Design-build means one company is responsible for both designing and building your project under a single contract. The traditional alternative, design-bid-build, means you hire an architect or designer first, then take the finished drawings to contractors for bids. Design-build is usually faster and gives you one party to hold accountable; hiring an architect separately gives you an independent advocate and competitive bids, at the cost of more time and more coordination.
Neither is automatically cheaper. The right choice depends on the size of the project, how much of the design is architectural rather than practical, and how much you want to manage yourself. Florida law also shapes who must be involved, which surprises many homeowners in both directions.
What is the difference between design-build and design-bid-build?
In design-bid-build, the sequence is linear. You hire an architect or designer, who produces drawings and specifications. Those documents go out to several contractors, you pick a bid, and construction begins. The architect often stays on during construction to review the work and answer questions, but they work for you and the contractor works separately for you.
In design-build, one entity holds the contract for both. The designer and the builder are on the same team from the first meeting, so constructability, cost and schedule are discussed while the design is still on paper. The Design-Build Institute of America describes the single contract as the fundamental difference between the two methods.
There are hybrids. Many homeowners hire an architect for the design and bring a contractor in early to price it as the drawings develop. That keeps the architect independent while getting real cost feedback before the design is final.
Is design-build cheaper than hiring an architect?
Not inherently. Design costs money under either model. Published cost guides put residential architect fees at roughly 5 to 20 percent of construction cost, with renovations and additions at the high end of that range, around 10 to 20 percent, because the architect has to document the existing structure before designing changes. Hourly rates for principals generally run $150 to $350, as of 2026 guide data.
In design-build the design fee is usually smaller or folded into the contract, but it has not disappeared. Where design-build tends to save money is in avoided redesign. In design-bid-build, it is common for the drawings to come back from bidding over budget, which means paying the architect to revise them and losing weeks in the process. When the builder prices the design as it develops, that loop is shorter.
Where design-bid-build can save money is in competition. Three contractors bidding the same complete drawings is the purest price comparison a homeowner can get. That only works when the drawings really are complete. Vague drawings produce bids that look comparable on paper and diverge sharply once change orders start.
Which is faster?
Design-build, in most cases, because design and preconstruction overlap. Long-lead items such as impact windows, custom cabinetry or structural steel can be ordered as soon as their specifications are settled, rather than after the bid phase. The Design-Build Institute of America cites research showing faster delivery and less cost and schedule growth for design-build, and the consultancy FMI projects design-build will account for more than 47 percent of US construction spending by 2028. Most of that data comes from commercial and public work, so treat it as a direction rather than a promise for a house.
Design-bid-build adds a bidding period and often a redesign cycle. On a small project that may be a few weeks. On a large renovation or new home it can be months.
Who is accountable when something goes wrong?
This is the strongest argument for design-build. If a dimension on the drawings does not work in the field, the design-build firm owns the problem and fixes it. In design-bid-build, the same discovery becomes a three-way conversation: the contractor says the drawing was wrong, the architect says the contractor misread it, and you are paying while they work it out. Many change orders on traditional projects come from exactly these gaps.
The counterargument is just as real. In design-build, nobody independent is checking the builder. An architect hired separately reviews the work on your behalf and has no financial interest in cutting corners. If you choose design-build, you need to trust the firm, and you should still own the drawings and be free to have them reviewed by a third party.
Do you need an architect for a house renovation in Florida?
Often, no. Under Florida Statutes section 481.229, one-family and two-family residences, townhouses and their outbuildings are exempt from the requirement to use a registered architect, regardless of cost. For other buildings, the exemption applies only to work costing less than $25,000. Read plainly, that means an alteration inside a condominium building above that threshold falls outside the exemption. Check that with your building department before assuming a substantial unit renovation needs no design professional.
Being exempt from an architect does not mean exempt from design professionals. Structural changes need engineering. Removing a load-bearing wall, adding a second story, cutting a slab for a relocated drain, enlarging a window opening in a masonry wall or building an addition all require someone to calculate loads and specify the structure. That is the job of a Florida-registered professional engineer, and in South Florida the design also has to account for hurricane wind loads. Our article on the Florida Building Code and hurricane renovation covers what that means in practice.
Florida law also sets the rules for design-build itself. A certified or registered general contractor may offer design-build services, but the architectural work must be done by a licensed architect and the engineering by a licensed engineer. Likewise, an architect or engineer may offer design-build only when the construction is performed by a certified or registered general contractor. Whichever model you pick, ask who the architect or engineer of record is, and check every license on myfloridalicense.com.
When does it make sense to hire an architect separately?
- New homes and major additions where the design itself is the point: massing, light, how the house sits on the lot. A strong residential architect earns their fee here. See our new construction page for how we work alongside an architect from the start.
- Historic or design-sensitive properties where a historic preservation or design review board will scrutinize the details.
- When you want an independent advocate watching the builder on your behalf, and you are willing to pay for it.
- When you want competitive bids on a fully documented design.
When design-build is usually the better fit
- Kitchens, bathrooms and condo interiors, where the design decisions are about layout, plumbing and electrical locations, materials and details rather than architecture. The person who knows where the riser runs is the person who should be drawing the kitchen.
- Renovations of older homes, where what is behind the walls changes the design. Having the designer and the builder in the same conversation when the wall opens saves weeks.
- Projects with a tight schedule, such as a seasonal resident who wants the work done while they are away.
- Owners who do not want to referee. One contract, one point of contact.
How we approach design and construction
Yosef trained as a structural engineer before spending more than 20 years in building and renovation, so structure is part of the first conversation, not something discovered at permit review. On the Bay Harbor apartment, a full condo gut in an occupied building, we handled the interior design as well as the construction, including the board approval and the work on the shared riser. On larger structural work and new homes, we work with the architect and engineer of record who seal the drawings, and we are involved early enough to price the design while it can still change. Our additions and structural page and the article on removing a load-bearing wall explain where engineering comes in.
Whichever model you choose, the useful questions are the same: who draws it, who seals it, who prices it, and who answers the phone when the field does not match the paper.
Frequently asked questions
Is design-build cheaper than design-bid-build?
Not automatically. You still pay for design in design-build; it is usually folded into the contract. Savings tend to come from avoiding a redesign when bids come back over budget and from a shorter schedule. Design-bid-build can produce a lower construction price through competitive bidding, but only if the drawings are complete enough that every bidder is pricing the same thing.
Do I need an architect to renovate my house in Florida?
Usually not. Florida law exempts one- and two-family homes and townhouses from the requirement to use a registered architect, regardless of cost. You may still need a Florida-registered engineer for structural work such as removing a load-bearing wall, an addition or slab cuts, and your building department decides what drawings it will accept for a permit.
Do I need an architect for a condo renovation?
Possibly. The Florida architect exemption for buildings other than one- and two-family homes and townhouses only covers work under $25,000, and a condominium building does not fall in the residential exemption. Your association may also set its own drawing requirements for alterations. Read its alteration rules and ask the building department before you finalize plans.
What does an architect cost for a home renovation?
Published 2026 cost guides put residential architect fees at roughly 5 to 20 percent of construction cost, with remodels and additions usually in the 10 to 20 percent range because existing conditions must be documented first. Some architects charge hourly instead, commonly $150 to $350 for a principal. Scope of service, from drawings only to full construction administration, drives the number.
What is an engineer of record?
The engineer of record is the Florida-registered professional engineer who signs and seals the structural drawings and takes professional responsibility for that design. On a renovation, that typically covers beams replacing load-bearing walls, new openings, additions, foundations and connections designed for hurricane wind loads. The contractor builds to those drawings; changes to structural elements go back to the engineer.
