The governor of North Carolina signed one of the nation’s most progressive design-build laws to grant state and local governments authorization to pursue project delivery through design-build and public-private partnerships. The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) is calling the new law "a great step forward for qualifications-based selection in the state."
Municipalities had been required to seek state legislative approval prior to pursuing design-build contracts, significantly delaying projects and costing communities valuable financial resources.
“Passage of HB 857 is great news for the state of North Carolina and for the country,” said Richard Thomas, state/local legislative affairs director for the DBIA. “Expanding authority to the local level provides communities with an expanded project delivery and financial toolbox to deliver projects. It also provides vital opportunities for small- and mid-sized companies to now compete for opportunities to work on projects to build and shape the North Carolina of tomorrow.”
North Carolina joins Arizona, Colorado, Florida and Virginia as the most progressive states in the nation to advance the building and design industry.
Design-build project delivery is an integrated approach that offers design and construction services under one contract with a single point of responsibility. Benefits include faster delivery, cost savings and better quality than through traditional contracting methods. The DBIA says contracting through the single entity decreases owners’ administrative burden and allows them to focus on successfully delivering the project, rather than managing separate contracts. The approach also reduces risk and results in fewer litigation claims for all parties involved.
