Design Build Associates
Design Build Associates is a privately held, 42-year-old construction management consulting firm that represents homeowner associations and community managers across Southern and Central California through major reconstruction, repair, roofing, waterproofing, and SB 326 inspection projects.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersWestlake Village, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Design Build Associates does
Design Build Associates is a privately held construction management consulting firm founded in 1983 and headquartered in Westlake Village, California, with a second office in Tustin serving Orange County. The firm specializes in representing homeowner associations (HOAs) and community managers through major reconstruction, repair, and capital improvement projects, including roofing, waterproofing, deck repairs, repiping, seismic retrofit, and defect litigation remediation. Its core service lines are full-lifecycle construction management (scope development, competitive bidding, contractor pre-qualification, contract negotiation, construction oversight, and project close-out) and roofing/waterproofing consulting, supplemented by SB 326 elevated-element inspections, expert witness and litigation support, project funding assistance, cost estimating, and scope prioritization.
The company's underlying technology is its proprietary process methodology rather than a software platform: documented Communication Flowcharts, Weekly Update reporting, first-chair/second-chair project assignment for continuity, and systematic procedures for occupied planned unit developments. Its business model is professional services fees paid by HOA boards and property management companies, acquired primarily through direct engagement with HOA boards and community managers, supplemented by referrals from legal firms (notably Beaumont Tashjian), industry association channels (CAI, CACM), and content marketing via CAI Focus Magazine and the company blog. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the firm offers free initial consultations and positions its value proposition on independent, conflict-free oversight and demonstrable savings (case studies cite $387K and $134K under-budget outcomes and on-schedule delivery of a $17M, two-year project). In 2025, founder Dennis Brooks retired after 42 years and transitioned to Founder Emeritus, with Jim Sattler assuming the presidency.
Design Build Associates firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Design Build Associates
- Legal name
- Design Build Associates
- Website
- https://dbuild.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Design Build Associates is a privately held, 42-year-old construction management consulting firm that represents homeowner associations and community managers across Southern and Central California through major reconstruction, repair, roofing, waterproofing, and SB 326 inspection projects.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Design Build Associates industry classification
Industry- Product category
- HOA Construction Management Consulting
- NAICS
- Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering Services (8711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Construction Engineering & Constructability Consulting (BPAHAIAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Design-Build / EPC General Contracting (IMAFAAAD)
Keywords
Where Design Build Associates is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Westlake Village
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Design Build Associates business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Construction Management Consulting: Professional consulting fees for construction management services including project planning, scope creation, competitive bidding coordination, project costing, funding assistance, and construction oversight from conception to completion.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Design Build Associates product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Design Build Associates provides full-service construction management consulting to homeowner associations (HOAs) and property managers across Southern California. Services span project conception to completion, including scope-of-work development, competitive bidding coordination, pre-qualification of general contractors, value engineering, bid analysis, contract negotiation, construction oversight, invoice review, and project close-out. The firm also offers specialized roofing and waterproofing consulting, SB 326 elevated element inspections, and expert witness and litigation support services for construction-defect matters.
Product overview
Design Build Associates is a professional construction management consulting firm serving HOA and property manager clients across Southern California. The company offers two core service lines: Construction Management Services (covering project planning, scope development, contractor bidding, funding assistance, and construction oversight) and Roofing & Waterproofing Consulting. These core offerings are supplemented by specialized modules including SB 326 inspections, expert witness/litigation support, project funding assistance, cost estimating, scope prioritization, and defect litigation support. The company operates a professional services model rather than a software platform, providing hands-on construction management expertise from conception through project completion.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Construction Management Services Full-service construction management for HOA renovation, repair, and reconstruction projects, covering project planning, scope-of-work creation, competitive bidding coordination, project costing, funding assistance, contractor pre-qualification and oversight, bid analysis, contract negotiation, value engineering, invoice review, and construction oversight from conception to completion.
- Roofing & Waterproofing Consulting Consulting services to help clients evaluate buildings, assess existing conditions, review reserve studies, and develop recommendations to resolve roofing and waterproofing issues, with the goal of extending the service life of existing building materials and avoiding premature replacement.
- SB 326 Elevated Deck and Stair Inspection California state-mandated inspection service for elevated exterior elements including walkways, stairs, and balconies, ensuring compliance with SB 326 safety requirements for community associations.
- Expert Witness & Litigation Support Professional expert witness services and litigation support for construction-defect cases and construction-related legal disputes involving HOA communities, including management of post-settlement remediation work.
Quantifiable outcome
- Project completed nearly 3 months early and $387,000 under budget
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Design Build Associates
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Design Build Associates technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Design Build Associates partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supportive.
- California Association of Community Managers (CACM)coreIndustry association membership providing professional development, networking, and credibility in the California community management industry. CACM members represent hundreds of homeowner associations and community managers who may require construction management services.
- Community Associations Institute (CAI)coreNational industry association for community associations. DBA staff are educated business partner members of CAI chapters including Channel Islands, Greater Los Angeles, and Orange County.
- General ContractorscoreDBA coordinates with pre-qualified, appropriately insured general contractors who have the right experience to complete defined scopes of work. DBA maintains independence from contractors to provide unbiased oversight.
- Architects and EngineerssupportiveDBA coordinates and integrates the services of architects and engineers as required for specific projects, assembling consultant teams for design and construction documentation.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Design Build Associates competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- FirstService Residential: One of the largest HOA property management companies in North America. As a broad incumbent, they manage thousands of associations and either coordinate construction projects internally or refer to firms like DBA — a key channel relationship.
- Associa: Associa is a large national HOA management company that oversees community associations and coordinates major repair/reconstruction projects. Comparable as a peer adjacent to HOA construction oversight with significantly broader scope.
Regional players
- Level Construction Management: Level Construction Management provides owner's representation and construction management services for commercial and residential clients in specific U.S. regions. Comparable model to DBA's owner-rep services for community/HOA clients but operating in different geographies.
Others
- California Association of Community Managers (CACM): Industry association for California community managers that connects HOA boards with vendors including construction management firms. Ecosystem relationship — not a direct competitor but a referral channel critical to DBA's GTM.
- Beaumont Tashjian: Law firm representing HOAs in construction defect litigation and corporate matters. Listed as a DBA partner; comparable as an ecosystem player routing HOA reconstruction opportunities to construction management firms.
Direct peers
- Criterium Engineers: Criterium Engineers provides engineering and construction-related consulting for residential and commercial properties, including reserve studies, building inspections, and construction monitoring for HOAs. Highly comparable as a peer in HOA-facing engineering/construction management consulting.
- Association Reserves: Association Reserves provides reserve study and capital planning services for HOAs across the U.S. Comparable as a peer serving HOA decision-makers on construction/capital planning decisions, though narrower scope than DBA.
- Reserve Advisors: Reserve Advisors performs reserve studies and capital planning for HOAs and community associations. While more focused on reserve studies than full construction management, they serve the same HOA buyer with adjacent pre-construction advisory services.
- Masonry & Masonry Restoration Specialists: Specialty restoration contractors serving California HOAs on envelope and structural repair projects. Comparable as a peer serving HOA reconstruction needs, though operating on the contractor side of the table rather than as the owner's representative.
- Eagle Eye Engineering: Eagle Eye Engineering provides SB 326 balcony and elevated element inspection services to California HOAs, directly overlapping with DBA's SB 326 inspection offering and HOA target market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Design Build Associates social profiles
Digital presenceDesign Build Associates financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Design Build Associates leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Design Build Associates funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Design Build Associates M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Design Build Associates
What does Design Build Associates do?
Design Build Associates provides full-service construction management consulting to homeowner associations (HOAs) and property managers across Southern California. Services span project conception to completion, including scope-of-work development, competitive bidding coordination, pre-qualification of general contractors, value engineering, bid analysis, contract negotiation, construction oversight, invoice review, and project close-out. The firm also offers specialized roofing and waterproofing consulting, SB 326 elevated element inspections, and expert witness and litigation support services for construction-defect matters.
Is Design Build Associates a public or private company?
Design Build Associates is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Design Build Associates founded?
Design Build Associates was founded in 1983. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Design Build Associates based?
Design Build Associates is headquartered in Westlake Village, United States, in the North America region.
How does Design Build Associates make money?
One revenue line is on record: construction Management Consulting.
Who are Design Build Associates's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are FirstService Residential and Associa. Level Construction Management is listed as a regional player. Others are California Association of Community Managers (CACM) and Beaumont Tashjian. Direct peers are Criterium Engineers, Association Reserves, Reserve Advisors, Masonry & Masonry Restoration Specialists and Eagle Eye Engineering.
Does Design Build Associates have an API?
No public API is recorded for Design Build Associates.
What industry is Design Build Associates in?
Design Build Associates's product category is HOA Construction Management Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAIAN, Construction Engineering & Constructability Consulting, with a secondary code of IMAFAAAD, Design-Build / EPC General Contracting. Its NAICS code is 5413 and its SIC code is 8711.