.png)
Having any type of construction work done on your home or business can be a stressful experience, especially if it’s something you haven’t done before. After all, there is a lot to consider, including planning, building control, design, project management and cost control.
The traditional way to undertake any form of construction work was to hire a bunch of different companies to be responsible for each element and then manage everything yourself.
If you work in construction yourself or you regularly commission building work, then you might be able to handle this with no problem. But if you’re completely new to it or you’re busy with other commitments, then you may find it all to be quite a headache.
Thankfully, there is a really simple solution: design and build.
Design and Build vs Traditional Construction Contracts
Using a traditional approach to construction, you’ll need to find your own architect, your own contractors, and someone to handle the regulatory elements like getting planning permission.
When you hire a design and build contractor, they take all of the responsibility off your hands and bring everything under one roof. This means there’s no contention between each of the parties involved since one company will be responsible for taking care of everything.
With a design and build company responsible for everything, the process is streamlined and much less stressful.
The Benefits of Design and Build
If you’re considering taking this approach to your design residential or commercial project, then here are some of the benefits you can expect from a design and build contract.
Someone Else Handles Your Project Management
If you have a job in project management, you’ll know just how much work is involved in ensuring everything gets done on time and to the standard that is required. If you don’t work in project management, you’ll quickly learn it’s much harder than it looks when you try to manage a building project.
This can be a full-time job on its own and mistakes can result in costly delays to your project.
Design and build construction companies do this work day-in-day-out, so you can rest assured that they’ve got everything under control.
The Design Will Be Practical and Affordable
In construction, we talk about something called “buildability”. This is how easy a design is to turn into reality. Since a design and build company is responsible for both the design and the construction of the works, they can use their expertise to design something that can actually be achieved.
This means you won’t have to keep revising designs as the build team hit problems because they’ll have already considered any potential issues before picking up a hammer.
This expertise can also help to keep you within budget. For example, design and build contractors in London will have a good understanding of the cost of materials and labour within their region so can suggest materials that can achieve your desired effects without breaking the bank.
You Have One Single Point of Contact
There’s nothing worse than having to ring around multiple tradespeople, architects, and companies to figure out what’s going on. But if you employ a design and build UK company, you’ll only ever need to speak to one person.
Using this procurement route, you’ll have your design and build architects, engineers, and contractors all under one roof, so you can get all the answers you need with a single phone call.
Design and Build Projects Are Usually Quicker
Most people want their construction project completed as quickly as possible. After all, you want the work done so you can enjoy your new home or start reaping the benefits of your new office space.
The traditional way of managing projects can often lead to delays. A design oversight here, a material shortage there, a missed appointment by the joiner, and suddenly you’re looking at weeks of extra work.
By having a single unified team working together to get your project completed to your complete satisfaction, design and build companies in London and further afield can usually complete construction work faster.
Design and build contractors can typically compress a program into a shorter timeline because they carry out tasks concurrently. For example, they may be able to start procuring materials before the design is completely finished.
There’s also less back and forth required between people on the team, meaning you can save days since there’s no waiting on answers from another company.
Design and Build Contractors Can Save You Money
As well as getting your construction project finished sooner, a design and build contractor can help you spend less too.
For a start, design and build companies have lower overheads. They only need to pay for one office, one set of admin costs, and one marketing team. So right off the bat, the design and build contractor has lower costs that it needs to recover from you.
Because design and build projects are typically completed faster, you’ll also be paying for “preliminary costs”, these are things like the wages of a site manager and the hire of tools and machinery. The less time spent on site, the less you pay.
They’ll also be able to advise on design choices that can help cut down material and labour costs.
Improved Quality
Design and build places all the responsibility for the work on one party, meaning there’s no one to pass the buck. By having total ownership of the finished work, a design and build contractor rests its reputation on delivering a quality service and ensuring your project is finished to your complete satisfaction.
Because you’ll work much more closely with a design and build company, they’ll have a much better understanding of what you’re looking for and why you made the design choices you did.
Armed with this knowledge, they’ll be in a much better position to turn your vision into reality.
At Yasmeen Property Services, we offer a complete design and build service throughout Greater London. To find out how we can help you with your next construction project, get a free quote today.
