In traditional design-bid-build, you hire an architect to finish the design, then get bids from separate contractors — cost and buildability get tested after design is essentially done. In design-build, the architect and builder function work together under one contract from early design, so cost and code feasibility are checked as the design develops, not after.

It's not consistently cheaper or more expensive in terms of raw fees, but it tends to reduce the redesign and rebidding costs that come from discovering a budget or code conflict after a traditional design is finished. The value is mainly in reduced risk and schedule compression, not necessarily a lower sticker price.

Licensed structural and MEP engineers, independent of the general contracting function, stamp and are professionally responsible for their engineering regardless of delivery method. The building department's plan review and inspection process also applies identically to design-build projects — it doesn't get a lighter code review.

A Guaranteed Maximum Price contract sets a firm cost ceiling for the project based on the design at the time it's signed, with itemized allowances for finishes. It gives you budget certainty earlier in the process than a traditional bid, which typically only firms up after the full design is complete.

Design-build typically means the design team works under the general contractor's contract, but the specific team composition can be discussed — the core benefit is integrated design and cost accountability under one contract, not necessarily a specific architect.

No — you're still the one approving the design at each stage. What changes is that cost and buildability feedback comes to you earlier and more directly, since the same team pricing the project is also drawing it, rather than discovering conflicts after an independent design is finished.

The time savings come primarily from overlapping design, engineering, and permitting prep instead of doing them in strict sequence, and from avoiding redesign cycles caused by late-discovered cost or code conflicts. The exact time saved depends heavily on project complexity.