Design-Build and General Contracting in South Florida
For decades, Blanco has built signature buildings across South Florida as one team, whether the design begins in our studio or with your own architect. We firmly believe a disciplined process turns grand visions into buildable realities. Our goal is alignment from day one, so the one-of-a-kind space we’re building matches your vision.
Two ways to build, one standard of craft
For more than a decade, Blanco has designed and built signature buildings across South Florida, from Coral Gables and Coconut Grove to Key Biscayne, Miami Shores, and the barrier islands of Miami Beach. Some principals come to us with a piece of land and an idea; others arrive with an architect already engaged and drawings in hand. We meet each client as one accountable team so the final space is guided and aligned with your original vision.
Design-Build
One integrated team from first sketch to turn-key handover — design, architecture, engineering, permitting, and construction under one roof. The path for clients who want a single team responsible for the whole work. Explore design-build.
General Contracting
For projects that already have an architect, and for select high-end commercial work. Residential and commercial pathways, both built to the same standard as our design-build work. Explore general contracting.
Architectural Design
Residential architecture rooted in site, light, proportion, and South Florida’s code and climate — drawn by the team that will build it. Explore architectural design.
Interior Design
Interiors developed alongside architecture and construction, then delivered turn-key. Explore interior design.
What to Expect When You Build with Blanco
From the first conversation, Blanco’s leadership works with client directly, rather than an account manager. This is the difference between a vendor and a partner, especially on a commitment measured in years and millions of dollars. The budget we put in front of you is an honest, all-in number: permits, driveways, pools, landscaping, and finishes included, not a base figure engineered to look attractive and then drift upward once the work begins.
We hold that transparency in the contract itself, through open-book, cost-plus pricing. You see the documented cost of the work plus our fee — every subcontractor bid and invoice visible in real time through BuilderTrend and the schedule of values.
Working with Blanco, you always know where the money is going and you keep control of where it goes next. And when the house is finished, it is genuinely finished with a one-year warranty in place. As our CEO Hank Bush puts it, “just bring your toothbrush.”
Breathtaking Doesn’t Happen by Accident
When your vision of the perfect space is in the balance, you deserve a luxury residential or commercial contractor that protects that vision long before construction begins. Let’s chat about how our in-house Blanco construction experts can commission your dream space.
Our Building Process
Every engagement follows the same spine but is calibrated to your project. Where you enter depends on what you already have — design-build clients begin with us at design, while general-contracting clients who already have an architect join us at pre-construction. Residential and commercial projects run the same path, tuned to a family’s daily rhythm on one side, or a company’s opening date on the other.
1
Meet & Greet
We define the program and the goals, budget, and constraints that will govern the work. Every service starts here.
2
Site Evaluation & Feasability
Code research, zoning, and flood-zone and FEMA review. For design-build, this shapes the design; for general contracting, it frames a constructability review of your architect’s drawings.
3
Design & Architecture
In-house architecture and engineering with value engineering from day one, so the design is priced and buildable before drawings are finalized. General-contracting clients keep their own architect, and we coordinate with that team instead.
4
Permit Coordination
Municipality submittal, plan-reviewer coordination, and shop-drawing coordination across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach — managed in-house, with persistent follow-up through the electronic-permitting backlog.
5
Construction
Turn-key construction with on-site supervision and inspection coordination, tracked in BuilderTrend. Residential work is delivered move-in ready; commercial work is sequenced to protect the opening date and the finish the brand depends on.
6
warranty & Care
Final walk-through, punch list, systems commissioning, and the Certificate of Occupancy. Projects include a one-year warranty and every project closes with complete documentation.
How long does it take to build with Blanco?
| Phase | Typical Duration | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Design & Pre-Construction | ~10–14 months | Site evaluation and feasibility, zoning and code research, architectural design and space planning, structural and MEP engineering, construction documents, and the start of permitting. |
| Construction | ~16–22 months | Site preparation and foundations, structural framing and building envelope, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, and interior finishes and specialty installations. |
| Final Walkthrough & Punch-list | ~1–2 months | Final municipal inspections, punch-list completion, systems testing and documentation, and issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy. |
Design-build is where this matters most. With architecture, engineering, permitting, and construction under one roof, pricing and constructibility are resolved as the design develops. This means that field questions are settled in hours and projects run an average of two to three months faster than a traditional contractor working with outside designers.
That same in-house expertise is what lets us work just as effectively as your general contractor. When an architect or other construction partners are already involved, we step in as the builder and bring the same constructibility review, value engineering, and disciplined execution to their drawings, with no loss of coordination or accountability.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What is the difference between design-build and general contracting?
In design-build, one team handles design and construction under a single contract. In general contracting, you engage an outside architect for the design and a contractor to build it. Blanco offers both, and the right choice depends on whether your architect is already engaged and where you would rather the coordination risk sit.
2. Can you work as our general contractor if we already have an architect?
Yes. When an architect or other construction partners are already involved, we step in as the builder and apply the same constructability review, value engineering, and disciplined execution to your team’s drawings.
3. Do you build commercial projects as well as homes?
We do. Alongside the residential work, we take on select high-end commercial projects (including office fit-outs, showrooms, boutique hospitality, restaurants, and private-club and amenity spaces) held to the same standard of craft.
4. How much does it cost to build a custom home in South Florida?
All-in costs generally run from $650 to $1,000 or more per square foot, with our base project in the $2.5M–$3M range and estate work at $8M and above. Those figures already include permits, driveways, fences, pools, high-end landscaping, and finishes, rather than a base-build number that grows during construction.
5. How long does it take to build a custom home in South Florida?
From the start of construction to move-in, most high-end homes take roughly 16 to 22 months; counted from the first consultation, plan for closer to 20 to 24. Design and pre-construction run about 10 to 14 months, construction 16 to 22, and the final walk-through and punch list one to two.
6. How does cost-plus pricing work, and why does it benefit me?
Cost-plus is open-book: you pay the documented cost of the work plus our transparent fee, and you see every subcontractor bid and invoice as the project proceeds. It gives you a clear view of where each dollar goes and real control over where it goes next — and it aligns our incentives with yours, because there is no hidden margin buried inside a lump sum.
7. Who will I actually work with during the project?
You work directly with Blanco’s leadership through the life of the project, not an account manager — on a commitment of this size, that is where confidence comes from.
8. What does turnkey delivery include?
Turnkey means that the house is truly ready to live in. Blanco’s goal is for the home to be handed over ready to occupy, with finishes complete and a one-year warranty in place.
9. Where in South Florida does Blanco build?
Across South Florida’s most distinctive neighborhoods — Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Miami Shores, Belle Meade, Bay Point, Golden Beach, and Key Biscayne — and increasingly into Palm Beach, Jupiter, and Delray Beach.
10. How do we get started?
It begins with a Meet & Greet, where we learn what you’re trying to build, develop a space program, and frame an honest budget and timeline. From there, we map the path — design-build or general contracting — that fits the project in front of you.