The traditional approach involves hiring separate design professionals and contractors to build your project. The process moves in one direction…. meaning it’s designed first, then the plans are given to a contractor for bidding and construction. Changes or feedback on the design are time consuming and costly.
With design build construction the designer and contractor are part of the same company. This approach is collaborative and changes or feedback are part of the process. This means more time is spent in design but the end result is more optimized to your needs.
While the traditional approach is the most common it is really best suited to production building or multifamily construction where you are building the same designs over and over. Design build is a better approach for custom homes and remodeling.
Our designers have interior design training but more importantly they are experts in the specifics of kitchen and bath design. They attend trade shows and training seminars every year to seek out the latest products, stay up to date on trends and learn new software and skills.
All our project managers undergo in house and 3rd party training so they are knowledgeable and know how to get things done. They are on site every day and provide you a single point of contact for any questions or concerns during construction.
Our support staff are the unsung heroes of your project… our design assistants, warehouse manager and admin staff play a vital role in communication, material ordering, storage and delivery.
In the beginning we used in house crews to do a lot of the on site work but that meant everyone had to be a ‘jack of all trades’. Over time what we learned working with a team of experts resulted in better quality, faster delivery and comparable costs. We’ve spent years cultivating relationships with skilled local tradesmen and installers so they function as part of the MKB team.
Staying informed and knowing what to expect is a key factor in reducing the stress associated with remodeling your home. It’s a big focus for our team including:
A detailed project schedule lets you know what to expect each day and who to expect in your home… down to the hour.
Daily logs done at least 3 times a day….. once in the morning letting you know what to expect that day, once while your PM is on site and once in the afternoon recapping what was accomplished and the plan for the following day.
Easy access to all project details through your online portal. Everyone on our team gets notified of new daily logs, schedule updates and messages sent through the portal so we can stay ‘in the loop’ and respond to any issues quickly.
We stand behind all that we do and not only provide the best warranty in the business but we provide a free “tune up” service 6 months after your project is complete and annually after that. Sometimes small things need adjusting over time.
Using a traditional contractor is not bad. There are very good and qualified contractors in Tallahassee that use this approach.
But the traditional approach has its pros and cons and traditional contractors are best suited to certain kinds of projects and not others. It’s just important for you to make an informed choice for your needs.
A traditional contractor typically works alone and has a home office or works out of his or her truck. They don’t have much of a staff if any. Sometimes a spouse may assist part time with some administrative tasks.
This means they are the only ones to answer the phones, reply to messages etc… when they have time. Sometimes this can lead to delayed or missed responses.
They are knowledgeable but may not be up to date on the latest materials or methods. They are more likely to rely on “old school” techniques.
If they limit their projects to one at a time they can be on site every day managing subs and the schedule things can go well.
Problems occur when projects get delayed or they take on too much and can’t be on site daily to manage things. This is when projects can go really wrong.
They usually don’t have a very refined estimate process and usually do more “educated guessing” rather than figuring out actual costs. This means the final cost can be much more than their initial estimate.
Their estimate documents are usually simple and a little vague so it can be hard to know what is included and what is not.
If they price your project appropriately things can go well. Unfortunately they often underprice jobs and sometimes cut corners to maintain profitability or stop one project so they can start another to get the deposit money and cover expenses.
They most likely do not provide any design or material selection services. When they do choose materials they choose what they know, not necessarily what is best. Without working drawings like electrical plans, plumbing plans etc.. things are often “figured out” on site and sometimes mistakes are made.
If you want design work or help with materials selections you will have to hire a separate designer and visit local showrooms on your own to choose materials.
Traditional Contractors can get work done quickly and can be more cost effective if things go well.
They are well suited for exterior projects and projects that don’t require design or material selections.
The traditional approach is also perfect for spec homes or production building where the same design is used over and over again. Most traditional contractors prefer this work because once you learn the design the work is easier to manage.
Custom homes and remodelling are more of a challenge using the traditional approach. Many of the ‘horror’ stories you might have heard about projects gone wrong come from using the traditional approach on custom projects.
The design build approach is not new but historically it has been used less because it’s a little more complex of a business to run and requires more staff and a detailed process. That is changing as more people recognize its benefits.
Design-build can be more expensive than the traditional approach but the results are often much better. If you are investing in your home for the long term design build is the way to go.
Design build brings designers, contractors and a showroom all together under one roof. It’s 1 stop shopping for your remodeling needs.
This approach takes longer because time is spent in design making all your choices and drawing detailed plans and spec sheets. With everything decided in advance the project runs smoother because everyone is on the same page.
Our remodeling estimates aren't guesses or "good starting points." They're based on real material numbers and historic costs, and include a design consult in our showroom.
This is the right way to start: with a realistic budget and a clear remodeling plan.
If you're struggling with an outdated kitchen or bathroom, schedule a call with the owner, Paul McManus, to discuss options and see if we can help.