Planning to build a new church or expand your current campus? We know you’re excited to watch your vision come to life with four walls and a roof! However, before the process begins, you’ll need to make an important decision about which construction method to choose: design-bid-build or design-build.
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As an experienced design-builder, we’ve seen firsthand the numerous benefits of design-build projects for churches. Here’s a quick overview of both methods, along with an in-depth look at the reasons design-build construction is best (and why this approach will save you time, money, and hassles during your church construction project!).
Design-Bid-Build vs. Design-Build Method: What’s the Difference?
Design-Bid-Build
With the design-bid-build method (also known as the “traditional” method), the business owner or pastor must interview and hire an architect, an engineer, and a construction manager individually, each of whom will be responsible for hiring their own subcontractors.
As the project coordinator, the burden of communication generally falls on you. As a result, miscommunication between team members is common and can lead to budget overspend and inflated timelines.
Design-Build
If you don’t want to add “construction manager” on your resume next to “pastor,” we don’t blame you! That’s why many church leaders gravitate toward the design-build method, which results in a smoother process and better outcomes.
During the design-build process, a single company is hired, with an architect, engineer, and builder working as a unified team under one roof. This results in an all-in-one experience that streamlines communication, provides accurate upfront costs, and delivers a clear timeline and budget.
Benefits of the Design-Build Process for Your Church Construction Project
If you’re not already sold on the design-build process after that short explanation, here are more key benefits you’ll experience while utilizing this building method to construct your church:
Shorter Timelines
Because the design-build process is structured differently, it almost always yields time savings compared to the design-bid-build method.
First of all, the design-build method eliminates an entire step: sorting through bids. And since the design and construction teams work under the same roof, drawings and construction are managed through a single, unified process. This eliminates miscommunication and errors that can arise from working with two separate teams, thereby shortening timelines.
Budget Adherence
As stewards of your church’s finances, you want to make sound financial decisions throughout the construction process. Fortunately, the design-build process makes it easy to set an established budget.
During the design-build process, the maximum cost of the entire project is established after the preliminary drawings are completed, so you’ll know exactly what you’ll be paying upfront before the design or construction team gets started on the project.
Streamlined Communication
One of the most compelling reasons to hire a design-build contractor is that the architect, designer, and builder work as a single team under a single contract.
Having one point of contact eliminates miscommunication between teams, reducing project delays, errors, and budget overspend. Most importantly, it removes the need for you to manage cross-team conversations, so you can focus on what you do best—ministry!
Quality Control
It’s frustrating when you fall in love with a thoughtfully designed building—and the team of contractors fails to execute the vision with the same level of excellence. This is just one example of quality-control issues that can arise with the traditional design-bid-build method.
When you choose a design-builder for your church construction project, you can be confident that the collaboration between the designers and builders will lead to a top-quality result that will meet (or exceed!) your expectations. When all is said and done, you can rest assured that what is promised will be delivered by a design-build contractor!
Reduced Risk
New construction comes with a lot of unknowns. However, the unknowns multiply when you work with (and pay) a designer before hiring a construction team. A design-build contractor can identify potential risks early because the design and construction teams work together from the start to develop solutions, saving you time, money, and stress as the project progresses.
Partner with a Trusted Design-Build Contractor to Bring Your Ministry Vision to Life
As a full-service design-build contractor with a heart for ministry, our team at Churches by Daniels would love to partner with you to build a church that fulfills your ministry vision. Discover how the design-build method can best help you steward the resources God has given you to serve your congregation!
