Design-build means one company designs your project, prices it against real construction costs, pulls the permits, and builds it — one contract, one accountable team. It’s the opposite of the traditional gauntlet where an architect draws something, three contractors bid it blind, and you referee the finger-pointing when reality doesn’t match the drawings. Here is KHB’s process, step by step, exactly as it runs on a real Central Valley project.
Last updated July 30, 2026 · By the KHB Construction team (CSLB #1070537)
Step 1: The Consultation
We start in your home — not in a showroom. We walk the space, hear what’s driving the project (the kitchen that can’t hold Thanksgiving, the parents moving in, the house you love on the street you never want to leave), and we talk honestly about budget ranges based on projects like yours. If the numbers and the fit feel right on both sides, we move to design. If they don’t, you’ll know in the first meeting — we’d rather tell you the truth than win a project that ends badly.
Step 2: Design, Priced in Real Time
This is where design-build earns its keep. Our in-house design team develops your concept — layouts, elevations, 3D renderings — while our estimators price it against current trade costs as it evolves. When a design decision adds $18,000, you find out that week, not at bid time three months later.
“Their design services are top notch. The 3D renderings and samples were such helpful tools to figure out what we wanted.” — Rafael D., Google review
The selections phase runs the same way: every tile, slab, fixture, and finish gets logged with live pricing, so the budget and the design stay married. The result is a design that survives contact with the budget — because it was never allowed to drift from it.
Step 3: Engineering, Plans, and Permits
Our team produces the full construction set — architectural sheets, structural plans and calculations, Title 24 energy compliance, site plan — and files it with your city or county. We answer plan-check corrections, pay and pull the permit, and schedule every inspection. Because our drawings are produced to each jurisdiction’s own checklist, most KHB submittals clear with minimal correction rounds, whether that’s Modesto’s Building Safety Division, Stockton’s Permit Center, or a small-city counter like Oakdale’s.
Step 4: The Build — With a Schedule You Can Read
Before demolition, you get a published schedule and a dedicated project manager. During construction: daily photo logs from the field, a weekly walkthrough, and a running answer to the only two questions that matter — are we on schedule, and are we on budget. The same company that drew your project is building it, so there’s no gap between the renderings and the result.
“If you’re looking for a contractor who’s trustworthy, reliable and excels in communication, look no further.” — Edward G., Google review
Step 5: Final Walkthrough and the Details
We finish with a final walkthrough, a punch list that actually gets punched, and final inspection sign-off with your city. The most telling thing about our process: our most enthusiastic reviews consistently come from clients who have remodeled before with someone else. They know what the experience is like elsewhere — the surprises, the silence, the drift — and they can feel the difference a single accountable team makes.
“They were professional, attentive, and made the whole process easy.” — Lorisa, Google review
Why This Model Wins on Big Projects
On a $100,000–$2.5M project, the handoffs are where budgets die: architect to bidder, bidder to builder, builder to inspector. Design-build removes them. One contract means one point of accountability for the design, the price, the permit, and the finished work. That’s the whole model — and it’s why we’ve built our entire company around it, from custom kitchens to ADUs to whole-home renovations and ground-up construction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between design-build and hiring an architect plus a contractor?
With design-build, design and construction live under one contract and one company, so the design is priced as it develops and the builder is accountable for the drawings. The traditional path separates them — which is where budget surprises and finger-pointing come from.
How long does the design phase take?
Typically 6–10 weeks from consultation to permit-ready drawings for a kitchen or bath; larger whole-home projects and additions run longer. Permits add a few weeks depending on the jurisdiction.
Do I have to use KHB’s designers?
If you already have plans, we’ll price and build them — and our permits team can carry them through plan check. But most clients use our design team, because the live-pricing loop is what keeps budgets honest.
What areas does KHB serve?
The Central Valley — Modesto, Stockton, Lodi, Oakdale, Ripon, Manteca, Lathrop, Tracy, Turlock — and the Tri-Valley: Livermore, Dublin, Pleasanton, and Danville.
Want to see the process from the inside? Request a Consultation — the first meeting is a conversation, not a pitch.