Why Design-Build Wins for Lahaina Rebuilding: Budget Reality, Speed, and Care
Rebuilding after the Lahaina fires is not a typical custom home journey. Families are balancing insurance, timelines, permitting, material availability, and emotions. That is why alignment matters. With design-build, one integrated team carries the vision from first sketch to handing over the keys. As WMC’s design leader Jordan Haler puts it, “The idea behind WMC design built was to be that turnkey service… handing those keys over to the families that, especially for Lahaina, had never done this, didn’t choose to do this.”
Traditional delivery splits responsibility across separate firms. Architects draw. General contractors build. When markets shift or timelines slip, owners absorb the risk. Jordan has seen the gap first-hand: “As opposed to that traditional practice… feedback as quickly as possible.” In recovery work, slow feedback becomes real dollars and months lost.
Fragmentation often causes:
Design-build reduces those risks because the same team is responsible for design decisions, numbers, and field execution.
Families in Lahaina need clear, early answers. WMC’s approach is to quantify options during design so clients see tradeoffs in real time. “We analyze… insulation values, minimum, maximum… what’s the difference between an 8-foot ceiling and a 9-foot ceiling?” The goal is not to overdesign. The goal is to land on a build that fits the budget and the life inside the home.
Just as important, WMC builds to be proactive about cost surprises. “Really trying to set everything up… procurement… making sure schedules are aligned.” That means confirming lead times and code compliance before ground is broken. Because “it’s really hard and really expensive to change something once it’s done.”
And the heart of it: “I don’t like to draw for fun. I want to actually see these projects get built.”
Recovery projects cannot afford long gaps between design and construction. WMC leverages BIM to make decisions faster and clearer. “Through technology… through BIM… document [design] in 3D for them very quickly and realistically. It also allows us to keep our fees low.” Visual alignment early means fewer surprises later.
Integrated scheduling and procurement keeps work moving. Windows, egress, and manufacturer constraints are resolved in design, not in the field. “Being proactive… the best time is before you’ve broken ground.”
WMC is also preparing at scale for the community’s needs. “We are actually working on a county proposal for 250 homes in Lahaina… divvied out over two years… a nice stream of potential projects.”
Rebuilding is personal. It is about dignity and stability. Jordan describes why the team does this work: “It’s the best work we could do… actually making an impact.” He has seen how much it matters in the room with families processing loss: “We walked out of the meeting and Josh just looked at me and was like, did you expect… that, you know, first week?”
That care extends to communication. “I can’t lie to save my life… I’m a little over communicative… you can’t go wrong there.” The aim is a relationship that lasts long after move-in. “The goal of design is… to become friends and hopefully get invited to that first barbecue.”
What makes design-build faster in recovery?
One team handles design, estimating, scheduling, and field coordination. Decisions move in days, not months.
Costs are validated while you design. You see the tradeoffs, so the plan that gets permitted is a plan you can build.
Why does early procurement matter?
Lead times and code requirements are locked in before construction. Avoiding rework is the fastest way to save money.
Design-build brings the decisions, the numbers, and the builders into one table. For Lahaina, that means fewer surprises, faster starts, and homes that reflect both budget and dignity. In Jordan’s words, “We want to… steer you in the right direction… make sure you don’t make any dumb decisions.” Rebuilding is hard. The process does not have to be.
Ready to explore the right fit for your rebuild. Start with Social Brick.