Design-Build and Construction Project Management
Design, budget, permits, and construction under one contract and one point of accountability.
The traditional model has a designer draw a project, a contractor price it, and everyone discover at tender that the design is well over budget. Months are lost redesigning, and the client pays for the design twice.
Design-build puts cost feedback into the design process from the start. You get one contract, one team, and a budget that is tested continuously rather than revealed at the end.
How Design-Build Works
We begin with a discovery conversation about what you need, what the site or existing house allows, and what budget range is realistic. From there we develop design and pricing together, so every significant decision comes with a cost attached while it is still cheap to change.
Once the design and budget are settled, the same team carries it through permitting and construction. Nothing gets lost in a handoff, and there is nobody to blame when a detail does not work, because we drew it and we are building it.
Project Management for Owner-Led Builds
Some clients already have drawings and a set of trades and simply need someone to run the project properly. We take on construction management for those builds: scheduling, trade coordination, site supervision, inspection management, budget tracking, and quality control.
This suits owners with a clear vision who do not want to spend their working week chasing subtrades and inspectors, and it works well on investment properties where the owner is not local.
Quote: Design-Build & Project Management
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What This Service Covers
- Feasibility assessment and budgeting
- Concept and schematic design
- Design development with live costing
- Structural engineering coordination
- Permit application and management
- Trade procurement and tendering
- Master scheduling and sequencing
- On-site supervision and quality control
- Budget tracking and change management
- Inspection coordination
- Client reporting and weekly updates
- Deficiency management and handover
Our Process on Every Project
The same five stages whether the job is a powder room or a custom home.
Consultation and Site Visit
We walk the property with you, listen to what you want, and give you a realistic read on scope, budget range, and timeline before anyone commits to anything.
Detailed Quote and Scope
You get an itemized written estimate with allowances stated at realistic numbers, not placeholders designed to look good and blow out later.
Design, Engineering, and Permits
We coordinate drawings, structural engineering where required, and the full permit application with your municipality, and we manage inspections through to sign-off.
Construction and Weekly Updates
One project manager, one schedule, and a written update every week covering progress, what is next, and any decisions we need from you.
Walkthrough, Deficiencies, and Handover
We walk the finished project with you and build a deficiency list. Everything on it is corrected before final payment, and you receive a full warranty and specification package.
Design-Build & Project Management Questions
The questions clients ask most about design-build & project management.
What is the difference between design-build and hiring a designer separately?
In the traditional model, design happens first and pricing comes after, which frequently means discovering the design is over budget once it is complete and paying for a redesign.
In design-build, cost information runs alongside the design so the budget is tested continuously. It is typically faster, and it removes the gap where a designer and a builder can each point at the other when something does not work.
Do you charge for the design phase?
Initial consultation and a preliminary budget conversation are free. Once we move into measured drawings, design development, and engineering coordination, that work is contracted and billed.
On most projects that proceed to construction, a portion of the design fee is credited against the build contract. We set that out clearly before you commit to anything.
Can you manage a project if I already have drawings?
Yes. We take on construction management for owner-led projects with existing drawings and, in some cases, existing trade relationships.
We review the drawings for constructability first, because issues found before mobilization are far cheaper than issues found at framing.
How do you keep a project on budget?
A detailed, itemized estimate at the start with realistic allowances rather than artificially low placeholders, a stated contingency, and written change orders for anything that moves.
You get a running cost summary through the build. Nothing gets added to the final invoice that you have not already seen and approved in writing.
How often will I hear from you during construction?
Weekly at minimum, with a written update covering what was completed, what is next, any decisions we need from you, and current status against schedule and budget.
Your project manager is reachable directly through the build. You will not be routed through a call centre or left guessing what happened this week.
What happens at the end of a project?
We do a formal walkthrough with you and build a deficiency list. Everything on it gets corrected before final payment, not after.
At handover you receive warranty documentation, product and finish specifications, paint colours, and maintenance guidance collected in a single package so it is there when you need it years later.
Design-Build & Project Management Across the Lower Mainland
We deliver this service throughout Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Select your city for local detail on permits, housing stock, and site conditions.
Other Services
Kitchen Renovations
Custom cabinetry, stone surfaces, structural openings, and the trades coordination that keeps a kitchen build on schedule.
Explore ServiceBathroom Renovations
Ensuites, main baths, and powder rooms with waterproofing done to standard, not to the minimum.
Explore ServiceBasement Development & Suites
Unfinished basements into living space or a legal, permitted, revenue-generating suite.
Explore ServiceReady to Talk About Your Design-Build & Project Management Project?
Book a free site visit and get an itemized written estimate with no obligation.