This guide covers the benefits of Design-Build, shows what project execution should look like in practice and provides guidance for procuring and contracting Design-Build services.
There are three phases of Design-Build projects:
1. Procuring Design-Build services
2. Contracting for Design-Build services
3 Project execution
To execute each phase, owners need building partners that can meet project goals and roll with the punches along the way. The success of your project will depend on their expertise and capabilities.
Benefits and attributes of Design-Build
Design-Build gives owners one point of contact for design and construction. One team. One contract. One clear line of responsibility from early planning through post-construction. That matters now more than ever. Schedules are tight. Costs change fast. Early decisions carry weight long after the project ends.
The Design-Build method is built for speed, clarity and accountability. It brings the people who plan the work and the people who build the project together from the start.
Design-Build leads the way
- FMI/DBIA research projects Design-Build will account for 47% of construction spending in the segments studied by 2026.
- Design-Build is expected to exceed $500 billion in annual U.S. construction spending by 2028.
- Most of The Korte Company’s work is Design-Build.
Owners continue to choose Design-Build because early collaboration, early contractor involvement and single-source accountability help teams manage risk, speed and complexity.
The highest-rated delivery method
Design-Build is highly rated by owners because it creates more opportunities to innovate, supports fast-track work, improves collaboration and reduces disputes. Owners value Design-Build for:
- More opportunities to innovate
- Ability to fast-track projects
- High-quality outcomes
- Greater collaboration
- Early knowledge of cost
- Fewer disputes
What makes Design-Build different
Single-source responsibility
One entity controls design and construction. This reduces contractual gaps and gives the owner one clear point of accountability.
Creative solutions within the design phase
Early involvement from builders, estimators and trade partners improves constructability and helps the team solve problems before they reach the field.
Design alternatives drive project value
Close collaboration gives owners a clearer view of options. Teams can compare design alternatives, cost impacts and schedule realities before major decisions are locked in.
Unmatched cost savings
Design-Build provides early cost input, fewer handoffs and improved coordination.
- 0.3% lower unit cost than design-bid-build (DBB)
- 1.9% lower unit cost than construction manager at risk (CMR)
- 3.8% less cost growth than DBB
- 2.4% less cost growth than CMR
Less schedule growth
Design-Build helps teams identify constraints early, protect long-lead decisions and keep work moving — with 1.7% less schedule growth than DBB and 3.9% less than CMR.
Rapid delivery
Design-Build delivers projects as much as 102% faster than design-bid-build.
Accepted by federal, state and local agencies
Design-Build is widely used across public and private sectors and supports complex, schedule-driven work.
Comparison of project delivery methods
Across varied project types and sectors
| Metric | DB vs. CMR | CMR vs. DBB | DB vs. DBB |
| Unit cost | 1.9% less | 1.6% more | 0.3% less |
| Cost growth | 2.4% less | 1.4% less | 3.8% less |
| Schedule growth | 3.9% less | 2.2% more | 1.7% less |
| Construction speed | 13% faster | 20% faster | 36% faster |
| Delivery speed | 61% faster | 25% faster | 102% faster |
Source: CII/Pankow, “Revisiting Project Delivery Performance,” tracking contemporary projects ranging from 5,000 to more than 1 million square feet across diverse public and private sectors.
Project ownership
- Owners define and direct the most cost-effective use of funds
- Owners influence when and where to invest in the project
- New opportunities can be realized and acted upon earlier
- Final decisions reflect the owner’s needs, operations and long-term vision
1. Procuring Design-Build services
Procurement should start before an RFP goes out. Done right, it gives owners a clearer view of each provider’s experience, judgment and ability to lead.
Owners need to define the job clearly enough for teams to respond with useful ideas, but not so tightly that it constrains collaboration and problem solving.
A strong procurement process should identify the facility’s goals, budget range, schedule pressures, site constraints and key decision points. Ask teams to show relevant experience, safety performance, quality systems, communication approach and examples of similar work.
Design-Build procurement
Owners can select from two principal procurement methods to find a Design-Build partner suited to their goals, schedule, risk tolerance and project complexity.
Qualifications-based selection
Qualifications-based selection puts the team first. Owners select the Design-Builder with the right experience, people, process and partners. This process should evaluate:
- Relevant Design-Build experience
- Similar projects
- Key team members
- Safety performance
- Quality systems
- Communication approach
- References
- Bonding capacity
Best-value selection
Best-value selection considers both qualifications and price. It gives owners a way to compare technical approach, team strength, schedule, cost and overall value. A good best-value process should:
- Define clear evaluation criteria
- Balance technical concepts and price
- Encourage open exchange of ideas
- Protect proprietary information
- Give teams room to explain how they will solve the job
When Design-Build is the best method
For complex projects with:
- Large facilities
- Challenging job sites
- Tight schedules and fast-track projects
- Construction phasing
2. Contracting for Design-Build services
In Design-Build, the contract keeps the entire project on track. A good Design-Build contract should be plain, fair and useful. It should say who is responsible for what and when, as well as place risk with the party best able to manage it. And it should help the team make future decisions regarding budget, design and schedule, showing how changes will be handled and the owner will be protected from surprise problems.
More than 90% of our work is Design-Build.
Design-Build contractual relationship
Design-Build project delivery
The owner manages one contract with one Design-Builder. Designers and contractors are on the same team, providing unified recommendations, not excuses.
Traditional project delivery
The owner manages separate contracts for design and construction. When problems arise, the owner can become the middleman between designer and contractor, leading to delay, dispute and competing recommendations.
3. Design-Build project execution
To deliver a project of the highest caliber, owners need clear, real-time communication with the Design-Build team.
Design-Build allows planning, estimating, design and construction to work in concert. Design overlaps with estimating. Estimating informs design. Builders test ideas before they hit the field. Trade partners flag long-lead items. Then you get to make decisions with better information in hand.
Interactive collaboration accelerates schedules
- Projects move faster when teams work together early
- Sitework and procurement can begin while later design details are still being completed
- Long-lead materials can be identified and protected sooner
Subcontractors participate from the outset of a project
- Early trade input improves constructability
- Team members with specialized expertise can suggest better solutions
- Long-lead materials, equipment needs and site constraints can be identified sooner
Design-Build teams include experienced subcontractors and partners
- Projects are a collaborative effort among a unified team
- Partners often bring experience from similar projects
- Specialty contractors can help compare options before decisions are final
Open communication between key team members
- Communication is the strongest tool for turning ideas into real value
- Direct, real-time communication supports efficient solutions
- The people closest to the work help make the right decisions at the right time
Meeting the goals and vision
- Goals and intentions are reflected through tangible design and construction elements
- Long-term value is transformed into a physical facility
- Owner goals guide design, budget, schedule and execution
- The finished project reflects the owner’s needs and mission
Keeping construction schedules on track
- Owners receive clear, realistic submittal and review processes
- The Design-Builder monitors critical elements of the project
- Key stakeholders interface directly to review and manage progress
- Decisions that affect project goals are evaluated in a collaborative environment
- Transparency helps owners make informed decisions throughout the process
More about The Korte Company
The Korte Company is a national Design-Build construction firm, delivering facilities that keep this country going — distribution centers, military installations, hospitals, cold storage, recreational facilities and more.
Design-Build is a key part of how we’re built, having completed the nation’s first commercial Design-Build project in 1963. We were one of seven founding members of the Design-Build Institute of America. And today, 90% of our work is Design-Build. Overall, we’ve delivered more than 4,000 projects across 43 states, and much of that was repeat business.
We build for industry leaders, hometown heroes and school kids who make hard work worthwhile with just their smiles.
