Design/Build Model is Transforming Home Construction

April 15, 2025

Design/Build Model is Transforming Home Construction

One Contract. One Vision. Zero Chaos.

Design/Build Model is Transforming Home Construction: When it comes to remodeling or building a home in Los Angeles, most homeowners expect delays, unexpected costs, and frustration. But what if the process could be smoother, faster, and more collaborative? That’s exactly what the Design/Build model delivers — and why it’s quickly replacing the outdated design–bid–build approach.

Greenworks Construction, a trusted Design & Build firm in LA, has been championing this model for over a decade. Their projects, from fire-resistant hillside homes to budget-friendly ADUs, are proof that when design and construction live under one roof, the results are exceptional.

What Is the Design/Build Model?

The Design/Build model is a project delivery method where a single entity — the Design/Build firm — manages both the design and construction of a project. Unlike the traditional method, where the architect and contractor operate separately (and often in conflict), Design/Build promotes unity, speed, and shared accountability.

Traditional Model:

Hire an architect
Bid the design to contractors
Manage revisions, conflicts, and delays
Construction begins after lengthy approval cycles

Design/Build Model:

One team handles everything from concept to completion
Faster approvals, fewer surprises
Total transparency in cost, materials, and scheduleGreenworks Construction eliminates the finger-pointing and disconnect that plague traditional projects. From the first sketch to the final inspection, your home is in the hands of a unified team.

Why LA Homeowners Are Switching to the Design/Build Model

1. Speed and Efficiency

Los Angeles homeowners don’t have time to babysit a remodel. The Design/Build model streamlines approvals and fast-tracks construction. Greenworks completes many mid-sized remodels in 30–40% less time than the traditional approach.

2. Better Budget Control

In traditional projects, costs spiral when contractors “value engineer” the architect’s plans — often stripping out quality or functionality. Design/Build firms like Greenworks prevent that. Design choices are made with buildability and cost in mind from day one.

You know your budget before demolition, not halfway through framing.

3. Seamless Communication

With Greenworks, the design and construction teams literally sit under the same roof. That means instant feedback loops, collaborative decision-making, and fewer misunderstandings. This is crucial in LA neighborhoods where site conditions can dramatically impact a build mid-project.

How the Design/Build Model Reduces Risk and Delays

Eliminate Change Orders and Rework

Design/Build Model is Transforming Home Construction: Change orders are the single most frustrating part of traditional construction. They’re also expensive. In the bid-build model, contractors often find errors or impractical details in the architect’s plans — and then charge you extra to fix them mid-project.

With the Design/Build model, that conflict never happens. Why? Because the people who design your project also build it. They know what materials are realistic, how zoning affects layouts, and which design ideas will bust your budget before you even see a final rendering.

Greenworks Construction involves builders and estimators during the design phase, preventing downstream issues and eliminating the need for most change orders altogether.

What Types of Projects Benefit Most from Design/Build?

Greenworks uses the Design/Build model across every type of residential construction, but the benefits are most dramatic in:

✅ Fire Rebuilds in High-Risk Zones

Homes destroyed by wildfires in places like Altadena or Pacific Palisades need fast, code-compliant rebuilds. The Design/Build model enables Greenworks to submit plans with fire-rated materials, slope data, and defensible space designs — all in one package.

✅ ADUs and Garage Conversions

With LA’s housing laws encouraging more ADUs, time-to-market matters. Design/Build allows Greenworks to pre-plan plumbing, utilities, and setbacks so they can break ground quickly.

✅ Whole-Home Remodels

For full gut renovations, coordinating structural work with new design is essential. Instead of handing off to a random GC, Greenworks’ construction crew executes what the design team imagined — without interpretation errors.

Behind the Scenes: How Greenworks Executes Design/Build Projects

1. Collaborative Design Meetings

Instead of hiring an architect and hoping they understand your lifestyle, Greenworks sits down with you to review daily routines, room functions, and must-haves. The design team also collaborates with the build team during concepting — ensuring your dream kitchen doesn’t blow up your plumbing layout.

2. Live Budget Modeling

As design evolves, you see how it affects cost in real time. Want to upgrade to marble countertops? You’ll know the impact instantly — no financial blind spots. This live estimating is crucial in a city where labor and materials costs can fluctuate fast.

3. Permitting and Engineering

Greenworks manages every plan check, structural calc, and code review. Whether it’s a hillside lot or a historical overlay zone, you’re covered. And if LADBS requests revisions, Greenworks doesn’t point fingers — they just handle it.

4. Construction and Project Management

The handoff from design to build is nonexistent — it’s the same team. Their construction managers oversee subcontractors, quality control, and timeline milestones. Weekly client updates, real-time site photos, and clear project dashboards make sure you’re never in the dark.

Additional Resources:

Our Service Areas

We are serving Los Angeles metro area. Our service area includes, but is not limited to the following locations: Agoura Hills, Altadena, Arcadia, Atwater Village, Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Beverlywood, Brentwood, Burbank, Calabasas, Camarillo, Canoga Park, Century City, Country Club Park, Culver City, Eagle Rock, Echo Park, Encino, Glassell park, Glendale, Hancock Park, Highland Park, Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, La Brea, La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta-Montrose, Los Feliz, Manhattan Beach, Mar Vista, Marina del Rey, Melrose, MidCity, Miracle Mile, Moorpark, Newbury Park, Oak Park, Pacific Palisades, Palos Verdes, Pasadena, Playa del Rey, Cheviot Hills, Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Silver Lake, Stevenson Ranch, Studio City, Tarzana, Thousand Oaks, Toluca Lake, Topanga, Valley Village, Van Nuys, Venice, West Hills, West Hollywood, Westchester, Westlake Village, Windsor Hills, Woodland Hills