DBIA has released Progressive Design-Build Done Right®: Progressive Design-Build Best Practices, a free primer designed to help Owners and practitioners implement Progressive Design-Build (PDB) with discipline and clarity.
PDB now accounts for roughly one-third of all design-build procurements, according to FMI’s 2024 Design-Build Utilization Study, and design-build overall is projected to reach 47% of U.S. construction spending and $1 trillion by 2028. At the same time, federal authorization through the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) allowing PDB on select military construction programs and expanding authority at the state level reflect steady growth in both market adoption and public-sector acceptance.
As adoption accelerates, the industry’s focus must shift from authorization to execution and from opportunity to disciplined implementation.
Grounded in DBIA’s Design-Build Done Right® Universal Best Practices, the new publication addresses the distinct procurement, contracting and execution dynamics that define Progressive Design-Build. It provides targeted guidance on:
- Owner readiness and decision-making discipline
- Qualifications-focused procurement
- Phased contracting structures
- Transparent cost development and validation
“We continue to see growing interest in leveraging Progressive Design-Build for critical and complex projects,” said Brian Aske, FDBIA, Chair of DBIA’s Progressive Design-Build Committee. “These projects are simply too important to fail. When implemented in alignment with Design-Build Done Right® principles, Progressive Design-Build is a powerful variation of design-build that helps Owners manage complexity while maintaining clear guardrails around cost, schedule, quality and performance. These Best Practices provide the clarity and confidence our industry needs to get it right.”
The primer is organized into three core areas — procuring, contracting and executing Progressive Design-Build projects — and emphasizes ethical conduct, demonstrated competence and collaborative, transparent project teams.
Applicable to projects of any type, sector or size, the guidance is designed to increase the probability of successful outcomes that meet stakeholder expectations.
The Progressive Design-Build Done Right®: Progressive Design-Build Best Practices primer is available free in the DBIA Bookstore.
