Services
Design-build services
Design-Build in Greater Montréal
Design-build means one contract and one team for both the design and the construction — instead of hiring a designer, then separately hiring a builder, and standing in the gap when they disagree. It's the model we've run since 2002, and it exists to kill one specific failure: the design that wins your approval turning out to cost more, or build differently, than what you signed off on.
Design-build vs. the traditional split
In the traditional design-bid-build route you hold two contracts and own the coordination risk between them. Design-build collapses that into one accountable party: the drawings are priced as they're drawn, construction can start on early phases while later design finalises, and there's no one to point at but us.
What one contract covers
Coordinated in-house, priced as one number:
- Design and concept
- Construction drawings
- Permits
- Procurement
- Construction
- Finishing and handover
The in-house difference
One accountable party — literally, not contractually
Design-build only means anything if the design is genuinely in-house — otherwise the seam between designer and builder is still there, just hidden inside one invoice. On the work we can carry end to end, our design is done under our own roof, by APDIQ-member designers, so “one accountable party” is literally true. On a project subject to the Architects Act, we bring the architect in to direct the design from the first sketch rather than handing them a finished concept — so the accountability stays whole across the whole project, not just our part of it.
Frequently asked
Design-Build — your questions, answered.
What is design-build and how does it differ from design-bid-build?
Design-build places design and construction under one contract with a single team, so one party is accountable for both. In traditional design-bid-build, the owner hires a designer, then separately bids and hires a contractor under distinct contracts, coordinating between them. Design-build gives you one point of accountability instead of managing two contracts and the gap between them.
Is design-build faster or cheaper than the traditional approach?
Design-build can move faster because construction can begin on early phases while later design is still being finalized, rather than waiting for a fully completed design before bidding. It also allows progressive, real-time cost estimating as the design develops, so budget surprises are caught earlier. Actual savings and timelines depend on the specific project and scope.
Who is accountable if something goes wrong on a design-build project?
In design-build, one entity is responsible for both the design and the construction, so accountability is centralized rather than split between an architect and a contractor. That reduces the finger-pointing common when problems arise under separate contracts. In Quebec, the firm performing the construction work must still hold a valid RBQ licence for the coordinated build.
Start a project
Have a space in mind? Let's design and build it.
Tell us about your project — commercial, retail, or residential — and we'll walk you through what design-build can deliver. Consultations across Greater Montréal.
Direct
(514) 697-1742info@indesignconstruction.caService area
- Montréal
- South Shore / Rive-Sud
- North Shore / Rive-Nord
- Laval
- Vaudreuil-Soulanges
- West Island