Understanding Design Bid Build Part 2

DESIGN BID BUILD

Part two is designed to explore the Bid & Build portion of Design Bid Build. To learn about the Design Phase click here.

Many design firms will follow their own established guidelines when working on a Design – Bid – Build project. However, this article will help those of you new to working with an architect have a general understanding of what to expect during the bidding and construction phases.

Some Important Definitions before we begin:

Design-Bid-Build:  is a project delivery method in which the owner contracts with separate entities for both the design and construction of a project. This means that while the Architect and General Contractor have separate contracts with the owner they must still work together in order to complete the project.

• Bid Phase: The various general contractors bidding on the project obtain copies of the contract documents, and then put them out to multiple subcontractors for bids on sub-components of the project.
• Build Phase: After the project has been awarded, the construction documents may be updated to incorporate addenda or changes and they are issued for construction. The necessary approvals must be achieved from all jurisdictional authorities for the construction process to begin.

Contract Types: Many Architects and General Contractors will use the American Institute of Architects (AIA) contracts for projects. The most commonly used family of AIA Contract Documents are the A201 series because the documents are suitable for the conventional delivery approach of design-bid-build.

One such contract is the A101–2007, Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Contractor where the basis of payment is a Stipulated Sum.

Follow this link for a list of AIA contracts

Permit Documents: These documents are a series of drawings and specifications that must be approved by the local building department, fire marshal, health department and others before construction can begin.

For more information take a look at our earlier post on Permit Documents click here.

Change Order: A change order is a component of the change management process whereby changes in the Scope of Work agreed to by the Owner, Contractor and Architect/Engineer are implemented.

Construction Administration: The Architect serving as a construction administrator observes construction for conformity to construction drawings and specifications.

Shop Drawings: A shop drawing is a drawing or set of drawings produced by the contractor, supplier, manufacturer, subcontractor or fabricator. The project Architect or Engineer will typically review these drawings to ensure they match the projects design intent.

 

Process:

Your project has just moved from the Design Development phase and now your Architect says they are going to start Construction (or Contract) Documents. What does that mean? At this point in the project you and the design team have worked through several design solutions and you have chosen one that you would like to be built. Construction Documents are the point in the project where the design team will add details to the drawings that will enable the contractor to build your project.

These drawings typically  include the following: Detailed Site plan, Floor and Ceiling Plans, Finish Plans, Furniture Layouts, Building Sections, Code Information, Door & Window Schedules and lots of details. If the project has an engineering team they will also be working to produce a much more detailed set of documents in order to get the necessary permits and to help the contractor build the project.

 

Once the Construction Documents are ready they are sent out to several (usually 3) General Contractors for bid. Depending on the size of the project this could take 2-3 weeks before the General Contractor and his/ her sub-contractors have a detailed estimate back to you for review. We recommend that owners require the bidders to submit their itemized estimates back  following the Masterspec format. This way the owner and the design team can compare each bidders numbers in order to have a sense of how well contractor’s understand the project design and the anticipated work. It is common at this time that the bidders will submit a series of questions regarding the project. Your architect and design team are responsible for addressing questions related to the  bid documents. Many architects will work with you to review the bids and if necessary help you select the appropriate General Contractor. It is important to remember that once you select a General Contractor he/she will be giving you a price for the work as noted in the Bid Documents. Unless there are changes to the Scope of Work you should expect that the price they agree to is what construction will cost.

 

Once you have selected a General Contractor and signed all the necessary contracts the project moves into the build phase. Typically, the General Contractor will be responsible for submitting the documents to the city for permitting. Be aware that permitting can take as long as 6 weeks for even a small project. Make sure you talk to your architect about ways to speed up this process as permitting is different in every municipality.

Once you have all your permits the Architect and General Contractor will hold a Construction kick-off meeting. At the meeting they will discuss the project schedule, potential problem areas and also the roles and responsibilities of each team member during construction.

 

One role many clients do not understand is the job of the Architect and design team in construction. While it is true that the builder is the expert when it comes to deciding how to best construct the project it is just as important to remember that the Architect and Engineers can provide oversight and and management during construction to ensure the project is on schedule and on budget. Your Architect will perform scheduled site visits to review the progress of the work and will prepare a site observation report so that you have a clear understanding of the contractors progress. This is important when it comes time to pay the General Contractor. If the Architect is not reviewing pay application requests it will be up to the owner to determine if the fee matches the work completed in the field. The design team will also review shop drawings to ensure that the fabricator of a desk or cabinetry for example is going to build what was designed and what you paid for.  At the end of construction the Architect and Engineers will walk the site and perform a final punch-list of items that need to be completed before the Contractor receives final payment. If you decide to not have your Architect on board during construction it could cost you a lot more headache and money in the end. So when you are selecting your Architect be sure to ask them about their role during construction and the services they can provide.

 

Good Luck on your next project!