Two decades after seminal CII/Penn State research illustrated the efficiency of design-build projects, the Design-Build Institute of America released a new report that shows the delivery method continues to offer greater reliability in cost and schedule than design-bid-build (DBB) and construction manager at risk (CMR). 

From design through completion, design-build projects are delivered 61 percent faster than CMR and 102 percent faster than DBB. They’re also 13 percent faster than CMR during the construction phase and 36 percent faster than DBB. 

On average, design-build projects cost 1.9 percent less per square foot when compared to CMR and 0.3 percent less when compared to DBB. They also average 2.4 percent less cost growth than a comparably scoped project using CMR and 3.8 percent less than a project using DBB.