Owners ask us which delivery method is best. The honest answer is that it depends on three things: how finished the design is, how much control the owner wants over it, and how fast the building needs to open.
General contract (hard bid)
The design is complete, several contractors bid it, the owner picks one. The owner gets price competition and full control of the design, and takes the risk that the drawings are complete. Best for simple buildings with complete documents and no schedule pressure. Worst for complex projects, because every gap in the drawings becomes a change order.
CM at risk
The contractor is hired during design, gives milestone estimates, and commits to a guaranteed maximum price at an agreed point. The owner keeps their architect and control of the design; the contractor manages cost from the start and buys out the subs with the owner watching. Best for most commercial and healthcare projects over about $5 million.
Design-build
One contract for design and construction. Fastest, because design and construction overlap and there is one party responsible for both. The owner gives up some design control in exchange for speed and a single point of accountability. Best for industrial, medical office and projects with a hard opening date.
How we help you choose
We ask about the three things above and tell you which method we would use if it were our money. Sometimes that is a hard bid with someone else. It happens.
The method should fit the project. A contractor who recommends the same one every time is recommending what is best for the contractor.
Why preconstruction estimates miss, and how to tell if yours will
Square-foot history, missing scope and optimism. The three reasons a number fails, and the questions an owner can ask at the first meeting.
Building inside an occupied hospital: what the facility director needs to see from the contractor
ICRA, ILSM, shutdowns and the conversation with nursing. What separates a contractor who has done it from one who says they have.
How a construction schedule should be reported to an owner
Weekly, with the critical path marked, the float shown and the slips explained. If your updates do not look like this, ask why.
Tell us about the project. We will tell you what it costs and how long it takes.
A project executive replies the same business day. Conceptual estimates within two weeks of the information we need.