by Glenn M. Travis, Founder, and Evan Travis, Director of Business Development for GMT Home Designs
We say it a lot: Home construction or remodeling is a significant investment, and the results are really close to the heart. The better informed you are as a homeowner, the easier it is to make good decisions and communicate clearly with everyone involved.
With that in mind, here's a glossary of terms you'll hear when you consider choosing a design/build approach to your project. We've kept it concise and focused on what it all means to the homeowner. (You'll find some links to other in-depth blog posts for those who want to dig in further.)
And we've grouped our design/build definitions into three categories:
I. Construction project methods and stages
II. Different types of documents in home construction (such as "schematic drawings")
III. Other processes, steps, people and things you'll encounter in design/build
I. Construction project methods and stages
Architectural design: The creative process of developing the aesthetic and functional aspects of a home, defining its appearance, layout, and features. What is your house going to look like, what is the layout of rooms, where will basics like appliances, plumbing and HVAC be placed? Great architectural design is based not only on your style but also how the home will meet your daily living needs and preferences. (Here's more on the stages of the architectural design process.)
Design-bid-build: The traditional project delivery method where the owner contracts separately with a designer and a contractor. The design is completed first, then contractors bid on the construction documents, and after choosing a contractor, finally construction begins.
Design/build (or design-build): A unified approach where the designer and builder are chosen together, and work together starting early in the project. This may be done via one contract covering both phases (design and build); we recommend a variation of that contract structure that gives the homeowner clear ownership of their completed construction documents. The design/build approach aims to streamline communication, increase teamwork, and decrease the chances of needing to make costly changes during the construction phase. (You can learn more in Is design/build more expensive?)
Design-assist: This term describes a variation on design/build, more or less. It usually refers to a process where contractors participate during the design phase to provide constructability input and cost estimating before construction documents are finalized. It may be less contractually defined, or less fully collaborative, than a design/build team. (At GMT, we don't typically use this phrase – our design/build work is done in true partnerships based on very close cooperation from beginning to completion.)
Integrated Project Delivery (IPD): You may encounter this term less often, because it refers to an approach usually used in really big construction projects for commercial or multi-tenant buildings. Similar to design/build in its intent, IPD is an approach to align people (including multiple subcontractors), complex systems, and business practices throughout the project.
Site consultation: This is Step One in home construction projects – regardless of project method! An on-site meeting where professionals evaluate the property's characteristics, constraints, and opportunities before beginning any design or construction work. Sometimes also called a site walkthrough, site assessment, site evaluation, or "job walk". You should get lots of information and some creative new ideas from a good site consultation.
II. Different types of design/build documents
You may hear a bunch of different document types and terms thrown around in the industry. In our experience this can cause confusion, so here's what each type means, and notes on which ones are distinct or similar.
Blueprints - an outdated term! This word isn't used much any more. (Here's the background for our fellow history nerds.) In our experience, a person asking about blueprints could mean any sort of document. It's better to use the more specific terms spelled out below, to help ensure everyone is talking about the same thing.
Schematic drawings - used in the early stages of a project
- Preliminary sketches showing basic layout and spatial relationships
- Typically include rough floor plans, elevations, and how the home is positioned on the lot
- Low level of detail; focus on overall design intent and form
- This stage is always iterative for GMT: we get client feedback on initial drawings, make adjustments, and work together to zero in on the perfect design.
- Also, your designer should be able to use schematic drawings to offer a "3D walkthrough" of your space, allowing you to visualize how it all fits together. You're likely to notice things you want to adjust – and that's the point! If you have to make changes after construction has started, that's more costly (see "change order" definition further below.)
- In design/build, the contractor is already involved in reviewing these schematic drawings, to help ballpark costs and ensure that the final plan will actually fit the clients' budget.
- Schematic drawings do NOT include enough detail on measurements and materials to guide the full construction process.
Buildable plans, or construction documents - used in late (construction) stages of the project
- Should only be created after Schematics have been approved by client and builder
- Comprehensive package used for permitting, bidding, and building
- Contain sufficient detail for contractors to finalize prices and build
- Includes dimensions, materials, assembly methods
- Includes drawings, specifications, schedules, and product details
- Legal instruments that form part of the construction contract
- Often comprise multiple drawing sets across disciplines
- Terms emphasize their practical, execution-ready nature
Important note! Even though they are technically synonymous, we prefer to use "buildable plans" because, in practice, it's pretty common for someone to informally use "construction documents" when they might mean any number of different kinds of documentation. So, if a designer, architect, builder or contract refers to construction documents, it's valuable to ask the clarifying question: "Does this refer to fully buildable plans?"
Technical drawings - mid to late project stages, if needed (usually for commercial projects)
- Detailed drawings focusing on specific building systems, most often for commercial projects – including Mechanical, Electrical, or Plumbing details (thus also referred to as "MEP plans")
- Often show how systems integrate and connect
- Contain technical specifications and measurements
- Used by specialized trades to understand requirements
- Basics for each of these systems are already incorporated into the buildable plans for a home. For example, the buildable plans will already include outlet locations, construction notes for any recessed lighting, and other electrical fundamentals. During construction, once framing is complete, the electrician and homeowner do a walkthrough to ensure choices and details match the design, and if there is specialty lighting or other details requiring decisions at this point, the designer can produce a technical drawing or MEP plan capturing those choices and details.
In design-build, all of these document types evolve more fluidly than in traditional design-bid-build projects, with greater contractor input throughout the process. It makes the construction phase faster and more accurate.
III. Other processes, steps, people and things in design/build
3D rendering: Computer-generated images or animations that provide realistic visual representations of the proposed design before construction begins, helping clients understand how the finished project will look. Initially based on schematic drawings. We use the industry-leading Chief Architect software for GMT's drawings and renderings.
Change order: A formal document that modifies the original construction contract by adding, deleting, or revising the scope of work, affecting project timeline, cost, or both. Must be agreed upon by both client and contractor. Change orders apply once you've already agreed on final construction documents, and usually add cost to the project. (That's one reason why some people choose the design/build approach, with early contractor input plus 3D-rendered documents helping get the details right prior to construction, thus minimizing or avoiding change orders.)
Construction administration: The management and oversight of the construction process to ensure work is completed according to design specifications, including site visits, progress reviews, and quality control. In a good design/build project, both builder and designer are involved in construction administration, working as partners but with their specific responsibilities clearly defined on behalf of the homeowner.
General contractor (GC): The person (or company) in charge of the construction work. This person is ultimately accountable for the quality of the build, including parts done by subcontractors. (See next term.)
- Subcontractor: A specialized contractor hired by the general contractor (GC) to perform specific parts of the construction project, such as electrical, plumbing, framing, or HVAC (heating/cooling) installation. Pretty much every significant home construction job involves subcontractors.
Guaranteed maximum price (GMP): A contract arrangement where the contractor agrees that the total cost of the project will not exceed a specified maximum amount, protecting the owner from cost overruns.
Preconstruction services: All the work needed before breaking ground, including constructability reviews, scheduling, budgeting, and procurement planning.
Value engineering: The systematic analysis of designs, systems, equipment, and material selections to reach the homeowners' goals at the lowest total cost, ideally without sacrificing quality, performance, or aesthetic features. (In other words, "getting the most bang for your buck".) Design/build should inherently include value engineering from the beginning. If it's a late-stage process done because the project is running over budget, that's not ideal – it often leads to unhappy compromises.
###
About the authors: GMT Home Designs founder Glenn M. Travis has 30+ years' experience in architectural design. Evan Travis is director of business development for GMT. Learn more about our design/build services for homeowners and for contractors.
###
Learn tons more about design/build with these blog posts:
How is design/build different from the traditional bidding process?
Is design/build more expensive?
How design/build contracts work (or should)
How to choose your design/build firm
###
The first step in any home construction, addition or remodeling project is a conversation. We're ready to help: