The pros and cons of a design build company

Imagine picking up the phone and speaking to an experienced builder or designer who says they can handle your entire home extension project for you, from planning permission to fitting your dream kitchen. They give you a price that’s within your budget and you’re good to go, right? With a reputable company, which has a proven track record this can be the case, although the ‘extras’ can start to add up if you’re not careful. This blog examines the pros and cons of using a company that offers you the world and asks: is design and build too good to be true?

A bit of a disclaimer: we work with several design and build companies, offering independent planning and design advice to both the builders and their customers. Often, we are introduced to the customer and guide them through the entire planning and building control process as we would do for any of our independent clients, offering the same time, service and dedication that we would to anyone else.

The pros and cons of design and build

Pro:

Finding a full design team (local architectural designer or architect, engineer, independent planning adviser, main contractor, surveyor, building control officer, etc.) for your project can be difficult and time-consuming. A design and build firm can provide all of this and you only need to phone one number.

Con:

You will be paying for all these professionals to have a hand in your project, and you won’t get a choice over who they are. If it’s in budget that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It does, however, take away the flexibility of choosing your own architect or architectural designer who will suit your own particular needs regarding style and budget.

Pro:

Once you’ve made your budget clear, the design and build company’s design team should be able to talk you through ways to keep your extension within that budget and save you money on those things that are less important e.g skirting boards, so you can spend the money on the elements that really matter to you e.g kitchen cabinets and worktops.

Con:

With an independent designer or architect, you will often get the same advice, but you will have the ability to shop around for other builders. This increased competition will likely save you money over the design and build company. 

Pro:

You’re usually dealing with one person throughout the whole process and you’ll have constant support from start to finish. With one phone number to ring and usually one person managing your project, it’s easy to keep tabs on things. There is less chance of miscommunication and misunderstanding along the way.

Con:

You’re usually dealing with one person throughout the whole process…what if you don’t get on with them? A typical single storey extension project can take anywhere from three to six months, depending on whether you need planning or not. That’s a long time to be working with somebody you clash with!

Con:

This is where the ‘extras’ start coming into it. If, for whatever reason, the design and build company you have chosen doesn’t manage your home extension properly and things start to overrun, it will start costing them money. This cost will then be passed on to you and is something to watch out for. If you decide to move a wall they’ve previously installed this is a legitimate ‘extra’, but if you leave them to do their work and things start to drag on you may find that they start making excuses and implying there has been extra building work involved. It’s important to choose carefully. Our advice is to always do a lot of background research before signing a contract, looking at reviews and previous work.

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So, are design and build companies too good to be true? It depends. Design and build companies can be fantastic; they offer support throughout the project and can get you from your initial designs right through to your completion certificate. You will, however, be paying a premium for this service.

As an independent design firm we give you all the tools you need to approach as many builders as you like to get the best quote for your project. It’s your choice, your budget and who you would like to work with.

Just a final point to make: we have never received any negative feedback from clients regarding their experience with the design and build companies we work with. They are reputable firms and have buckets of experience. However, there are other articles out there that show a different perspective so we would recommend giving this topic a Google. Always do your research!

If you would any advice about architectural design or any further advice on design and build, then please give our team a call on 0115 874 8570 or email us at hello@practicalplanningco.co.uk