Design-Bid-Build vs. Design-Build: What’s the Difference?

The main difference between Design-Bid-Build and Design-Build is that in Design-Bid-Build, you hire different teams for design and construction, while in Design-Build, it’s one team for both.

Before we move to more differences, let’s first understand Design-Bid-Build and Design-Build:

  • Design-Bid-Build: Design-Bid-Build is when someone first plans how something will be built, then asks different people to say how much they will charge to build it. Finally, they choose the person with the best price to build it.
  • Design-Build: Design-Build is when one team plans and builds something together. They work on both the design and construction at the same time, making the process faster and easier.

Now, let’s get to Design-Bid-Build vs Design-Build:

Major differences between Design-Bid-Build and Design-Build

Design-Bid-Build Design-Build
Design-Bid-Build involves hiring a designer first, followed by soliciting bids for construction. Design-Build integrates the design and construction phases under a single entity.
In Design-Bid-Build, the owner has more control over the project but assumes more risk. Design-Build shifts more responsibility to the contractor.
Design-Bid-Build typically has a longer project timeline due to sequential phases. Design-Build often results in faster project completion.
Design-Bid-Build allows for a more competitive bidding process among contractors. Design-Build can lead to more streamlined communication and decision-making.
Design-Bid-Build may result in lower upfront costs for the owner. Design-Build can offer potential cost savings through value engineering and reduced change orders.

So, these are the main differences between the entities.

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