The difference between custom build and design and build

Custom-build homes are a form of self build that are potentially less hands-on than true self-build. The prospective home owner works with a developer that can take on the design and construction of the home on their behalf and may even help find and acquire a site as well as arranging finance.

Design and build is, in a similar way, a procurement route where a main contractor is appointed to both design and then construct the building. In a similar way the design and build firm will have professional experiences and expertises that might influence the methods used, as with a custom builder but perhaps more likely to be slightly broader.

A design build contractor will have experience of working to what ever is described in the contract, where as a custom build option might be considered more akin to purchasing an off plan house as such. Design and build procurement is as opposed to a traditional procurement route, in which the client first appoints consultants to design a scheme and then a contractor is appointed to construct the works. In some cases a client might appoint a client advisor to help with the initial steps of appointing and tendering for a design build firm, this is less likely in the custom build route.

Design and build can however be seen as giving a single point of responsibility for delivering an entire project, and can be used on quite large schemes of high risk, though some clients, might consider it most appropriate for simple projects, where design quality is not a main consideration. Custom-build projects tend to be smaller schemes such as individual dwelling houses and refers to a product or sales based arrangement rather than a construction contract agreement.

Custom build arrangements may even offer serviced plots within sites that have already been purchased by the developer with a range of design options from which the client can select their preferred solutions. The scope for personalising a custom built home might be reduced when compared with self-build, and slightly reduced if compared with Design and Build, merely because options may be paired down by construction type or method, based on the developer or custom builders professional experience. Whilst costs maybe higher for both custom and design and build in comparison to self build, the risks of over spends etc may be slightly lower, depending on the experience of the self-builder, carrying out the job and being drawn as a comparison.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Community right to build.
• Custom-build homes.
• Contractor's design portion.
• Design and build: outline work plan.
• Design and manage procurement route.
• Design Build Finance Transfer (DBFT).
• Design-Build Institute of America DBIA.
• Design and build: tender
• Help to Build.
• Kit house.
• Modular buildings.
• Planning permission.
• Prefabrication.
• Procurement route
• Procurement team
• Right to build.
• Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Bill 2014-15.
• Self build and custom housebuilding registers.
• Self-build home.
• Self-build initiative.
• Single-stage tender
• Speculative construction.
• Serviced plot.
• Traditional contract for construction
• Two-stage tender
• Types of building.
• Types of development.
• Walters Way and Segal Close.
• WikiHouse.
• VAT refunds on self-build homes.