You can’t get a solid idea of cost without a design. Design/build is often cheaper number at the beginning but then as you get in to the project, there are adders for every change. Having a firm design to cost up front may give you a higher number upfront, but it will also be more accurate as to what the total cost will be.

IMO the comparison is moot unless they're both skilled and experienced, and you like the product. I'd look at their portfolios, and visit sites if they're public.

It also sounds as though there are several items on the "to renovate" list, including an addition. To me, that sounds more the job of an architect, rather than a designer.

I'm an advocate of the design-build project delivery method because design and construction are highly interdependent activities. The American Institute of Architects endorses the approach, which they've labelled "integrated project delivery" or IPD. That said, you don't need to settle for a "lesser" design quality from a design-build company nor should you expect a higher cost of construction--that's fundamental to the design-build approach. Some design-build firms have licensed architects and/or licensed engineers on staff. Some are owned and operated by architects.

Whether you choose a design-build firm or an independent architect for the design task, the plans and specifications should clearly and accurately document the project scope. That's in everyone's best interest. Ask to see sample plans so your can compare. Compare the cost of the plans, too.

If you go the independent architect route, I recommend you select your contractor at the same time and get them on the design team early on. That way your contractor can inform the design with real-world cost information. In the covid-19 world, historical cost data that architects may have is, well, out the window-- and it doesn't matter whether it's an egress window or not.

We are currently in the discovery/design phase of a remodel with a design build firm. They have architects on staff, plus estimators, build managers, interior designers... We have never done any kind of major work on a home, so to us, design build seemed more seamless. However, we're still in the situation of having to cut things from the design because of cost. The architect created something based on what we told her we wanted to do, but now the cost is coming in at double our budget. I think it's partly due to the fact that material costs are high right now and we're in a hot market (Austin). The contract states that we can stop working together at any time. We are going to get bids from builders to compare costs and see where it falls. It could be that things just cost way more than we think they should!

Friends of our are doing a gut remodel of their home and went the architect/builder route. Once they found the right combination of people to work with, they've been very happy. But that requires more legwork for you, interviewing and vetting people. If you go this route, I would highly encourage you to bring in an interior designer toward the beginning too. I'm very interested to see what other people's responses are on this question.

A good GC can price work to within 10K with a drawing on the back of a napkin. It is insane to start drawing without knowing the budget parameters.

@Joseph Corlett, LLC does the GC need other info? I don't see how just a napkin drawing is enough for a remodel because of all the unknowns. So far, we've done a site survey including topography and trees, as-built drawings, septic research, two rounds of design. That should be plenty for us to shop the construction price, right?

Estimating the cost of any new residential construction or remodeling project is a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem with regard to design. You need to invest in some preliminary design work to serve as the basis for an estimate if you expect any level of accuracy. If the project is substantially similar to a recently completed project, it may be possible to use the completed project as a cost benchmark. However, in an environment of rapidly escalating costs like the covid-19 era, even using a cost benchmark can result in a big error in an estimate. Ditto for remodels which can have very different existing conditions and constraints.

A contractor's ability to estimate within $10K based on a drawing on the back of a napkin may be possible, but achieving that level of accuracy depends on the scope of the project. I would expect a small project, say $5K to $10K could be estimated within +/- $10K based on the napkin sketch. A project of $500K, not so much.

stiley:

Of course the more information a GC has, the more accurate his estimation. My point is that the GC you want has done lots of work in your area. He, more than your architect, knows immediately approximately how much your ideas are going to cost. Better to hear you're not getting that second story at lunch than hearing it after you've paid someone to draw it.