Constructability: Using the builder’s knowledge during the design phase to improve the efficiency of construction. This can reduce costs, as well as project duration, and increases quality. It can create a synergistic design team composed of the architect and the builder, in conjunction with the owner(s).
Finish specifications: Architectural drawings show the outlines of the objects that inhabit a space, but typically do not provide enough information to know exactly what will be installed. Finish specifications reflect the choices made by the owner and are necessary to create a real budget for the project.
Example 1, refrigerator:
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• make and model “Kitchenaid KSRG25FKBK”
Example 2, countertop:
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• type and name of the material (“ubatuba granite”)
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• finish (“honed”)
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• edge detail (“double Dupont”)
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• backsplash (“four-inch polished edge)
Without explicit drawings and specifications, you can’t be certain to get
the product that you want or to control pricing with the initial budget.
When you ask me to get you a dog, I might have a chihuahua in mind,
when you were thinking of a Great Dane!
Bid: A fixed price based on an explicit scope of work described by drawings and specifications. Bids are often subject to time limits (for example, 30 days). If the scope of work changes, then the price is no longer valid and must be modified to reflect the actual scope of work.
Time and material: Terms of the agreement are based on labor rate(s), materials price(s), and can also include a mark-up of 10% to 35%. Cost is based on how much time and material is required to carry out the work.
