Design – Assist Contractors

Our Design Assist Project Delivery Process Connects Design Professionals with Experienced Contractors, Specialty Contractors and Product Manufacturers During the Design Stages of a Project

As building materials and systems have become more complex and proprietary, specialty contractors and product manufacturers have emerged as knowledgable participants who can make valuable technical contributions to the most complex parts of a project’s design.

Our Design Assist contractors use their expertise to identify areas in the plan that may be difficult or impossible to execute.  They leverage their knowledge of construction technology to suggest newer/different/better materials and they communicate with sub contractors to devise more efficient systems and construction timelines based on local labor markets, weather considerations, and delivery insights.

When our Contractors inform the design in a way that will save time and money, or provide some other benefit, it is better for the design professional to consider that information before construction is underway.  After construction begins, changes & re-designs that could have been foreseen can be costly and time consuming, negatively affecting the Project schedule.

Design - Assist Services

A collaborative project delivery method where the contractor provides information to assist the design professional's design, typically before pricing has been agreed upon or before the work has been awarded.

“Contractor” includes general contractors, construction managers, specialty contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and product manufacturers.  The design professional and contractor typically have separate written contracts with the owner that describe the scope of the contractor’s design-assist services and the extent to which the design professional can rely on the contractor’s information. The contractor may incur contractual liability for the information it provides, but the design professional is responsible for incorporating the contractor’s information into its design and maintains professional responsibility for the overall design.

Why Choose Design - Assist?

The Design-Assist Service saves time and money by providing contractors the opportunity to suggest modifications to design elements while the design is still being developed.  The benefits to the Owner and the Designer are as follows:

  • Improved communication between design and construction teams

  • Faster Construction Timelines

  • Coordination activities occur at an earlier stage when problems can be solved more easily

  • Change orders and request for information are reduced

  • Constructability issues can be identified earlier in the process

  • Owners see cost and scheduling benefits as costs can be locked in early and materials can be procured and assembled more quickly.

Detailed Design-Assist Services

  • Evaluating alternative design solutions for cost and constructability

  • Collaborating with design team to suggest improvements to design elements

  • Suggesting modifications to the specification

  • Preparing cost estimates for a specified scope of the work

  • Preparing schedule requirements

  • Constructability Review: validating the proposed design from a construction standpoint

  • Purchasing strategies for long-lead items