Bringing Complex Projects to Reality
Lennen Commercial Builders, Inc makes even complex building process an exciting experience for you. With Lennen Commercial Builders, Inc, you can be confident that we will make the construction process as efficient and cost-effective as possible. Our values of integrity, quality, value, and performance and experience result in professionally designed, engineered, and constructed facilities with guaranteed customer satisfaction.
Our Services
Lennen Commercial Builders, Inc offers a wide range of services across the country.
Turnkey or Design & Build
Also known as turnkey or design-build, single responsibility is a method whereby one entity is contracted to perform both the architecture and engineering design portion of the project as well as the actual construction. The single responsibility approach involves start-to-finish partnership versus mere piecemeal advisement. You become a vital part of a design-build process as we work with you to meet your needs and overcome any challenges that arise.
The traditional contracting approach differs from the single responsibility in that you commission an architect and engineer to prepare your drawings and specifications. Once the drawings and specifications are complete, you can hire a general contractor either by bidding, preference, or negotiation. This approach requires two separate entities, contracts, and costs.
Both approaches work and have been utilized throughout our economy. It is up to the client to decide which process best meets their needs.
Advantages of Single Responsibility
Undivided Responsibility
One contract covers all aspects of your project — architecture, engineering, and construction. This allows you to focus on just one firm that is responsible for maintaining cost, quality, schedule, and performance. The result is clear responsibility, immediate responses, and maximum cost control.
Another advantage is the ability to exercise your desired level of control over the design of your project while remaining completely aware of the cost relief and/or implications of each decision. Also, your control of the entire process is strengthened by contracting with a single entity that is committed to the success of your project, unconditionally.
Early Knowledge of Costs
Because you are working with a design-build team, the concept of your project can be completed at an early stage. Continuous estimating, concurrent with the design development, results in overall cost knowledge much sooner than traditionally possible. Also, you can make decisions early, which is one of the key factors in cost management.
Time & Money Savings
Working with a Design-Build team eliminates redesign delays and bidding periods that can cost you valuable time and money. With the single-responsibility approach, not only is the design-build period significantly reduced, but it also anticipates methods and materials more efficiently and accurately. Cost-affecting decisions are continuously reviewed in the design process allowing you to maintain your budget and schedule, resulting in earlier utilization of your completed project.
Project Responsibility Flow Chart
How is a Single Responsibility Contractor Selected
Single responsibility contracting replaces the process of having to select a design professional as well as a construction contractor. Numerous proposals can be obtained from a variety of different selection approaches.
Direct Selection
You select a single responsibility contractor directly, using such factors as reputation, past performance, qualifications, prior association, and referrals.
Competitive Negotiation
You interview multiple single responsibility contractors and make your selection based on recent comparable costs, fees, scheduling obligations, and personnel assigned to your project.
Cost Competition
You provide criteria for your project and request the bidders to prepare both preliminary designs and cost quotations. Each proposal will be different in design and cost. This approach allows you to evaluate each proposal and determine the best plan and value for you and your money.
What Type of Contracts Are Used
Single Responsibility offers you quite a bit of flexibility. A variety of contract formats have been developed to tailor a design-construct contract that meets the needs of both you and your contractor.
Generally, both you and your selected contractor enter into a multi-phase agreement with an initial design cost at a nominal fee. When initial prices are determined, and both you and your contractor are in agreement, detail and construction phases are then added using one of the contract formats below:
Fixed Fee-Guaranteed Maximum
You and your contractor agree upon a fee for your contractor’s profit, and overhead and your contractor produces the absolute maximum cost for your project. This type of contract provides for the sharing of any savings between you and your contractor and protects you from costs over the maximum value that you have agreed initially.
Lump Sum
Your contractor provides a stipulated lump sum amount for both the design and the construction of your entire project. You pay only the contracted lump sum, whether there are any increases or decreases in the actual cost of your project.
Cost-Plus-Fee
The cost-plus-fee contract is used when accurate cost estimates are difficult to determine. With this type of contract, you and your selected contractor agree upon a lump sum for the design portion of your project, including profit and overhead fees for your contractor.