How Applying Design-Build Generated $100,000 in Mechanical Cost Savings for an Illinois Master Distributor

In the traditional design-bid-build (i.e. plan and spec) process, there are many siloed parties an organization must manage including a designer, architect, general contractor and real estate broker. That is why we love design-build. A design-builder becomes the single point of contact managing vendors, taking on 100% of the risk and finding unique ways to deliver value.

We applied these principles on two different buildouts for Neuco, Inc., a family-owned master distributor of HVAC/R controls in Bolingbrook, Illinois. By becoming involved early in the process, we were able to design a mechanical system that integrated with the building’s existing equipment. This alone saved Neuco over $100,000. In the traditional design-bid-build process, a general contractor is often brought on too late to present design changes that can positively impact overall costs.

A general contractor is also not incentivized to present changes unless the project is already over-budget and requires value engineering. At this point in the process, value engineering means more lost time for re-design. By using a design-builder, changes can be proposed and approved during the design development process to stay on schedule.

How did our design-build process help Neuco become more operationally efficient while generating long-term value? Here’s a brief overview: