Construction delivery methods explained — CMAR, hiring an architect vs contractor first, and the difference between hard-bid and negotiated construction.
It depends on your delivery method. Traditionally you hire an architect first to design, then bid to contractors. But hiring a contractor early — or choosing design-build, where one team does both — lets construction expertise shape the design for budget and feasibility from the start, reducing redesigns and surprises.
Rize Construction: Rize can join early to align design with your budget, or deliver design and construction together as your design-build contractor.
Construction management is a delivery method where a manager oversees the project on the owner's behalf — coordinating budget, schedule, and quality. In CMAR (Construction Manager at Risk), the manager also commits to a guaranteed maximum price and builds the project, combining collaboration during design with accountability for delivering the build.
Rize Construction: Rize can advise on the delivery method that best fits your project, budget, and risk tolerance — for free.
In hard-bid, contractors competitively bid completed plans and the owner usually picks the lowest price. In negotiated construction, the owner selects a contractor early — based on qualifications — and works collaboratively on budget and scope. Negotiated delivery brings the contractor's expertise in sooner and often reduces change orders and surprises.
Rize Construction: Rize works collaboratively from early in your project, bringing cost and constructability insight before decisions get expensive.
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