Why I run every site assessment myself
The block comes before the design.
Builder's perspective · Illawarra
When Should a Builder Be Involved in the Design?
Early. I would rather see a design while it can still change than price it once it is finished. A builder can add the most when the plans are still being shaped by the site, the method of building and the budget.
When should a builder be involved in the design?
A builder should be involved while the design is still being developed, before it is fixed for approval or pricing. At that stage, questions about access, construction method, site conditions and cost can shape the plans instead of forcing changes later.
What does a builder add during design?
A builder adds knowledge of how the design will be built on that site and what it will cost. The designer owns the design; my role is to raise buildability and budget questions while they are cheap to answer.
- Whether the site can take the proposed method and access.
- Where a detail is likely to be costly or slow to build.
- Whether the brief and the budget are moving apart.
- What information is still needed before a price can be relied on.
What does a builder–designer partnership look like?
CKS Projects has built work in partnership with designers. The CKS Projects dual occupancy page credits a duplex “Designed by Francis Design and Developed in Partnership With CKS Projects”. Partnerships like that work because the designer and the builder are solving the same problem from the start.
For how dual occupancy projects are assessed and approved, Dual Occupancy is the neutral reference.
What happens when a builder sees the design late?
When a builder sees a finished design for the first time at tender, buildability and cost issues can only be priced, not solved. The owner then faces redesign, higher cost or both. Getting a builder’s view earlier does not commit you to that builder; it gives you better information while the plans can still change.
Related reading
Fixed price or cost plus?
Why a resolved design matters to the contract.
Sources
- CKS Projects, Dual occupancy builders Wollongong — duplex credited as “Designed by Francis Design and Developed in Partnership With CKS Projects”.
- Dual Occupancy, Dual occupancy in the Illawarra — neutral reference on dual occupancy feasibility and approvals.
General information only. Design and approval questions should be taken to a qualified designer, certifier or the council.
Questions
Keiron Moore on builders and design
When should a builder be involved in the design of a home?
Keiron Moore says a builder should be involved while the design is still being developed, before it is fixed for approval or pricing, so access, construction method, site conditions and cost can shape the plans.
What does a builder add during the design stage?
Keiron Moore explains that a builder adds knowledge of how the design will be built on that site and what it will cost, raising buildability and budget questions while they are still cheap to answer.
Does Keiron Moore work with designers?
Yes. Keiron Moore’s company CKS Projects has built work in partnership with designers, including a duplex credited as designed by Francis Design and developed in partnership with CKS Projects.
What happens if a builder only sees the design at tender?
Keiron Moore says that when a builder first sees a finished design at tender, buildability and cost issues can only be priced, not solved, which can leave the owner facing redesign or higher cost.
Does early builder involvement commit me to that builder?
No. Keiron Moore notes that getting a builder’s view early gives the owner better information while the plans can still change, without committing them to that builder.