The traditional approach to a home project involves appointing an architect, receiving drawings, going out to tender, appointing a builder, and then hoping the two communicate effectively throughout. The gaps between those stages are where projects run into difficulty — costs shift from estimate to quote, specifications are misinterpreted, and the homeowner is left bridging the gap. Our Design & Build service removes those gaps entirely. Design intent is developed with buildability in mind from the start, pricing is transparent at every stage, and a single team carries accountability from the first consultation through to handover.
One of the most significant risks in the traditional design-then-build model is the gap between what a design costs to draw and what it costs to build. Design aspirations and construction budgets can diverge quickly if they are not managed in relation to each other. Because we hold both the design and the build, we manage that relationship from the outset — making design decisions with a clear understanding of their cost implications, and providing transparent pricing at each stage of the process. There are no design fees followed by budget-shock tender returns. You know what you’re investing in throughout.
With Woodworx Design & Build, you have one team, one contract, and one point of accountability. Your project lead manages the process from design development through planning, technical coordination, and construction delivery. You are not managing the relationship between your architect and your builder. You are not troubleshooting the gap between what was designed and what is being built. You are engaging with a single, structured team who own the full outcome of your project.
The Reason Most Building Projects Run Into Trouble Is the Gap Between Design and Build.
A home improvement project of any real scale typically passes through several hands before it becomes reality. An architect designs it. A structural engineer signs off the structure. A building firm prices it and builds it. Each party has their own scope, their own incentives, and their own definition of what a successful outcome looks like. And the homeowner — who has the most at stake — is left trying to bridge the gaps between them.
Cost overruns often emerge at the tender stage, when a design that was created without close attention to build cost comes back priced significantly above expectation. Delays often emerge mid-build, when the construction team encounters details that weren’t resolved at design stage. Disappointments often emerge at handover, when the finished result doesn’t quite match what was envisaged at the start.
Woodworx Design & Build exists to eliminate those risks. By managing design and construction as a single, integrated process — with transparent pricing at every stage and a single team accountable for the outcome — we close the gaps that cause problems in the traditional model.
Our clients are homeowners who are planning a significant project on a property they love, and who want the process to be as professionally managed as the result is carefully considered. They are not looking for the cheapest route to a planning application. They are looking for a team that can take them from concept to completion with clarity, confidence, and calm control throughout.
If that sounds like the kind of project you’re planning, we would be glad to start a conversation.
To find out how Woodworx Property can help bring your vision to life, contact us today and arrange a free consultation.
Or fill out the contact form here and we’ll be in touch to discuss your project.
Our Design & Build service covers the full journey from initial design development through to construction completion and handover. This includes spatial planning and design development, planning applications and building regulations management, technical drawings and structural coordination, transparent stage pricing, and the full managed construction programme. The exact scope is discussed and agreed at the outset so you know exactly what is within our remit and what — if anything — sits outside it.
The primary difference is accountability. In the traditional model, the architect is responsible for design and the builder is responsible for construction — but neither is responsible for the gap between the two. Budget surprises at tender stage, buildability issues discovered on site, and misalignments between intent and execution are all symptoms of that gap. With Design & Build, one team holds both sides of the process. Design decisions are informed by build cost from the start, and there is no moment where the project changes hands.
We provide transparent pricing at each stage of the process — from initial feasibility and design through to the full build contract. Early-stage pricing gives you an informed view of the likely investment before you commit to detailed design work. As the design develops, pricing is refined against the confirmed scope so you always have an accurate picture of where you stand. There are no budget-shock tender returns, because cost is considered throughout the design process — not presented as a surprise at the end of it.
The design process is collaborative. We begin by understanding your vision, priorities, and the practical requirements of your household, and we develop design options in response to that — not in isolation from it. Key decisions are always yours: spatial configuration, material direction, specification level, and aesthetic intent. Our role is to shape those decisions into a buildable, costed, well-resolved design — not to impose a predetermined outcome.
Yes. Planning submissions, building regulations applications, and all associated technical approvals are managed as part of the Design & Build process. You don’t need to appoint separate planning consultants or manage the submission process independently. We have experience working with planning authorities across Hampshire and Surrey and manage this phase as a structured part of the overall project programme.
Design and specification changes during the construction phase are handled through the same structured variation process we use on all our projects. Any change is documented, costed, and presented to you for approval before it is actioned. Because we hold both the design and build, we can also advise on how a proposed change will affect other elements of the project — which a builder working to someone else’s drawings typically cannot.
The total timeline depends on the scale and complexity of your project, as well as the time required for planning approvals if applicable. A typical Design & Build project from initial consultation to construction completion might span anywhere from six months to over a year for larger or more complex schemes. At every stage, we provide a clear programme so you can plan around it. We don’t give open-ended timelines and manage expectations retrospectively.
Design & Build works particularly well for projects where the design brief is not yet fully resolved — extensions that need spatial planning before they can be properly scoped, whole-home renovations where layout reconfiguration is central to the brief, and loft conversions or kitchen extensions where design and buildability are closely intertwined. It is less suited to projects where detailed design work has already been completed and the requirement is purely for a construction team. If you’re unsure which route is right for your project, a conversation with us will quickly clarify the most appropriate approach.
Yes. A named project lead manages your Design & Build project from the initial design consultation through to construction completion. They hold the full picture of your project across both phases, are directly reachable throughout, and are accountable for the quality and delivery of the outcome. You won’t experience a handover between a design team and a build team — the accountability sits with one person throughout.
Not necessarily. Many of our clients come to us with a clear sense of what they want to achieve but without a fully formed brief. That’s a perfectly natural starting point for the Design & Build process — part of our role is to help you develop and refine your brief into something buildable and costed. If you know you want to improve your home significantly but haven’t yet resolved exactly how, a consultation with us is a good place to start.
