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DBIA Releases New Progressive Design-Build Best Practices

Free resource responds to rapid growth as PDB now represents one-third of design-build procurements nationwide

Progressive Design-Build Done Right®: Progressive Design-Build Best Practices from DBIA cover — DBIA

The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) has released its Progressive Design-Build Done Right®: Progressive Design-Build Best Practices primer, providing specific guidance for Owners and practitioners using Progressive Design-Build (PDB).

PDB now represents roughly one-third of all design-build procurements, according to FMI’s 2024 Design-Build Utilization Study. As design-build is projected to reach 47% of U.S. construction spending and exceed $1 trillion by 2028, PDB’s share continues to expand on projects facing technical complexity, cost volatility and evolving scope. This new publication builds on DBIA’s Design-Build Done Right® Universal Best Practices and responds directly to PDB’s accelerating adoption.

While grounded in the same collaborative principles, PDB introduces distinct procurement, contracting and execution dynamics that require greater specificity. The primer addresses those distinctions, offering targeted guidance on Owner readiness, qualifications-focused procurement, phased contracting structures and transparent cost development.

“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 primary sections:

Procuring Progressive Design-Build Services
Contracting for Progressive Design-Build Services
Executing Progressive Design-Build Projects

The guidance emphasizes universal ethical conduct, demonstrated competence and the importance of collaborative, transparent project teams.

The PDB Best Practices are applicable to projects of any type, sector or size and are intended to increase the probability of successful outcomes that meet the expectations of all stakeholders.

The Progressive Design-Build Best Practices primer is available free through DBIA’s Bookstore.