Design-bid-build

Design-bid-build runs in steps. A design team finishes the plans. Builders then bid on them, and the owner picks one to build. The design and the construction have separate contracts.

The Design-Build Institute of America notes that in this traditional method the primary, if not only, factor in the competition is price. It also says other delivery methods use separate contracts for design and construction. This differs from design-build, where one team handles both. Bids often come as a fixed-price contract. See the design-build process to compare.