New research by FMI shows that nearly half of non-residential construction projects are being delivered by the design-build method.

Design-build is the fastest growing and most popular method to deliver nonresidential, highway/street, and water/wastewater construction projects in America. Among the key findings of the new research are:

• Design-build is anticipated to account for 44% of construction spending in the assessed segments (nonresidential, highway/street and water/wastewater) delivering $1.2 trillion in construction put in place by 2021.
• Design-build spending is anticipated to grow 18% overall, with the highway/street and water/wastewater sectors seeing 30% growth by 2021.
• Design-build spending in Manufacturing (16%), Highway/Street (14%), and Educational (15%) represent the greatest percentage of design-build construction spending by segment from 2018-2021.
• Experience with design-build was rated highest across all project delivery methods, with 76% of survey respondents reporting very good and excellent experiences.
• Opportunities to innovate and the ability to fast track a project were identified as top benefits associated with design-build.