Design-Build in Portland, Oregon
What is design-build?
Design-build means your design and construction are developed together, by one team, through an iterative process that lines up your project goals with your budget and performance goals.
Why work with a design-build contractor?
- You have input on your project at every step during the design process.
- The designer and contractor share their expertise and help you identify products and systems that will save you money and make your home function at a higher level.
- Our iterative design process provides ample opportunities to identify cost savings, express which features are most important to you and get the home you want.
- Design-build allows you to develop trust in your team from the outset of the project.
How our design-build process works
We offer design-build for new homes, ADUs, and remodels. Here are the steps we take to deliver your project:
Get in touch!
Fill out the contact form or call and tell us how we can help you. We’ll set up a time to tour your home or property, discuss your vision and goals for your project, explain the design build process, and answer any questions you may have for us.
Programming Phase
We gather information about your goals, budget, timeline and what’s important to you. This is the listening and note-taking phase. Based on that information, we explore the best options for completing your project. We develop as-built measurements of the home, look into your zoning, and generally research the project’s feasibility.
Schematic Design
Based on this information, our designers will present several design scenarios and walk you through an iterative process to develop a plan that strikes the right balance between meeting your goals and meeting your budget. It is when this stage is complete that we create a cost study to make sure the design will fit the budget.
Design Development
Our designer will prepare all the plans you need to get a permit from the city or county. This may include engineering, drawing details, and ensuring we have all information necessary to obtain a permit.
Construction Documents
We augment the plans, draw assembly details, create details for rainscreens, air barriers, difficult transitions, etc. This will help to guide our contractor and subcontractors through the construction process.
Construction Administration
Your Birdsmouth designer will be involved throughout the construction phase to help answer questions from your project manager, help modify details in the field, and make sure the intent of the design is administered.
Process
Communication is key to making any project go smoothly. We start our relationship off on the right foot by making sure you know exactly what to expect from us. Please click on the icons below to learn more about our process.
Make Contact
STEP 1: Get in touch
Fill out the contact form or call and tell us how we can help you. We’ll set up a time to tour your home or property, discuss your vision and goals for your project, explain our process, and answer any questions you may have for us.
Plans
STEP 2: Plans
One of your chief concerns is how much your project is going to cost. In order to give you an accurate cost study (more commonly known as an estimate), it’s important to have an accurate set of plans. If you already have scaled plans, we can quickly move on to Step 3. If you don’t, see below:
- Work with our architect, who will help you develop plans as part of our design build process
- We can recommend one of the many local architects we’ve worked with over the years
We want to be respectful of your time and your budget. That’s why we don’t move on to Step 3 until you have some good plans in hand. The more accurate and detailed your plans are, the better your cost study will be.
Cost Study
STEP 3: Cost study
You may have heard this called an estimate, but we call it a cost study because it is exactly that- we create a document based on past, similar work we have done. We thoroughly examine your plans, then assign cost estimates to every line item of your building project. The resulting document is an informed outcome about how much your remodel or new home may cost. Our clients comment that the cost studies they receive from Birdsmouth are the most detailed they’ve ever seen. This makes you better positioned to make a decision about who you want to partner with on your project.
Development
STEP 4: Development
Development is where your project begins in earnest. Here’s what you can expect:
- Letter of intent: If you agree with our cost study, we ask you to sign a letter of intent and pay a retainer. The retainer secures your spot in the queue and allows us to assign a project manager to develop your project. This is one of the most important investments you’ll make because it gives you accurate information about how much your project will cost.
- Development: During this phase we help you choose fixtures and materials. We introduce you to experts who can help you select the best flooring, HVAC systems and other components for your home. We work with your architect to clear up any lingering questions and make sure the project is completely ready to go.
- Value engineering: We want you to get the most value for your money during your construction project. Therefore, your project manager will work closely with you to recommend changes to plans and materials that help you stay within your budget while still meeting your goals.
- Bid: We work with a fixed price contract. That’s why we put so much time into developing an accurate bid. When we present you with your bid, you can count on us to stick to it. The only exceptions come when you request significant changes to the scope of work or we discover areas of your home with significant problems (dry rot, asbestos, etc.) that must be addressed.
- The final step during this stage is signing a fixed price contract based on your cost study.
Construction
STEP 5: Construction
Your Birdsmouth project manager will stay in close communication with you at every step during the construction process. They’ll answer questions, address concerns and let you know what to expect. We act as your advocates, ensuring suppliers deliver the right materials and subcontractors show up on time. In short, we do everything we can to keep the construction process on time, on budget and flowing smoothly.
Post-Occupancy Support
STEP 6: Post-Occupancy Support
We're still here for you long after you've moved into your new or beautifully restored home. All buildings go through a process of settling that can cause small imperfections. We will follow up with you one year after your home is finished to correct those problems. There is no additional charge for this service.