The design-build process provides the best overall value for an owner. As a design-builder, Three Way Builders becomes solely responsible for the outcome of the project. In a turn-key design-build project we ensure that all aspects of construction are handled for our clients. This includes coordination of the consultants and engineers, sub-contractors, suppliers and project team. The design-build approach creates a positive atmosphere of collaboration where the team works collectively to meet the owner’s needs instead of working in isolation ensuring their own interests are protected. The result is shorter design times, improved budget management, realistic construction schedules and peace of mind for the owner.

A key differentiator with Three Way Builders is our in house design team which enables us to respond quickly to clients particularly at the preliminary design stage allowing our clients to make early design decisions resulting in more projects that meet our clients dreams AND budgets.

General Contracting

General Contracting is normally associated with design-bid-build or tendered projects. In this project delivery method the client will hire a consultant to design a building for them and then get multiple bid prices from contractors for the project normally selecting the low bid from the group. The owner then enters into a fixed price (usually a CCDC2) contract with the contractor and construction begins. Owner and Governments often feel compelled to use this method in order to provide the illusion of best price through a “fair” tendering process.

The drawbacks to this method are that the project needs to be designed completely before it can be priced. This often results in long design cycles and projects coming in over budget as there is a disconnect between the design and the cost. We always say that the designer controls the cost of the project. This method also often leads to an adversarial construction process as any errors or omissions in the design trigger change orders that often do not result in the best value, which the client has no choice but to pay. Also often times GC and trades realize they missed something and are now forced to find ways to make up the lost profit by either hiding costs or taking short cuts. This results in lost value for the client and is often what gives the construction industry a bad reputation.

Construction Management

Construction Management is a hybrid of design-build and design-bid-build. In construction management the construction firm is selected during the initial design phase of the project to provide more accurate budgets and provide feedback on constructability of the design. Construction management can operate as a cost-plus contract in which all of the project costs are shown in an open book and the construction managers fee is charged on all costs. Construction management can also flip into a CCDC2 fixed price contract once the final budget is agreed upon. This provides the owner with the ability to get the project in budget with all of the bids and costs provided and then proceed into construction with a fixed price. At this point the project becomes very similar to a tendered project and much of the collaboration is lost. Construction management is certainly an improvement over tendering but still in our opinion does not deliver as much value as design-build.