A BC Homeowner's Guide | By Straight Up Construction | Revelstoke, BC
Google 'hire a contractor' and you get 10 different business models on the first page. General contractor. Design-build firm. Construction manager. Project manager. Half of these mean different things depending on who is talking.
Here is the plain version. There are two models that matter for residential construction in BC, and the difference between them will affect your budget, your timeline, and how many headaches you absorb over the next 21 to 29 months.
(That range covers typical design, permitting and construction phases on a custom home — see the Cost to Build guide for the breakdown.)
What this guide covers
- What a general contractor actually does
- What design-build means
- Side-by-side comparison table
- When to hire a GC (honest assessment)
- When design-build makes more sense
- Why this matters more in mountain construction
- The cost difference (honest answer)
- 3 questions to make your decision
What a General Contractor Actually Does
A general contractor takes your finished plans and turns them into a building. That is the job. You hand them stamped architectural drawings, they price the work, and they manage everything from there: hiring subtrades, ordering materials, pulling permits, scheduling inspections, keeping the project on time and on budget.
What they do not do is design the house.
Before you talk to a GC, you need an architect or designer to produce construction drawings. You might also need a structural engineer, an energy advisor for Step Code compliance, and a geotechnical engineer if your lot has slope. You hire each of these separately. You manage those relationships yourself. You make sure the architect's vision and the engineer's calculations actually line up.
Then you take that package to one or more GCs, get bids, compare pricing, pick one, and sign a construction contract. The GC builds what is on the paper. If the paper has a problem, you find out during construction.
What Design-Build Means
A design-build firm, formally known in the industry as an Integrated Design Process (IDP) builder, handles both the design and the construction under one roof. Same company from the first conversation about what you want, all the way through to the final walkthrough.
One contract. One team. Cost and engineering feasibility confirmed during design, not discovered after.
The design-build firm has designers who work alongside the construction team from day one. The person sketching your floor plan sits next to the person who is going to frame it. The cost estimator is involved during design, not after. You learn whether the project is financially and structurally feasible before you commit significant money to drawings. That is the core advantage of the integrated design process — the budget conversation happens early, not after you have spent tens of thousands on architectural drawings that turn out to be six figures over your construction budget.
Neither model is inherently better. The right one depends on your situation.
When Hiring a GC Is the Right Call
Be honest with yourself about these questions. If you answer yes to most of them, a traditional GC arrangement will work fine.
- You already have an architect you love. Maybe you have worked with them before. You trust their drawings and you do not want to give that up.
- Your plans are finished. Complete set of construction documents, stamped and engineered. You do not need design services. You need someone to build what is on those pages.
- You have built before. You know what it means to manage the gap between architect and builder. You understand that 'the architect drew it' does not mean 'the builder can afford to build it.'
- Your project is straightforward. Standard residential build on flat, serviced land in a mild climate.
If that is you, go find a licensed GC with strong references and a track record of finishing on time. Learn more about our general contracting services.
When Design-Build Makes More Sense
- You are starting from scratch. No plans. No architect. Maybe just a piece of land and a rough idea of what you want.
- Your site is complicated. Steep grades, difficult access, unusual soil conditions, extreme climate zones. These factors affect design decisions that need builder input from the start.
- You are building from out of town. Managing an architect in Vancouver and a builder in Revelstoke from your home in Calgary is a logistical challenge. Design-build gives you one relationship to manage.
- You want cost certainty early. In the traditional model, you do not know the real cost until design is finished and you get bids. That can be months of work and tens of thousands in fees before you discover the project is over budget.
- Your timeline is tight. Design-build allows overlapping phases. Foundation design can be finalized while interior layouts are still being refined.
Learn more about our design-build process.
Why This Matters More in Mountain Construction
In BC's interior and mountain communities, the case for design-build gets stronger. Here is why.
Picture this scenario in the traditional model:
Your architect designs a striking flat roof with large overhangs. Beautiful renderings. You love it. You take those plans to a GC. The GC sends them to a structural engineer. The engineer says those overhangs need steel beams that were not in the original budget. The flat roof needs a membrane system rated for standing snow loads, plus heat trace for ice damming. The cost jumps $80,000. Now you are redesigning. The architect charges for revisions. The engineer re-stamps. The GC re-prices. You have lost two months and spent money on plans you cannot use.
In an integrated design process, the builder is in the room during design. They know that Revelstoke sits in a 'high snow load region' as defined by Engineers and Geoscientists BC — specified ground snow load above 4.0 kPa, multiples higher than coastal BC's 1.5 to 2.0 kPa. They know which roof geometries perform well in a deep-snow climate. They know that the steel framing for that cantilever is going to cost more than the entire kitchen. The design evolves with construction reality baked in from the start.
The same applies to mountain sites. Many Revelstoke lots are on slopes. An architect who has designed primarily for flat urban lots might produce a plan that looks great on paper but requires significant unexpected site work. A builder who has been working Revelstoke lots since Straight Up Construction was founded in 2005 knows what the terrain demands before the first line gets drawn.
➤ Not sure which model fits your project?
Book a 15-minute call. We do both and can point you in the right direction.
Cost Differences: The Honest Answer
It depends.
Design-build firms typically charge a design fee upfront. At Straight Up, our design phase runs $50,000 to $70,000 for a custom home, depending on complexity. In the traditional model, you are paying an architect separately, and architect fees are higher for a structural reason: the Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC) requires its members to charge a fee calculated as a percentage of the building value, which on a custom home typically lands in the $100,000 to $180,000 range for architectural and engineering work. We do not employ in-house architects. We work with a consistent group of key professionals we have built strong relationships with over the years, which keeps our design fees significantly below the AIBC percentage model. If a project genuinely needs a licensed architect, we bring one in and the AIBC fee applies on that portion. A dedicated architect brings more design depth, but the cost difference is significant and belongs in the comparison.
Construction costs are driven by materials, labour, and site conditions. The delivery model does not change the price of lumber. What it changes is the number of surprises.
Academic and industry research consistently shows design-build projects experience fewer change orders than design-bid-build projects.
A Construction Industry Institute study cited widely in the design-build literature found design-build projects had a 6% reduction in change orders, 3.8% less cost growth, and up to 102% faster delivery speed compared to design-bid-build. A 2009 peer-reviewed study in the ASCE Journal of Construction Engineering and Management (Perkins) examining 14 design-build and 20 design-bid-build projects found 'total changes, expressed as number per contract, cost per contract, or percentage of original contract, were significantly lower in design-build.' The Design-Build Institute of America estimates design-build now accounts for over 44% of US construction spending.
Change orders are where budgets blow up. A 10% change order rate on a $1.5M project is $150,000 you did not plan for. Even cutting that rate meaningfully is real money — often more than the difference between a design-build fee and an architect's fee on its own. The illustrative math is directional, not a promise. Your actual change-order exposure depends on how well-defined your scope is, how experienced the team is, and how many surprises your site hides.
3 Questions to Make Your Decision
1. Do I already have complete construction drawings?
→ GC: If yes, you need a GC.
→ Design-build: If no, design-build deserves serious consideration.
2. Am I local to the build site?
→ GC: If yes and you have built before, a GC arrangement is manageable.
→ Design-build: If building remotely, design-build's single point of contact is a significant advantage.
3. Is my project simple or complex?
→ GC: Flat lot, mild climate, standard build? GC is fine.
→ Design-build: Mountain site, Step Code compliance, high snow loads, compressed exterior build season? Design-build reduces your risk.
The right model depends on where you are in the process and how much complexity your project carries. Straight Up Construction operates as both a design-build firm and a general contractor, so the answer is not about choosing a company. It is about choosing the approach that fits your project.
Design-Build vs. GC: FAQs
Is design-build more expensive than hiring a GC?
Not necessarily. The design cost exists either way. Design-build projects typically have fewer change orders per published research (see the cost section above), which is where budgets blow up in the traditional model. On a $1.5M project, even a modest reduction in change-order exposure can offset the difference between a design-build fee and an architect's fee on its own.
Can I still have input on the design in a design-build model?
Absolutely. Design-build does not mean the builder decides what your house looks like. You are involved in every design decision. The difference is that a cost estimator is also involved, so you get budget feedback in real time instead of at the end.
What if I want a specific architect but also want a design-build experience?
Some design-build firms partner with independent architects. If you have an architect you love, ask whether the design-build firm is willing to collaborate with them under the design-build contract.
Does design-build work for renovations?
It works especially well for renovations, where unknowns behind the walls constantly change the design. Having the designer and builder on the same team means you adapt the same day instead of waiting for a redesign cycle. See our renovations page for more.
What protections do I have in a design-build contract?
In BC, any builder constructing new homes must be a Licensed Residential Builder with BC Housing's Licensing and Consumer Services (formerly the Homeowner Protection Office) and provide third-party 2-5-10 year home warranty insurance. This applies to design-build firms and general contractors equally. The warranty is third-party insurance that protects you regardless of the delivery model, and multiple providers issue it in BC (Pacific Home Warranty, National Home Warranty, Travelers Canada, and others).
Is a design-build firm licensed differently than a GC?
No. In BC, the Licensed Residential Builder requirements are the same. What differs is the scope of the contract. A design-build contract covers both design and construction. A GC contract covers construction only. Both require the same builder licensing, insurance, and third-party warranty coverage.
Not Sure Which Approach Fits?
We operate as both an integrated design-build firm and a general contractor. The answer is not about which company to hire. It is about which approach fits your project, your budget, and where you are in the process.
A 15-minute qualification call is enough to figure that out.
No sales pitch. No obligation. Just a straight conversation about what your project needs.
EXPLORE DESIGN-BUILD | EXPLORE GENERAL CONTRACTING
Or reach us directly: (250) 837-1322 | info@straightupbuild.ca
