Design-build, explained
What is design-build?
Design-build means one company designs your remodel or new house and builds it, under one contract.
Or call or text (817) 631-9803
From the Texas Business & Commerce Code and the Design-Build Institute of America, read November 12, 2026.
Or call or text (817) 631-9803
From the Texas Business & Commerce Code and the Design-Build Institute of America, read November 12, 2026.
The definition
What design-build means in construction
Design-build is a way to hire for a building project. One company takes on both the design and the construction, and you sign one contract for both. It works for a remodel, an addition or a new house.
“Design-build contract” means a contract in which a contractor agrees to:
(A)construct, repair, alter, or remodel an improvement to real property; and
(B)be responsible for the development of plans, specifications, or other design documents used by the contractor to construct, repair, alter, or remodel the improvement.
Texas Business & Commerce Code §59.001(5), added in 2021 · read November 12, 2026
The single contract for both design and construction is the fundamental difference between design-build and other project delivery systems.
Design-Build Institute of America, “What Is Design-Build?” · read November 12, 2026
Both definitions come down to the contract. One company signs for the design and the build, so one company is responsible for the plans and for building them.
A design-build project is any job hired this way. Design-build construction is the building half of it, run by the same company that did the design.
On a house, the design is the floor plan, the finishes and the drawings the city reviews. The construction is everything after that: the trades, the materials and the job site.
In the other ways to hire, the design and the construction are separate contracts, usually an architect or designer first and then a builder. Which way fits your project is its own question: architect or general contractor first?
The company
What a design-build company does, and who does each part
A design-build company runs your project from the first drawing to the final inspection: it designs it, has it drawn, prices it, gets it permitted and builds it. People call it a design-build firm, company, contractor or design-builder. They mean the same thing.
Here is who does each part when you hire us.
Who does each part at 6th Ave Homes
Our team
- Design
- Our designers lay out the rooms and help you choose the finishes.
- Drafting
- Our drafting team draws your floor plans and the permit set.
- Budget
- After the design, you get a detailed budget. Construction bills Cost Plus, so you see what we paid.
- Permits
- We pull and manage city permits and inspections.
- Construction
- We’re the general contractor who runs your build.
Outside, coordinated by us
- Structural engineering
- Outside licensed engineers do the structural engineering. We coordinate it and get their stamped work into your plan set.
We chose 6th Ave for our extensive home renovation because we needed a one stop shop for planning, design, general contractor and project management. We were very happy with the process from beginning to end and love the end result!
We’re the only one-stop shop in Fort Worth. Design, drafting and construction, under one roof.
The process
How a design-build project runs, start to finish
A design-build project runs in three stages, and one company leads all three: the first conversation, the design and budget, and the build.
- Meet Up
We listen, walk the space, and talk budget honestly before anyone draws a line. A designer and a builder walk the house with you, at no charge.
- Team Up
Our designers and drafting team draw your plan with our builders at the table. The budget comes after the design, before anything is built.
- Glasses Up
We build it, keep you in the loop, and hand back a home that feels like you. The plan you approve is the plan that gets built.
Before you hire
What the design-build label tells you, and what to ask
The label tells you a company will sign one contract for the design and the build. It doesn’t tell you who will design your house, who will draw it or who will engineer it. Four questions do.
- 01
Will one company be responsible for both the design and the build?
- 02
Whose people design and draw my plans: yours, or a firm you hire?
- 03
Who does the structural engineering, and how does it get into my plans?
- 04
When will I see a budget, and what is it based on?
Our answers are in who does each part, above.
Questions
Questions about design-build
Weighing design-build for your project? Bring these questions to us.
What is design-bid-build?
Design-bid-build is the traditional way to hire. You hire an architect or designer to finish the plans, builders bid on them, and you sign a separate contract with the builder you pick. Design-build puts the design and the construction in one contract instead. Which one fits your project is the question of who to hire first.
Is design-build only for new houses?
No. Texas law’s definition covers a contract to construct, repair, alter or remodel, so design-build fits a remodel or an addition as well as a new house. We design and build kitchens, primary baths, whole-home remodels, additions, garage apartments and custom homes.
Does a design-build company have to have an architect?
Not for a house in Texas. The Architects Act exempts the plans for a single-family or two-family home, as long as whoever draws them doesn’t call themselves an architect or an architectural designer. A licensed engineer still designs the structure where the law or your city requires one. Our drafting team draws our plans.
Is a builder who hires out the design still a design-build company?
It can be. In Texas law’s definition, the contractor agrees to be responsible for developing the plans. It doesn’t say the contractor’s own staff has to draw them. So two companies that both say design-build can work very differently. Ask whose people will design and draw your plans. At 6th Ave Homes, it’s our own designers and drafting team.
Can I hire a design-build company for just the design?
Yes, if the company sells design on its own. Then it’s a design job, not design-build, because the build is a separate contract with whoever you pick. We do: you can hire us for the plans alone and have them built by anyone.
Is design and build the same as design-build?
Yes. Design and build, design/build and design-build are three ways of writing the same thing: one company, one contract, for the design and the construction. “Design-build” is the spelling Texas law and the Design-Build Institute of America use.
What is a design-build contract?
Texas defines it as a contract where the contractor takes on two jobs: building or remodeling the project, and responsibility for the plans, specifications or other design documents it builds from. Whether a company’s paperwork is that kind of contract depends on what you sign, so read it before you sign it.
The definitions on this page are quoted from Texas Business & Commerce Code §59.001(5) and the Design-Build Institute of America, read November 12, 2026. This explains the terms. It isn’t legal advice about your contract.
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Your project
Talk through design-build for your house
Bring a wish list or plans you already have, and start with an honest estimate. No charge, no obligation.
Or call or text (817) 631-9803