What Goes Into a Design & Build Package (and What Should)
A walk through what we cover from the first site visit to handover, why it's structured this way, and where shortcuts cost you later.
When someone asks us what's in a design and build package, the honest answer is: every part of getting from your land or your old house to keys in your hand. That sounds vague, so let's walk it.
It starts with a brief. We sit down, on site if possible, and listen to how you actually live. How many people, what you cook, where you read, where you'd like to sit at the end of a long day. Most studios skip this and go straight to floor plans. We've learned that a brief built around real life beats one built around square footage every time.
From the brief we develop a layout, then a 3D you can walk through. You see the home before a single brick is laid. You change your mind about the kitchen island position. We move it now, not after the slab is poured. That's the cheapest design change you'll ever make.
Then come the technical drawings, the structural engineering, and the local authority submissions. This is the part homeowners hate. It's also the part that most often delays a project, because incomplete drawings get bounced. We do this in-house and stay on it. Our packages bake all submission work into the price so the permit maze becomes our job, not yours.
Construction comes next: foundations, structure, roof, M&E rough-in, finishing, fittings. Every week, photos arrive. Every fortnight, the project lead walks the site with you. You see the work as it happens. The bad version of this industry hides the build behind a fence and shows you results at the end. We've never understood that approach.
Handover is the last and most underrated part. A proper handover means a closed snag list, documented warranties, a 12-month defect liability period, and a CCC issued through the submitting professional. Our packages also bundle in items most studios charge extra for: 3D design, smart lock, downlight and fan fittings, sink and hood installation, a safe back door, a site visit, and an itemised quotation. We bundle them because they always come up anyway.
What you should look for in any design and build package, ours or someone else's: fixed scope, fixed price, written timeline, weekly updates, in-house team, and clear variation pricing. Anything less and you're paying to be a project manager.
Our design-and-build team is based in Shah Alam, serving the whole Klang Valley.