FED Design Builders

When do I hire an architect to design my building?

One of the main pitfalls of construction or any business is that sometimes people can exploit other people because they don't know what options they have.  I am a strong advocate for presenting the services FED provides along with other options so the customer can make an informed decision.  If we don't present value to our customers then I would not expect them to use our services.  The hardest part of a construction project is knowing how much it will cost and what you will receive for those costs.  With this idea there are two main ways to start a
project.

1. Design build- is the process of working with a customer to hear their ideas and start to implement those needs into a design.  During this process the Design Builder (FED) will work with all types of sub contractors to provide design and cost that will meet your needs. The main benefit of this process is that a client can see the design and the associated cost of the project before they have large amounts of money spent in design.  A design build proposal is different than other hard bids.  Design build proposals are estimated with all possible costs included.  Even if it isn't on the drawing the contractors know they need to have a complete system for their trade that meets the needs of the customer and building code requirements. This means that you can establish the cost of the project very early on and count on it being your final cost in the end.

2. General contracting/Hard Bid- This is typically achieved by starting with an architect to  design your project.  During this process you will establish your needs and get them into a design but you don't have the ability to know the cost of the project before design is complete.  Only when the design and drawings are done can you start to receive bids for the building.  Architectural fees are typically cost plus and this can put the client at risk if the project that was designed comes in over budget.  Regardless of the project being constructed or not the architect still gets paid based on the work he performed.

Both processes have their pro's and con's.  It all depends on where you are at with your project, how much an upfront budget matters to you and the working relationship you would like to have with a contractor.

For more details on how long each of these processes take check our timelines HERE.