Choosing a Design-Build Construction Firm for Your Facility Expansion
There comes a time for growing businesses to expand beyond their current facility, either by constructing an entirely new building or adding to the existing one. However, these endeavors can prove overwhelming for business owners who are already preoccupied, leading to frustration, slow progress, and lost opportunities.
Luckily, design-build construction firms can alleviate some of the headaches. These firms have become business owners’ chosen expansion method for several reasons. Read on to learn more about design-build construction firms, how using them for your facility expansion could save you time and money, and how you can choose the right one for your business.
What Exactly Is a Design-Build Construction Firm?
Before turning to a design-build construction firm for your facility expansion, it’s essential to understand precisely what they are.
Essentially, design-build construction firms practice both design and construction. General construction firms that use the design-bid-build approach tend only to offer one or the other, but design-build firms are experts in both, allowing business owners to communicate with a single partner. Because design-build contractors have their own engineers and architects, operations run seamlessly between those groups working under the same company.
Why Use a Design-Build Construction Firm for a Facility Expansion?
When planning to expand a facility, most business owners want to simplify the process as much as possible. Because design-build construction firms specialize both in construction and design and eliminate the need for multiple contracts, using their services is the easiest way to reduce the number of ongoing communication lines. This keeps projects like construction expansion from becoming too confusing.
Which option sounds easier: Having a single design-build construction firm provide designs for your facility expansion and execute its construction from beginning to end, or navigating multiple services that each require different responsibilities from you? Getting all your materials, designs, and labor from the same source is often the best decision.
Design-build construction can turn a frustrating facility expansion into a seamless one. Dive deeper into the design-build process to decide if it’s the right choice for your next project.
Benefits of Design-Build Construction With Full-Service Contractors
Benefits of using a design-build construction firm include:
- Faster construction: Having engineers and architects work together can considerably speed up construction times. On top of that, the time spent meeting with teams is reduced because everyone is part of the same group.
- Simple communication: Setting up calls is much simpler when you only deal with a single contractor. Using design-build construction, you can easily connect with your contractor for updates, emergencies, or anything else that might be necessary.
- Cost effectiveness: Since design-build firms condense every step of the building process into a single contract, you can reduce costs that would otherwise be divided amongst multiple teams.
- Stronger relationships: Working with the same contractor for months helps build your business relationships. Improved relations can develop trust, ease your mind during unexpected events, and provide reliable services for future projects.
- Seamless collaboration: Managing a team of engineers, architects, designers, and construction workers is much more seamless when everyone is under the same roof, and that’s precisely what you get when you partner with a design-build construction service.
How to Select a Reliable Design-Build Construction Firm
Thousands of firms can provide design-build construction services for your facility expansion, but that doesn’t mean you should just go with any of them. For a project as important as this, time and research are needed to select the best professionals.
Here are some things to look out for when narrowing down your options:
- Clear communication: Struggling to get in touch with a potential design-build firm should be a red flag. Having a single contractor to relay all of your information to can be terrific, but it’s ultimately pointless if they cannot communicate effectively. A reliable contractor is easy to reach, can seamlessly direct you through each stage of the process, and provides frequent updates as needed.
- Ample experience: Everybody has to start somewhere, but for the best results, look for a contractor with plenty of experience. Inquire about the design and construction teams, as each should be capable of providing excellent service. For example, Calahan Construction Services has over eight decades of experience in the construction industry and can confidently deliver top-quality service for clients.
- Impressive portfolio: Any firm can claim to deliver outstanding results, but having proof to back it up can help you decide whether they’re telling the truth. Checking a contractor’s online portfolio is an excellent way to see if their work is up to par, and if they meet your standards, you might even get a spark of inspiration. A professional contractor’s work should be able to speak for itself.
- Familiar with the area: Local contractors that are familiar with the area have the most knowledge about potential build sites. Choosing a firm that knows the land’s geography, weather, and specific building guidelines can simplify the design and construction processes.
- Certifications: Partnering with a licensed and insured contractor is critical. This protects you from liability for injuries and accidents that could occur during construction. Don’t be afraid to ask to see their certifications—if they’re professionals, they’ll be happy to.
- Positive reviews: Check online reviews and testimonials to get a better idea of what previous customers’ experiences were like. If you notice they have a majority of average to negative reviews, this could indicate that you need to look elsewhere. Likewise, significant positive reviews are a good sign that they’re the real deal.
- Time and cost: Only partner with a design-build firm after deciding prices and timelines. A decent contractor should be able to accommodate you by setting a fair budget and sticking to projected timelines.
Make Calahan Construction Your One-Stop Design-Build Construction Service
If you’re looking for a reliable contractor that offers design-build construction in Denver, Colorado, Calahan Construction has you covered. As a full-service provider, we can handle any construction needs you may have. Our team of engineers, architects, project managers, and general contractors will be with you every step of the way to ensure that your facility expansion is quick, efficient, and as effortless as possible.
Calahan Construction Services has exceeded customer expectations for over 80 years—and we don’t plan to stop anytime soon.