5 Tips for Choosing a Design Build Firm in Miami

You need people on your team. That's especially important in construction. The right design build firm for your next construction project can mean the difference between a team-oriented, successful project and a failure.

For five tips on how to choose the best firm for your next project, keep reading.

1. List Your Needs and Wants

Whatever building is up for construction, you need to identify your needs and wants for this project.

Which elements of this space need to be constructed? What would you like to see constructed? There's a key difference between wants and needs, so be able to distinguish the two.

Once you've outlined your wants and needs, make a budget for how much it will all cost.

2. Research Possible Firms

Next, find your pool of firms you may hire. Narrow that pool down to two or three top contenders.

Do so by asking your family and friends for recommendations on firms. Any firm you hire should be fully licensed and insured.

Judge their work harshly by evaluating a firm's before-and-after photos of completed projects. You should also browse industry publications to learn about the best design firms in your area. Houzz and similar sites provide honest reviews of a firm's work.

3. Judge the Process

Your next step in being a firm's harshest critic is asking your top candidates about their workflow.

Ask them important questions like, Do they help with design and ideas? What's the dispute resolution process? Who's responsible for any necessary permits?

Another good question is, Who's the primary contact person throughout the project? What work schedule will the firm follow when doing the project?

Does the firm have a process or system for a project similar to yours? Again, evaluate their answers harshly and proceed with a firm only if their answers are good enough.

4. Get Quotes

The penultimate tip is about everyone's favorite subject: money.

Like any savvy customer, you want the best possible results for the least amount of money. The challenge is striking the right balance between value and cost.

There's such a thing as prices being too low. You should ask any firm with rock-bottom prices why their prices are so minimal. They may look low, but may actually be more of an average price once they charge you hidden fees.

While the price is important, in this industry, it's not the end-all, be-all. A firm's reviews, portfolio, and process are all pretty important by comparison.

5. Evaluate the People

Perhaps most important of all are a firm's people. 

You'll need to trust the people you hire and will be in frequent contact with. See how a firm's employees' social skills, trustworthiness, honesty, and integrity all measure up when you meet them in person.

Choose the firm you can trust and depend on to keep its word.

The Perfect Design Build Firm

No design build firm is perfect, but some are clearly better than others. Choosing the right firm takes a bit of effort that yields incredible returns.

Follow the steps above and you'll be more than on your way to the project of your dreams. Schedule a free consultation with MK2 Design + Build today.