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Do any of you offer design/build services? I am thinking about incorporating this service into my business to help me bridge the gap between the design stage and building stage. I feel like I lose the potential client after the initial meeting because the next step is to go to the drawing board for the design. I have a draftsmen I use ,but have found I lose money if I am the middle man between the client and the draftsman. On the other hand I fear losing the client and being taken out of the loop if I’m not the middle man. This has led me to consider doing the design myself as well as the building. I am a hands on contractor (I wear a tool belt) with no employees who is wondering if this is possible for a one man show to do profitably. If any of you have experience in this area I would appreciate it if you could tell me about the pros and cons of design/build. Thank you.
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rich.. 75% of our work is design/build...
the rest is repairs, or working from someone else's plans....
the customer pays for the design....which includes an estimate...
if they like it .. they get a proposal with a fixed price.... then we do the build part..
my ideal situation is me and three guys...right now i'm working me and one guy...burning the candle at both ends..
.. i don't see how you can do all the production and all the design... unless you work with subs...
*Mike,Thanks for the response.I do work with subs and wonder if the only way to do design/build is to drop the tool belt and use subs for everything with their only being so much time in a day.
*Rich,Practically every thing I do is at least partially designed by me. I'll take a potential clients thoughts/pictures etc. and do a sketch for free. If they want construction prints I draw them for a deductible fee if I get the job.
*In over twenty years I don't think that we have ever worked from a complete set of drawings. We often get a set of drawings that meets the minimum required by the building inspector. Everything else is design/build. Sometimes the owner is very involved in this and other times the owner is a thousand miles away. Sometimes we design the entire project and get an engineer to stamp the drawings. I would find anything else a little boring.
*Design is where the real fun is. The customer pays for it. It is a good way to prequalify the customer. If they are unwilling to pay for design work it is not the only thing they'll try to short you on. Besides, when you sit at a table discussing items with them for two or three times, you can get a good idea whether you want to work with them or not. Remodeling is very much about relationships because you'll spend so much time with them in their home. I turned one lady down after she asked me three times to do her hame and when she pestered mew for a reason, I finally had to tell her, "...rreally don't think that we could get along with each other long enough to complete the job" While she was taken aback at first, she thanked me for being honest and a ytear later she referred a freind to me for work.I bill separately for design and for construction with it clearly stated and understood up front that the relationship is separarte. After they have bought the design, they are free to pursue a relationship with another builder and I am free to decline to build the design for them. Generally as I progress with the design phase, I am explaining why this and why not that in a way that builds their confidence that I am listening to them but am generally right when I disagree with them and that I have thought of everything (I don't tell them that I'm still figuring it out). It's a sales process as well as relationship building. If I can get into the mind of the couple, I can satisfy them both. It incorporates design, psychology, salesmanship, and workmanship into one job. I love it!I work 3-5 men plus various subs and do 250000 to 700000 per year.Since my back has gone I am trying to do less hands on and more design/management.
*We started offering design work about four years ago. I have to agree with piffen, it helps build the relationship between you and the client. It is also very rewarding to see something you have drawn and planned come together. We put a rough draft together for the customer to red pencil and make changes on. At the same time it allows me to put a concept estimate together. When the client signs a contract and I have a draw check in hand, then we put together a comprehensive set of prints and bill for our design time. At that point I also present them with a contstruction estimate that has our break down of allowances for flooring, cabinets, fixtures, etc...Hope this helps.
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Do any of you offer design/build services? I am thinking about incorporating this service into my business to help me bridge the gap between the design stage and building stage. I feel like I lose the potential client after the initial meeting because the next step is to go to the drawing board for the design. I have a draftsmen I use ,but have found I lose money if I am the middle man between the client and the draftsman. On the other hand I fear losing the client and being taken out of the loop if I'm not the middle man. This has led me to consider doing the design myself as well as the building. I am a hands on contractor (I wear a tool belt) with no employees who is wondering if this is possible for a one man show to do profitably. If any of you have experience in this area I would appreciate it if you could tell me about the pros and cons of design/build. Thank you.