Design-build delivery vests responsibility for all design and construction in a single firm. A key reason for using the design-build approach is to save time and cost, particularly with respect to the time and cost of coordination between the architect and general contractor. This approach also allows for early delivery of a guaranteed maximum price prior to completion of the design.
The advantages of the design-build delivery method have been enjoyed by the private sector for the past several decades. The public sector has traditionally been foreclosed from design-build projects due to government procurement statutes. Recently, the federal government, as well as many cities and states, have been awarded their procurement laws to permit design-build.
