Working with a Design-Build Studio versus the Traditional General Contractor Model

​In our experience, one of the first things a potential client notices is that we are a design-build studio, and therefore one of the first questions we typically get during our discovery consultation is “how are you different from a general contractor?” In a nutshell – we focus on the entire renovation process, not just the second half of it. Let’s go into this in more detail.
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​The renovation process is actually broken up into two stages – design and construction. The traditional general contractor model focuses on the second stage, construction, while leaving the design stage completely on their clients to figure out. As a design-build studio, we guide our clients through both stages, as we understand how important the design stage is to completing the construction stage.

​As you can imagine, no construction work can begin until all of the products and fixtures you want in your space have been selected, and there are a lot of selections to be made. For example, one of our typical kitchens has about 50 design decisions to make, and the number only goes up with the complexity of the space. The design process can be completely overwhelming, cause a large amount of anxiety, and be very time consuming for those unfamiliar with all that is involved. With our expertise and trained eye, you can relax knowing that we will help you with all of these details. 

In the traditional GC model, you would be on your own. You may tell the GC what tile you’d like, but they don’t ask you what layout you want, what grout colour and thickness you’d like, or how you’d like the edge finished off. Now they may ask you during construction about those things, but sometimes they will just make the decisions themselves and then you’re stuck with it. In our business, we would not only select the tile and cover all of these items mentioned, we would also provide tile diagrams to our trade partner so there’s no confusion on site. Part of our design process is thinking through all of these details and compiling the necessary technical details to provide to our trade partners to help minimize rework and maximize quality. 
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​The design phase is also important from a budgetary point of view. Without selections being made, a contractor cannot give an accurate quote without making inaccurate assumptions on the quality of product to be used. I know individuals that were given an estimate for their renovation, went out on their own to select what they wanted, and once everything was installed, were given a final invoice for 50% more than originally quoted! They had no choice but to pay it because that’s what the renovation actually cost, but they went into it without that knowledge as no one was looking after the investment amount while selections were being made. 
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​We work with your initial budget to make selections, but we’re also honest with you if you cannot get what you want for what you’re hoping to pay. Homeowners don’t live in this sphere, so they’re unaware what a renovation actually costs. It’s our job to guide them, and we provide our quote once every single design decision has been made. This isn’t to say we keep our clients unaware throughout the design process. We are constantly updating our clients so there’s no surprises at the end when it comes to their budget.

​So as you can see, the main difference between our design-build model and the traditional GC model, is our focus on the design phase and ensuring our clients have an accurate representation of what their renovation is going to cost. We pride ourselves on making the entire renovation process as simple for our clients as possible.

Have any questions or comments regarding the design-build model or the traditional general contractor model? Just drop them below; we’d love to hear from you.

You can also book a free discovery consultation to discuss in further detail how we can help you achieve your renovation goals.

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