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Estimating & Biddingaka: DBBaka: traditional delivery

Design-Bid-Build

In Plain English

The traditional method where design is fully completed before contractors bid and build the project.

Definition

Design-bid-build (DBB) is the traditional project delivery method in which the owner first hires a designer to complete construction documents, then competitively bids the project to a general contractor for construction. The three sequential phases create a clear separation of design and construction responsibility. DBB is the most common delivery method for public construction.

Why It Matters in Bidding

Design-bid-build is the delivery method most competitive bidding workflows are built around, because the owner provides a complete set of drawings and specifications that all contractors price against the same scope. This produces directly comparable lump-sum bids and is the default for public procurement, where low-bid award rules require an apples-to-apples basis. Errors or ambiguities in the bid documents become the owner's risk through change orders.

Example

After the architect issued the 100% construction documents, the school district advertised the project for competitive bidding, received five general contractor bids, and awarded the contract to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.

Related Terms

Design-BuildCompetitive BiddingProject Delivery MethodGeneral Contractor

Frequently Asked Questions

Public agencies usually must award to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder, which requires every contractor to bid the same fully designed scope. Design-bid-build delivers complete construction documents before bidding, producing comparable lump-sum prices and a transparent, defensible award process. This fairness and open-competition requirement is why most public projects still use it.
Because design must finish before construction starts, the sequential phases lengthen the overall schedule. The owner also retains design risk, so gaps or errors in the documents typically surface as change orders during construction. The contractor is not involved during design, limiting early constructability and cost input that integrated methods like design-build can capture.
The owner advertises the completed design, contractors submit sealed lump-sum bids by a deadline, and bids are opened and compared on identical scope. Award generally goes to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder. Because all bidders price the same documents, the process emphasizes accurate quantity takeoffs and tight pricing to win without leaving money on the table.

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