Trends, Takeaways and the Future of Design-Build: Unpacking the New FMI Study

Design-Build Delivers

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In this episode of the Design-Build Delivers Podcast, we chat with Emily Beardall from FMI Corporation to explore what she and her team found in the 2024 Design-Build Utilization Study. The latest data highlights design-build’s continued momentum, with projected growth reaching $1.1 trillion in spending by 2028.

Episode highlights include:

• The industries driving design-build’s expansion
• The rising popularity of progressive design-build
• How Owner Advisors are shaping project success
• What contractors look for in Owners when choosing projects
• The role of DBIA certification in building design-build expertise

Whether you're an Owner, industry professional or just design-build curious, this episode delivers insights into the future of project delivery.

Listen now and get the full report at store.dbia.org.

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Chapters

1. Trends, Takeaways and the Future of Design-Build: Unpacking the New FMI Study (00:00:00)

2. Introduction and Reflection on Past Interviews (00:00:06)

3. Key Findings from the 2025 Design-Build Utilization Study (00:02:39)

4. Market Growth: Infrastructure, Water and Manufacturing (00:05:25)

5. Unprecedented Surge in Manufacturing Projects (00:07:39)

6. Why Water Infrastructure is the Fastest-Growing Sector (00:09:24)

7. The Continued Rise of Progressive Design-Build (PDB) (00:11:27)

8. Comparing Construction Management (CM) & Design-Build (00:13:52)

9. How Contractors Are Becoming More Selective About Projects (00:16:30)

10. The Growing Impact of DBIA Certification (00:20:24)

11. Owner Advisors: Maximizing Their Role in Design-Build (00:22:25)

12. How Design-Build Supports Talent Retention (00:24:36)

13. Engaging UBE Firms (00:26:25)

14. Why This Research Matters and Key Takeaways (00:28:54)

15. Closing Remarks and Upcoming DBIA Conferences (00:30:24)