Recently I received an e-mail from a reader who asked that I touch on some of the issues with design-build (D-B) that don't work. In the past, I have talked about the benefits of (D-B) so this thought never occurred to me as I focused on the "positive" rather than the negative. As I gave the suggestion more consideration, several past experiences came to the forefront, so here are some time-honored, guaranteed-not-to-work D-B techniques!
Greed. Whoever controls the finances is susceptible to taking advantage of the profit margins. In the D-B business, trust between the D-B team and the client is the foundation of the process. It has been my experience that on occasion, the contractor, who usually controls the invoicing, will grab the opportunity to take advantage of the situation and "pad" the profits. How unfortunate when it happens, and it does happen.