Understanding Construction Project Delivery Methods

Click any method to learn how it works, when it’s most effective, and see project examples.

Carl A. Nelson & Company has decades of experience delivering projects across all major construction delivery methods. Our role is not to promote a single approach, but to help Owners understand their options, evaluate tradeoffs, and select the method that best supports cost certainty, schedule control, risk allocation, and long-term success.

Why delivery method matters

A project’s delivery method defines how decisions are made, who carries risk, when expertise is applied, and how information flows between the Owner, designer, and builder.

One of the most consequential differences between delivery methods is when construction expertise is brought into the process—and how much influence it has when key decisions are made.

In traditional General Contracting, the builder’s influence is largely limited to execution after design is complete. In Design-Build and Construction Management, construction expertise can inform cost, schedule, and constructability decisions earlier—when those decisions have the greatest impact.

Common construction delivery methods

• Design-Build
  A single point of responsibility for design and construction, aligning accountability and decision-making from concept through completion.
• Construction Management
  A collaborative delivery method where the construction manager provides pre-construction leadership and construction-phase coordination, with roles defined by contract structure.
• General Contractor
  A traditional delivery approach where construction is executed based on completed design documents, typically under a fixed-price contract.

Constraints versus choices

In practice, delivery method selection may be influenced by organizational policies, procurement rules, or statutory limitations—particularly for public Owners.

Even within those constraints, Owners often have more flexibility than they realize. Understanding what is possible, what is required, and what tradeoffs accompany each option allows project teams to make informed decisions rather than default ones.

Our approach

Regardless of delivery method, Carl A. Nelson & Company approaches every project with the same guiding principles:

Deliver Value. Build Trust. Repeat.

That means helping Owners understand delivery options early, applying construction expertise where it can add the most value, and leading projects with clarity, accountability, and disciplined execution—no matter the contract form.