By Anne Patterson
Like the circus performer twirling plates and juggling knives at the same time, Mark Dixon is a very busy man. As we talk, he holds a phone interview on his cell phone while photographing a completed residential project. He stops occasionally to give directions to yet another accomplice doing an analysis of the project to find out what worked well and what could be improved in future work.
As vice president and co-owner of Legacy Custom Building & Remodeling Inc., a design/build residential remodeling firm based in Scottsdale, Ariz., Mark is used to handling multiple tasks at once. Legacy designs the client's project, helps with the product selections, and implements all aspects of the construction.
"We offer clients a one-stop shop," says Mark. "We can tell them what the addition they want is likely to cost, based on the complexity of the design and the material selection."
One-stop shopping, says Mark, offers his clients a number of advantages:
Faster, budget-tuned bid. When an outside design professional is involved, it can take two or three months to complete the design. Even then, the homeowners may discover that they can't afford the project as designed after it is let out for bids. Then it's back to the drawing board. "This back and forth can go on for several rounds, eating up a lot of time," Mark says. "When Legacy is done with the design, we can tell the client what the final costs will be."
Lower design cost. Another advantage to the client is that a design/build firm's usual fee structure is typically lower than an architect's fee: 2 percent to 3 percent of the construction cost, compared with a typical architect's fee of 8 percent to 10 percent. And architects often don't figure in extra costs, such as the need for demolition of an existing building on the site.
Occasionally clients bring along their own architects, but 80 percent of Legacy projects are designed in-house by the company's staff of 40 designers and draftsmen. Most municipalities in Arizona don't require an architect's seal, says Mark.
Higher value. Legacy helps its clients make design and material choices that are aesthetic but that also offer the highest value. "We know what materials are readily available," says Mark. "We usually end up building 90 percent of what we started out with in our design agreement."
The design/build method also offers the remodeling contractor a number of benefits, says Mark:
You will work with clients who have done their homework and are serious about working with your firm right from the beginning, instead of dealing with clients who shop different contractors.
You can establish a working relationship right from the beginning, knowing early on if things are going to work out well with a particular client.
The whole building process is much easier and faster than when an outside designer is involved. You have much better control over all aspects of the project.
You will, however, most likely have to handle multiple tasks at once. And watch out for those flying plates and knives.
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