted architect. What changes is that you are not the one arbitrating between designer and builder when they disagree - that is resolved inside our contract before it reaches you.
Can design build work on a healthcare project that needs AHCA review?
Yes, and the single-contract structure helps. AHCA plan review comments come back to one team that can revise drawings and adjust construction sequencing together, instead of a design firm and a contractor negotiating over who absorbs the schedule impact.
What if we already have an architect?
Then design build may not be the right delivery method, and we would say so. CM at Risk or general contracting would suit you better. We are happy to work with a design team you have already selected under those structures.
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Offices in Orlando, Florida and St Albans, Vermont. Licensed CGC#1522055 and CCC#1334096.