For many years we competitively bid projects against many other general contractors based on architect's plan and specifications. Most of the time being the successful bidder of an architect/contractor project was only the beginning of an involved process. The majority of these projects came in over the budget and required us to do value engineering to achieve an affordable project. Many times the architect's estimate was so inadequate the project was not possible to construct within the budget confines of the church, and therefore the project was not constructed.

The process of design/build has established a team comprised of contractors, architects and engineers to streamline the design process. The major advantage is to give the designers feedback to insure utilization of cost effective materials and practical designs. Contractors are involved daily with the purchasing of materials for their respective projects. We know which products perform best and which is the best value for the dollar. It also gives the contractor an avenue to get the necessary details and specifications into the design documents that will clarify responsibilities. Simple notes on the plans or in the specifications will clarify that the structural steel fabricator will supply the ladder in the elevator pit, not the elevator manufacturer. This will ensure that the gray areas are included in the contract, but not paid for twice. This process requires frequent reviews of the design documents by the contractor, suppliers, architects and engineers to give our customer maximum value for his dollar. The involvement of the contractor from the onset of this process will put him and the architect in a "hold responsible" position for their efforts in the design and construction phase of your project.

In contrast the conventional architect and bid process could leave the customer in a vulnerable position. The contractor is only obligated to supply those things clearly included in the design documents, where every gray area in the design documents could result in a change order to the customer. As well as having an open ended cost arrangement, the building committee will also become an arbitrator of responsibilities. Typically the materials specified will be those most familiar to the architect not necessarily the most cost effective.

The bottom line is we work to your budget. This process insures that the church will get the most value for their dollar. After we get the through local building reviews, we provide you with a guaranteed cost for the construction of your building.