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Design-Build Contracting, Why & How:
>Design-Build Pre-Selection Checklist
>Design-Build Post-Selection Checklist
Design-Build
Contracting: Why & How,
Continued
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DESIGN-BUILD:
HOW?
In a Design-Build (D-B) approach, the owner or public entity decides to
build a facility and then selects the design-builder based on qualifications.
From that point on, there is only one firm responsible for all architectural
design, engineering design, cost estimating, and construction. The major
advantages of this process, as compared to the 'traditional' approach
decribed above, are:
- There is one contract, one guarantee and one bond.
- Guaranteed completion date
- Guaranteed price
- Allows for fast-track approach, if desired
- Control over contractor selection
- Contractor is involved in design and budgeting process
- Finger pointing (concerning errors and omissions) is totally eliminated
- Promotes teamwork
In addition, when a public entity is using the D-B approach, there must also be a Design Criteria Professional (DCP) involved to oversee the entire process. The statute requires that this individual must be a Professional Engineer or Registered Architect.
The duties of the DCP are:
- Preparation of the design criteria package (statutory requirement)
- Peer reviews of the D-B contractor's plans,
- Review of D-B contractor's cost estimate,
- Review of D-B contractor's shop drawings and submittals,
- Review of D-B contractor's pay requests,
- Field inspections of the work.
Florida state statute 287.055, commonly known as the Consultant's Competitive Negotiations Act (CCNA), does leave many of the procedures regarding the use of design-build up to the public entity itself, however. This is yet another advantage of design-build, because it allows the ownership group to customize the process based on time, budget and staffing constraints.
©2000 John A. Jones, PE, CBO
