There are two common ways to get a new home or a big remodel built. You can hire an architect or designer, finish the plans, then put the job out to builders for bids. Or you can hire one design-build company that handles the design and the construction under one roof. Both can produce a great house. They just feel very different to live through. Here’s how design-build vs. architect and builder compares, so you can choose.
The short answer: design-build gives you one team, one contract and a budget that’s checked against the design as it develops. Hiring an architect and a builder separately gives you more independent voices, but you take on the job of coordinating them, and you usually don’t learn the real price until the architect finishes the plans.
How the Traditional Route Works
In the traditional approach, sometimes called design-bid-build, you start with an architect or designer. You go back and forth on plans until the architect finishes them, then builders bid on those plans and you pick one. The designer and the builder work for you under separate contracts.
The upside is a clear separation of roles. The catch is timing. In other words, the architect finishes the design before anyone who will actually build it puts a firm number on it. If the bids come in over budget, you’re back at the drawing board, paying for revisions and losing weeks. And once construction starts, any gap between what the drawings show and what the builder expected becomes a conversation you have to referee.
How Design-Build Works
With design-build, the people designing your home and the people building it are the same company. Cost is part of the conversation from the first sketch, because the team pricing the work is in the room while the design takes shape.
Here’s how it works at Mark Dieste Design Build:
- We start with a conversation about your property, your plans and how you want to use the home.
- Our designers help you choose materials and finishes, and you see the plan in 3D renderings before any work begins.
- Our in-house estimator prices the work, so the design and the budget stay in step.
- You don’t commit to building until you finish the planning and design phase, so you can confirm the cost and the design are right for you first.
- Once we build, you have a dedicated project coordinator and a homeowner portal for updates, and we handle everything from demolition to the final clean-up.
Design-Build vs. Architect: Side by Side
| Design-build | Architect, then builder | |
|---|---|---|
| Who you hire | One company | A designer, then a builder |
| When you learn the cost | While the design develops | After plans are done and bids come in |
| Who coordinates design and construction | The design-build team | You, between two firms |
| If something on the plans doesn’t work in the field | The same team fixes it | Designer and builder sort it out, often through you |
| Best fit | People who want one point of accountability | People who want a separate design firm advocating for them |
When Hiring Separately Can Make Sense
Some people already have an architect they love, or they want a signature design from a specific firm. Others want a designer whose only job is to check the builder’s work. If that’s you, the traditional route is a reasonable choice. Just plan for extra time between design and construction, and budget a cushion in case bids come back higher than expected.
Why We Build This Way
We’re a family-owned company based in Bethany Beach, and we’ve completed over 100 custom homes and remodels in the area since 1995. A lot of the stress in a big project comes from handoffs: between designer and builder, and between the plan and the price. Design-build takes most of those handoffs out.
It also keeps you involved. You see what you’re getting before we start, you know what it costs before you commit, and you know who to call the whole way through.
Questions to Ask Any Builder
- When will I see a firm price, and what could change it?
- Will I see the design in 3D before construction starts?
- Who is my day-to-day contact once work begins?
- How do you handle changes after construction starts?
- Can I see homes you’ve built near me?
Thinking About a New Home or a Major Remodel?
Whether you’re planning a custom home, a whole-home remodel or an addition, we’d be glad to walk you through how design-build would work for your project. Call us at (302) 539-9646 or request a quote. You can also browse our photo gallery to see finished homes.