There is a simple solution to ensure a potential project gets further than the drawing board and that is to have a
builder involved as a consultant during the design process. There are a few differing scenarios to which this can
occur, but having a responsible, experienced builder involved during the design process ensures costs are
controlled during the design phase to ensure a suitable outcome for all stakeholders & ultimately a satisfactory
outcome for the client
In the design & build space you would be familiar with & seen many companies providing this service. At one end,
there is the full design & build service. This entails a business who has an in-house design department that will
often also take care of the approval process. This business may also specialise in a particular genre of house
design & have plans that are adaptable to your needs. Another variation that occurs is a situation where the
builder will outsource & work with a designer / architect as required. An advantage here is the flexibility to align
the design consultants with the requirements of the design brief from the client. In both cases described it is the
builder who is overseeing & essentially controlling the process.
It is important to understand how to differentiate between design and build & custom building. Our volume builder
friends market their own designs with inclusions etc, we hear them advertising on the radio during the day. They
are providing set plans & inclusion packages that they alter & tweak to suit the situation for planning purposes,
while it is technically design & build – it is not custom. Custom design & build is the process where we start from
complete scratch creating the design from the ground up to suit the location & the requirements of the client.
Typically, there are very few, if at all compromises for the client, this process allows for full customisation.
It is a somewhat foreign concept to think about a builder as a consultant & have them involved early in the process.
As I mentioned in my other article “why the traditional design & tender process is dying a slow death” most of the
issues that halt a design becoming a viable project is the fact build costs are realised too late in the process. There
are more costs associated with a build than those applicable to the documentation & even site conditions. Having a
responsible & experience builder in the process can help identify logistic costs over & above the actual build cost. An
example is site access. How easy it is to move around the site & handle materials & equipment can have a significant
impact on the project cost. This is not picked up on documentation, but an experienced builder will understand this & factor this into the build cost by simply inspecting the site during the design process. Other physical & logistical
issues can then be addressed within the design prior to getting on site & needing to deal with this well into the
build process.
In closing, the overriding message is to engage a builder early in a pre-contract agreement be that a full design &
build scenario whereby the builder is in fact leading the process. Alternatively, if this process has been initiated,
engage a builder as part of the process for reasons mentioned. I can assure you the exercise towards building
your dream will be far more rewarding.
