Design-Build
Design and construction under one roof.
The model that connects how a renovation is designed to how it gets built — and the difference it makes to the finished result.
What Design-Build Means
In most renovations, design and construction are handled by different firms. The homeowner hires a designer or architect for the planning phase, then hires a contractor to execute the drawings. The two firms often don't speak to each other, sometimes never meet, and almost always have different incentives.
Design-build means design and construction happen under the same roof, by people who work together every day. At ScaleBig, Dina leads design and Ahmad leads construction — siblings in a family-run firm, in continuous conversation throughout every project. There is no handoff. There is no translation step. There is no firm trying to interpret what another firm intended.
The result is a renovation that gets built the way it was designed. Decisions move faster, details are caught earlier, and what's shown in the rendering is what's delivered in the finished space.
Why Design-Build Changes the Result
The benefits of design-build aren't theoretical. They show up in concrete ways across every project.
Faster Decision-Making
When a design question comes up mid-build — a layout adjustment, a finish substitution, a structural workaround — the answer comes from the same firm that designed the project. No multi-week back-and-forth between separate companies. Decisions that take days in separate-firm projects take hours in design-build.
Fewer Surprises in Construction
Designers without construction experience sometimes specify details that are difficult or expensive to build. Contractors without design involvement sometimes substitute materials or change details to make construction easier — without understanding the design intent. Design-build closes that gap before drawings get to the site.
One Accountable Team
When something goes wrong on a separated project, the contractor blames the drawings and the designer blames the construction. In design-build, there is one firm responsible for the whole result. We can't pass the problem to anyone else, which is exactly the point.
Renderings That Match the Final Result
Photorealistic 3D renderings only matter if construction actually delivers what they showed. When the firm producing the renderings is the same firm building the project, the rendering becomes a working document — not a marketing tool that bears little resemblance to what gets built.
Tighter Cost Control
Design decisions drive most of the budget. When design and construction are in conversation from the start, cost implications are flagged as decisions are being made — not discovered when bids come back from contractors weeks later. Homeowners can adjust the design before it's locked, when adjustments are still inexpensive.
Coherent Material Selection
Tile, cabinetry, countertops, flooring, fixtures, hardware, lighting, and paint are selected together as one cohesive palette. The home reads as one designed space, not a collection of separately specified components.
What We Design
The scope of design at ScaleBig depends on the project. The items below are what the design phase typically includes, scaled to the size of the work.
Layout Development
Floor plans, space planning, and circulation. Multiple options developed and compared, with trade-offs discussed openly so homeowners understand what each layout prioritizes.
Photorealistic 3D Renderings
Renderings of major spaces from multiple angles, showing material selections, lighting, and finishes as they will appear in the completed space.
Architectural Drawings
Floor plans, elevations, sections, and details — produced at the level required for permit submission and trades coordination.
Engineering Coordination
For structural work, we coordinate with licensed Professional Engineers for stamped drawings and structural design.
Finish Selection
Flooring, tile, paint, countertops, backsplashes, hardware, fixtures, and lighting selected as a coordinated palette.
Cabinetry & Millwork Specification
Cabinet style, configuration, interior storage, custom millwork, built-ins, and panel details specified before construction begins.
Fixture & Appliance Specification
Plumbing fixtures, lighting fixtures, appliances, and specialty hardware specified and confirmed for dimensions, connections, and lead times.
Lighting Plans
Recessed, accent, and feature lighting layouts coordinated with ceiling design, switch placement, and circuit planning.
Material Sourcing
Trusted supplier relationships for cabinetry, countertops, tile, flooring, and specialty materials — with quality and lead time managed through the design phase.
Construction Documentation
The complete design package that becomes the working reference for construction — drawings, specifications, schedules, and finish boards.
The Design Phase Process
Every design-build project at ScaleBig follows the same design process. Timelines and depth vary by project scale.
- 01
Initial Consultation
We meet with the homeowner to understand the project, the space, and what they're trying to achieve. We discuss how the space is used today, what isn't working, what's wanted, and the realistic scope of change.
- 02
Site Measure & Existing Conditions
Detailed measurements of the existing space, documentation of structural and mechanical conditions, and identification of opportunities and constraints that will shape the design.
- 03
Layout & Concept Development
Dina develops initial layout options. These are discussed and refined with the homeowner before any rendering work begins. Layout is settled at the floor-plan level before moving to 3D.
- 04
Renderings & Finish Selection
Once layout is finalized, photorealistic 3D renderings are produced and finishes are selected — flooring, tile, cabinetry, countertops, fixtures, lighting, paint. The renderings are reviewed, adjusted, and approved.
- 05
Documentation & Drawings
Architectural drawings produced for permits and construction. Engineering drawings coordinated where required. Final specifications documented as the working construction package.
- 06
Construction Handoff
The design package transitions into construction without information loss — because the same firm is building from it. Construction begins from the same documents the homeowner approved.
What We Don't Do in the Design Phase
Some practices are common in the industry that we don't follow. Worth being explicit about them.
Free Design Work
Design takes Dina's full professional attention. Design consultations, renderings, and the full design package are offered as paid services with associated fees. Where homeowners proceed with construction, design fees are credited toward the project. This protects the design phase as serious professional work — not a loss-leader for winning construction.
Showroom-Driven Selection
We don't send homeowners on multiple weekend trips to showrooms to make material decisions in isolation. Selection happens with Dina, in coordination, as part of the design package — so the choices read as one cohesive design rather than a collection of individually picked items.
Designer Drawings That Construction Modifies
Some firms produce design drawings that contractors then substantially alter during construction to make the work easier. We don't redesign during construction. The design package the homeowner approves is the package we build from.
Rendering as Marketing
Renderings are a working tool for design decisions, not a marketing tool to win contracts. We produce them at the quality required for the homeowner to make confident decisions, not at a level intended to impress.
Sub-Contracting Design Out
Some construction firms advertise "in-house design" but sub-contract the work to external designers project by project. Dina is in-house, full-time, and part of the firm — not a rotating freelance arrangement.
Design Fees & How They Work
Premium design takes time, expertise, and tools. We're transparent about how design is priced and how the fees work.
Design Fees Are Quoted Per Project
Design fees are scoped against the project — its size, the number of rooms involved, the level of rendering required, and the documentation depth. They are presented as a fixed fee, not hourly.
Fees Are Credited Against Construction
When homeowners proceed with ScaleBig for construction, the design fees paid during the design phase are credited toward the final construction agreement. Homeowners who proceed are not paying twice.
Design Without Construction Is Available
Homeowners who want a complete design package without committing to ScaleBig for construction can purchase the design phase as a standalone service. In that case, design fees are not credited — they're the cost of the work delivered.
Design Fees Are Discussed Upfront
The design fee for a specific project is established during the initial consultation, based on the scope being discussed. There are no surprise fees mid-process.
Renderings Belong to ScaleBig Until Construction Signs
Drawings, renderings, and the design package are intellectual property of ScaleBig Construction until a construction agreement is signed. This protects the work from being taken to another contractor for execution — which is industry-standard practice for design-build firms.
When Design-Build Is the Right Fit
Design-build isn't always the right approach. It's worth being honest about when it fits and when it doesn't.
Renovations That Need Real Design
Projects where layout, finish coordination, and material selection meaningfully affect the result — kitchens, full bathrooms, basement apartments, full home renovations. The design phase pays for itself in better outcomes and reduced construction surprises.
Homeowners Who Want a Single Team
When the homeowner doesn't want to manage multiple firms — designer, architect, contractor — and prefers one accountable team handling the entire arc of the project.
Projects with Structural or Code Complexity
Projects involving load-bearing changes, basement legalization, additions, or significant mechanical work benefit from design-build coordination because design decisions affect engineering, which affects construction. The faster that feedback loop, the better the outcome.
When Design-Build Is Not the Right Fit
For very small projects, like-for-like replacements with no layout change, or homeowners who already have completed architectural drawings from another firm — design-build is typically more than the project requires. We're happy to discuss this honestly during the consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Start with a consultation.
Every project begins with a conversation — to understand what you're considering, review the space, and discuss whether design-build is the right approach for your renovation.
Book a ConsultationOr call Ahmad at 647-289-2823