Design
& Build
The Service
One team. One contract. One result.
Design & Build means Melner takes full responsibility for your project from the first conversation to the final handover. We appoint the architect, develop the design, cost the build, and deliver it — all under one contract, with one point of contact throughout.
This is the route for clients who want a finished home or workspace without managing multiple consultants, chasing separate timelines, or mediating between an architect and a builder who have never worked together before.
You don't need to arrive with drawings, a design team, or even a clear brief. Many of our clients start with nothing more than a property and an ambition. We take it from there — developing the concept, resolving the planning, and building the result with the same team that designed it.
The advantage is accountability. When design and construction sit under the same roof, there are no gaps between what was drawn and what gets built. No blame passed between consultants. No surprise costs from buildability issues discovered on site. The team that promises the result is the team that delivers it.
When the team that designs the project is the same team that builds it, every decision is made with full knowledge of what it costs, how long it takes, and whether it actually works on site.
How it works
Six stages. No handoffs.
Why Design & Build
Traditional route vs. Design & Build.
Traditional Route
- You appoint architect, designer, and builder separately
- Multiple contracts, multiple points of contact
- Design completed before builder is involved
- Buildability issues discovered on site
- Cost overruns from design changes during construction
- Disputes between design team and contractor
- You coordinate between all parties
Melner Design & Build
- One team from concept to completion
- Single contract, single point of responsibility
- Design developed with build cost and programme built in
- Buildability resolved on the drawing board, not on site
- Fixed price agreed before construction begins
- No gaps between design intent and what gets built
- We coordinate everything — you make decisions
What's included
Design through to final finish.
A Melner Design & Build contract covers every stage of the project. The scope below is indicative — every project is tailored to the property, the brief, and your level of involvement.
- Feasibility assessment and site survey
- Architectural concept and spatial design
- 3D visualisation and material specification
- Planning applications and consents
- Party wall agreements
- Full construction drawings
- Fixed-price cost plan
- Structural works and steelwork
- Full M&E installation
- Bespoke joinery and cabinetry
- Tiling, flooring, and stonework
- Decorating and finishing
- Snagging and handover
- Aftercare and maintenance