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Design Build HVAC: One Company Owns It All
We design it. We build it. We stand behind it. Single-source accountability for commercial HVAC and refrigeration projects across Maine.
Start a Design Build ProjectIn One Sentence
Design-build means you sign one contract with one company that is responsible for both designing and constructing your system.
What Is Design-Build?
Designed Around Your Needs. Built by the Same Team.
In the traditional “design-bid-build” model, an owner hires an engineer or designer to create drawings, puts those drawings out to bid, then hires a separate contractor to install the work. Each party has its own contract, its own scope, and its own interests — and the owner sits in the middle managing them all.
Design-build replaces that chain with a single team — and at MacPherson Werks, every design starts with you. We engineer each system specifically to your building, your operation, your budget, and your long-term requirements, never from a one-size-fits-all template. Because the same team that designs your system also installs and services it, design decisions become a partnership with real installation knowledge: ideas are tested against what actually works in the field before they ever reach the drawings.
You stay involved at every step. We walk you through the options, explain the trade-offs, and make decisions together — so the finished system does exactly what you need it to. For facility managers and property owners, that means fewer surprises and change orders, faster decisions, and one point of accountability from the first site walk to final commissioning.
Side by Side
Design-Bid-Build
Design-Build
Contracts
Separate contracts for designer and contractor
One contract
Point of Contact
Owner coordinates multiple parties
One project lead
When Problems Arise
Design vs. installation disputes
One company is responsible
Schedule
Phases run one after another
Design and planning overlap
Cost Visibility
Known after bids come back
Developed with the design
Change Orders
Common when drawings meet the field
Reduced — installers shape the design
Benefits
Why Owners Choose Design Build
Single-Source Accountability
One company answers for design, installation, and performance.
Fewer Middlemen
No separate engineering firm, bid process, or chain of subcontractors to manage.
Faster Timelines
Design, procurement, and planning happen in parallel rather than in sequence.
Budget Control
Costs are priced as the design develops, so there are fewer surprises later.
Practical Designs
Systems designed by the people who install and service them.
Long-Term Support
The team that built it maintains it — with full knowledge of every component.
Our Process
Executed With Discipline
01
Consult & Assess
Site walk, goals, existing equipment, and constraints.
02
Design
Load calculations, equipment selection, and system layout.
03
Proposal
Clear scope, schedule, and budget in one document.
04
Build
Our crews install with minimal disruption to operations.
05
Commission & Maintain
Testing, handoff, documentation, and ongoing care.
Ideal Design Build Projects
• New commercial construction
• Renovations and tenant fit-outs
• Full system replacements
• Walk-in cooler and refrigerated warehouse builds
• Multi-site equipment rollouts
Common Questions
Is design-build more expensive?
Not inherently. Pricing develops alongside the design, which helps keep the project within budget and reduces costly change orders.
Can you work with our architect or GC?
Yes. We can serve as the design-build mechanical partner within a larger project team.
Do you handle projects outside our area?
We cover all of Maine, including multi-location projects across the state.
Project Gallery
Design-build work across Maine
