Which delivery method involves a single entity providing design and construction services under one contract?

Which delivery method involves a single entity providing design and construction services under one contract?

• A. Traditional
• B. Design-Build
• C. CM-at-Risk
• D. Design-Bid-Build

Answer: (B)

In design-build, one entity is contracted to provide both the design and the construction services under a single contract. This means the owner works with a single team responsible for the entire project from concept through completion, which promotes integrated planning, faster decision-making, and usually a shorter overall schedule since design and construction can overlap and feedback from buildability issues can be incorporated early. This is different from traditional design-bid-build, where design and construction are separate contracts with different firms, creating potential delays and more fragmented communication. It’s also distinct from CM-at-Risk, where a construction manager oversees the project and contracts separately with design professionals and the construction team, even though the CM plays a key role in cost and schedule—there isn’t one contract covering both design and construction by the same entity.

In design-build, one entity is contracted to provide both the design and the construction services under a single contract. This means the owner works with a single team responsible for the entire project from concept through completion, which promotes integrated planning, faster decision-making, and usually a shorter overall schedule since design and construction can overlap and feedback from buildability issues can be incorporated early.

This is different from traditional design-bid-build, where design and construction are separate contracts with different firms, creating potential delays and more fragmented communication. It’s also distinct from CM-at-Risk, where a construction manager oversees the project and contracts separately with design professionals and the construction team, even though the CM plays a key role in cost and schedule—there isn’t one contract covering both design and construction by the same entity.