In today’s global manufacturing and logistics landscape, time-to-market is everything within the construction industry. Every week your facility is not operating, costs revenue, delays supply chains, and misses opportunities. For U.S. executives considering moving or expanding operations into Mexico, speed is not just a competitive advantage—it’s a strategic necessity.
This is where the Design-Build delivery model, one of the most efficient methods of contracting, becomes a game-changer for international construction.
While Design-Build is the gold standard for efficiency in the United States, many projects in Mexico are still delivered under the traditional Design-Bid-Build approach—which relies heavily on sealed bidding, fragmented construction specifications, and divided responsibilities between the designer, contractor, and construction manager—conditions that often lead to delays, cost overruns, and coordination issues.
At Hermosillo, we specialize in Design-Build precisely because it solves the biggest concerns foreign investors face when building in Mexico.
The Problem: Why the Traditional Model Often Fails in International Projects
Under the Design-Bid-Build model, owners must separately hire a designer and a contractor through rigid methods of contracting, often governed by sealed bidding processes and disconnected scopes. On paper, this may seem straightforward. In practice—especially in cross-border projects—it creates friction at every stage of construction management:
- Sequential timelines: Construction cannot start until design is 100% complete and bid.
- Extended bidding periods: Owners lose months evaluating contractors, reviewing government-style estimates, and negotiating pricing.
- Divided responsibility: When issues arise, accountability between designer, contractor and construction manager is unclear.
- Higher owner risk: The client becomes the de facto coordinator between multiple contracts, schedules, and responsibilities.
For a U.S.-based executive managing a project from afar, this fragmented contracting structure significantly increases exposure to delays, disputes and liquidated damages.
The Solution: What Is the Design-Build Methodology
Design-Build consolidates design and construction under a single contract, using integrated Design-Build contracts that assign full responsibility to one entity.
Instead of managing multiple vendors and subcontractors, the client works with a single Design-Build firm—such as Hermosillo—that oversees the entire process. Under this model, the project is developed from the architectural concept and engineering through construction and turnkey delivery.
For Hermosillo, this means:
- One contract
- One point of contact
- One team fully responsible for safety, cost, schedule, and quality
This unified contracting structure reduces risk, improves coordination, and accelerates delivery, laying the foundation for faster, more predictable project outcomes.
How Design-Build Cuts 15–20% Off the Project Schedule
1. Fast-Tracking Through Phase Overlap
In traditional delivery, each phase waits for the previous one to end. Design-Build allows parallel progress.
While architectural design and construction specifications are still being finalized, construction activities can already begin on:
- Site preparation
- Earthworks
- Foundations
- Early coordination of utility services, operations, and storage areas
- Procurement of long lead items (equipment)
This overlap alone can save weeks or even months on the overall schedule.
2. Eliminating the Bidding Phase
Design-Build removes the need for a lengthy contractor selection process. Because the construction team is involved from the earliest stages:
- Budgets are validated early
- Constructability is reviewed in real time
- Pricing is aligned with design decisions under fixed-price contracts, lump sum, cost reimbursement contracts, or Guaranteed Maximum Price structures
What typically takes 2–3 months in bidding is completely eliminated.
3. Direct, Internal Communication
With designers and builders on the same team, there is no “finger-pointing” when challenges arise. Issues are resolved internally, immediately, and without stopping the project.
Critical Advantages for U.S.–Mexico Projects
Single Point of Responsibility
For U.S. clients who cannot be on-site every week, Design-Build offers peace of mind. There is no need to coordinate with multiple firms across language, cultural, and legal boundaries. We manage everything.
Lump Sum
Design-Build enables much earlier cost certainty. A lump sum allows executives to confidently report numbers to boards, investors, and corporate leadership—without unpleasant surprises later.
Local Risk Mitigation
Mexico has its own:
- Construction codes and permitting processes
- Labor environments and unions
- Material availability constraints
By integrating design with local construction expertise, we ensure:
- Specifications match locally available materials
- Permits are addressed proactively
- Supply chain delays are minimized
Design-Build vs. Design-Bid-Build: A Quick Comparison
Quantifiable Business Benefits
Beyond speed, Design-Build delivers measurable value across the construction lifecycle:
- Fewer Change Orders: Early coordination reduces design conflicts before construction begins.
- Value Engineering from Day One: Cost optimization happens during design, not after drawings are complete.
- Accelerated Regulatory Compliance: Local codes, permits, and requirements are addressed proactively rather than reactively.
- Early Procurement of Long Lead items: During the conceptual phase of the project, long-lead equipment can be purchased and delivered at an early stage of construction.
Why is Hermosillo the Right Design-Build Partner in Mexico
With more than 60 years of experience building in Mexico, Hermosillo brings together:
- Deep local knowledge of the regulatory, permitting, and construction environment.
- Advanced technology and integrated BIM processes.
- Proven Design-Build expertise aligned with U.S. standards.
- A robust in-house team of architects and engineers focused on delivering efficient solutions from early design through construction.
This experience is not theoretical. Over the past five years, 76% of our projects have been delivered under a Design-Build scheme or have included integrated design services, reflecting our clients’ confidence in collaborative, streamlined delivery models.
We don’t just design and build facilities. We help secure the success of our clients’ investments in Mexico, supporting them from site selection and early planning through the moment their operations are fully up and running.
Ready to Move Faster?
If you’re evaluating Mexico for nearshoring, manufacturing, or logistics expansion, Hermosillo is the leading Design-Build constructor in Mexico—the fastest and most reliable path forward.
Contact us at contact@hermosillo.com
Let’s discuss how we can help you deliver your facility up to 20% faster—with greater certainty and lower risk.
