Design-bid-build (DBB) is the most widely used project delivery method in the United States, according to the Lean Construction Institute of America and other groups. Under this method, an owner contracts separately with a designer, who provides complete design documents, and a contractor, who provides the most attractive price bid to execute that design.
But new research from consulting firm Fails Management Institute (FMI) indicates that the design-build (DB) delivery method, where an owner contracts with a single entity to perform both design and construction, is quickly gaining traction in the industry.