Design-build delivery is no longer simply an alternative to the traditional way government builds infrastructure. It has become one of the most widely used project delivery approaches in America. The Design-Build Institute of America projects that the design-build delivery model will account for more than 47 percent of U.S. construction spending by 2028. If that projection is accurate, it will represent approximately $2.6 trillion in spending between 2024 and 2028.
Public officials are turning to alternative delivery models as they struggle with tight budgets, construction-cost volatility, staffing constraints, complicated projects and pressure to deliver infrastructure faster.
The basic design-build model places responsibility for both design and construction under a single contract rather than requiring a public owner to complete the design and then separately procure a construction contractor. That allows design and construction activities to overlap, creates a single point of responsibility and can shorten project schedules.
Progressive design-build takes the concept one step further. Instead of requiring the design-builder to commit to a final construction price when the team is initially selected, the project owner brings the design-builder into a project much earlier, often primarily on the basis of qualifications. The owner and design-builder then work collaboratively to develop the design, define scope, identify and allocate risks, refine the schedule and ultimately negotiate the construction price.
That distinction is becoming increasingly important. Progressive design-build now accounts for roughly one-third of design-build procurements, according to research cited by the Design-Build Institute of America in 2026. The Federal Highway Administration is also promoting greater awareness of progressive design-build and other alternative contracting methods that allow agencies to engage industry expertise earlier in project development.
Progressive design-build is particularly attractive for projects involving technical complexity, uncertain site conditions, evolving scope and cost volatility. Early collaboration allows constructability, scheduling, cost and risk issues to be addressed while design is still being developed rather than after major decisions have already been made. Legislative activity also continues as states expand or extend design-build authority for transportation, water and wastewater, public buildings and other types of infrastructure.
A $320 million expansion project in Port St. Lucie, Fla., will focus on an existing water treatment plant to accommodate continued growth in the utilities’ service area. The existing facility has a permitted treatment capacity of approximately 12 million gallons per day, and the project will be designed to initially increase capacity to 18 million gallons per day. However, the new infrastructure will have the capability to accommodate a potential future expansion to 24 million gallons per day.
The project will call for new and expanded wastewater treatment systems, process equipment, plant piping and support for treatment systems at the existing site. Improvements will also address electrical and mechanical systems, controls and instrumentation, utilities and associated civil and site infrastructure that will be needed to support the additional capacity. A progressive design-build contracting engagement will call for planning, design, permitting, construction, commissioning and startup services for the expanded facility.
The project remains in the planning and pre-procurement phase. Officials at Port St. Lucie have selected an owner’s agent to support the progressive design-build process. Construction is slated for 2029, and the expanded facility is expected to be partially operational by the end of 2030, with construction operations concluding by the end of 2031.
Planning is underway for a new multimodal transportation facility adjacent to Michigan Central Station in Detroit. The $43 million project will be overseen by the Detroit Transportation Corp. in coordination with state and local partners. Funding support has been made available through federal grants and state funding.
The overall objective is to bring passenger rail, intercity bus service, local and regional transit connections, bicycle facilities and pedestrian access together at a single location at Michigan Central Station. The work will include an evaluation of how best to provide internal circulation and access for buses, rail passengers, cyclists and pedestrians. Specific future transportation services, routes and operating arrangements have not yet been finalized.
The project is currently in a planning and development phase with environmental review, infrastructure evaluation, funding analysis and stakeholder coordination all underway. An owner’s representative has been selected, and a decision has been made to deliver the project through a progressive design-build engagement. A solicitation document is expected to be released soon.
Officials with the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York are developing plans for a new $160 million inpatient psychiatric hospital that will be located on Wards Island. State officials appropriated funding for the hospital, which will provide 100 new inpatient psychiatric beds.
The new facility will be located on land where an older building currently sits, so demolition will be required. Programming and conceptual design will establish patient-space layouts, circulation, safety and accessibility features, security systems and major mechanical, electrical, fire-protection, communications and building-control systems. Planners will also evaluate whether existing campus food service, pharmacy, storehouse, power plant, maintenance and administrative functions can support the new hospital.
Preconstruction work will include site investigations, cost estimating and development of performance requirements for a design-build delivery procurement. Construction will be procured separately through design-build, and solicitation documents are scheduled for 2027 with construction currently slated to begin in early 2028.
The California Highway Patrol is preparing a $65.3 million project to replace its current Redding Area office building in Redding. The project will provide a new facility to support patrol operations, dispatch services and vehicle maintenance. Approximately $60.6 million was designated for the design and construction phase of the project.
Project plans call for construction of an approximately 40,200-square-foot, single-story main office with a dispatch facility and auto service building that will be located on a 5-acre plot of land. Additional project components will include public parking spaces, secured parking for patrol vehicles, an emergency generator, a fuel island and canopy, communications tower, landscaping and utilities. The project will also include the acquisition and development of a new site for the replacement facility.
The project is currently in a performance-criteria planning phase that is scheduled for completion in November. A decision has been made to deliver the project through a design-build engagement, and that procurement will begin later in 2027.
A $51.7 million water treatment upgrade project is planned at two Burlington water facilities in North Carolina. City officials are preparing PFAS-removal improvements at the Ed Thomas Water Treatment Plant and J.D. Mackintosh Jr. Water Treatment Plant. Plans call for the addition of new treatment infrastructure to reduce PFAS concentrations in drinking water produced by both facilities.
Improvements will include adding a new PFAS-removal stage at the end of both existing treatment systems to allow for additional treatment before water enters the distribution system. Current plans also identify ion exchange, novel sorbent and granular activated carbon technologies that will be required for both treatment systems. The work will integrate PFAS-removal equipment with the existing processes to provide an additional treatment barrier that specifically targets the contaminants. The upgrades will be implemented at both plants to provide 34 million gallons per day of permitted treatment capacity.
The project remains in the predevelopment phase, and an owner’s representative has been hired to support Burlington’s progressive design-build procurement process. Capital planning documents indicate that the project will be completed before 2029. That schedule aligns with the existing federal PFAS compliance deadline, although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed allowing eligible drinking-water systems to request extensions until 2031. The outlined project schedule indicates that this progressive design-build procurement will begin soon.
These projects illustrate why both forms of design-build are becoming increasingly important in the public sector. Water and wastewater facilities, transportation systems, hospitals and public buildings often involve complicated existing conditions, specialized equipment, regulatory requirements and demanding schedules that make coordination between designers and builders particularly valuable.
The important takeaway for firms interested in government contracting is that progressive design-build delivery methods change not only how a project is delivered but also when private-sector partners become involved. Competitive opportunities often emerge while projects still appear to be in an early planning phase. This heightens the need to identify projects as soon as possible. Once a progressive design-build team is selected, contractors must be prepared to participate immediately in developing scope, constructability, cost, scheduling, risk allocation and technical solutions.
This makes early positioning a critical component of success. Companies accustomed to waiting for completed designs and traditional construction solicitations must change their engagement process. Otherwise, they are likely to arrive too late to participate.
As government officials make greater use of design-build and progressive design-build, critical decisions involving design, technology, equipment, construction methods, scheduling and project delivery will be made much earlier in the process. For firms interested in expanding their public-sector contracting success, tracking projects much earlier is now more important than ever.
