Advantages and Disadvantages of the Primary Construction Project Delivery Methods

Summary

Design-bid-build, construction management, and design-build are the three primary construction project delivery methods. There are variations of these methods, but practically all construction projects fall under one of these categories. Over the past decade, integrated project delivery (IPD) has been used to better control costs, schedule, and the number of disputes between the owner, the architect and the contractor. It is the most collaborative project delivery method, and though not commonly used, IPD is becoming more popular. This practice note explains each of these four project delivery methods and outlines their advantages and disadvantages. It is imperative that the owner's attorney understand the various construction project delivery methods so that, working with the owner's architect, they can accurately advise on the contractual and technical issues that must be addressed for successful completion of the construction project in the shortest time and at the lowest cost.