A design-build chief executive officer decides which homes the firm designs and builds, how it charges for design, and where the next clients come from. They protect the referrals and reputation that large remodels and custom homes are sold on, and report growth and margin to the owners or a board.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Provide visionary leadership for the design-build firm, developing and executing strategic initiatives that drive growth and profitability. Represent the company in high-level negotiations, ensuring the alignment of contracts with overall business objectives. Lead operational and strategic planning, maintaining a strong focus on customer satisfaction and market competitiveness. Promote a culture of innovation, accountability, and exceptional service throughout the organization.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Define and communicate the company’s vision and strategic goals to all stakeholders.
Negotiate high-value contracts with clients and partners to secure long-term business relationships.
Oversee financial performance to ensure sustained profitability and market growth.
Implement innovative business strategies and operational improvements across the organization.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review and approve contract negotiations and client proposals to align with the company’s strategic objectives.
Conduct regular executive meetings to monitor performance metrics and adjust strategies as needed.
Engage with key clients and industry partners to expand business opportunities and maintain strong relationships.
Oversee budget reviews, financial forecasting, and performance reporting on a regular basis.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Revenue Growth: Achieve a year-over-year increase of at least 15%.
Profit Margin: Maintain a gross margin of at least 30%.
Client Acquisition: Secure a minimum of 12 new high-value contracts annually.
Customer Satisfaction: Achieve an average customer satisfaction rating of over 4.8 stars.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Construction Management, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred.
A minimum of 10 years of leadership experience in executive roles within the home services or construction industry.
Strong negotiation, strategic planning, and financial management skills.
Excellent communication, decision-making, and stakeholder management abilities.
6. Preferred Experience
Proven track record of leading design-build firms or similar organizations within the home services industry.
Extensive experience negotiating large-scale contracts and managing multifaceted projects.
Background in operational management with experience in driving profitability improvements.
Demonstrated success in building and maintaining strategic partnerships across various sectors.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to frequently travel to project sites, industry events, and partner meetings.
Capacity to work in diverse environments including office settings and active construction sites.
Occasional lifting of materials or equipment up to 25 pounds when required at project locations.
Ability to endure long hours and occasional high-stress situations associated with executive responsibilities.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard workweek of 40+ hours with occasional evening and weekend commitments.
Regular travel up to 25% of the time for client meetings, industry events, and site visits.
High-level, fast-paced office environment combined with on-site project oversight.
Flexibility to adjust schedules based on strategic priorities and business demands.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Annual salary range of $200,000 - $350,000 USD depending on experience and qualifications.
Performance-based bonus structure tied to revenue growth and profitability metrics.
Comprehensive benefits package including Health, Dental, and Vision insurance.
401(k) plan with company matching, along with additional fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
Our company thrives on innovation, accountability, and the pursuit of excellence in the design-build industry.
We are committed to fostering an inclusive, collaborative environment where every team member can grow and succeed.
Our leadership is dedicated to continuous improvement and investing in the development of our staff.
We encourage forward-thinking leaders who are passionate about making a positive impact on our company and clients.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
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A homeowner who hires a design-build firm buys one team for the plans and the build. The CEO decides what that promise costs, which projects it fits, and how the firm earns the next client.
The design agreement is the first sale
At many firms the first contract a client signs is a paid design agreement, months before any build contract. The CEO sets what it costs, whether the fee counts toward construction, and who keeps the drawings if the client walks away. Watch how many design clients go on to build with you. If few do, the firm is either giving design away to shoppers or showing prices so late that clients balk.
The project mix sets the risk
An addition, a gut remodel and a custom home share designers and crews but carry different risks. A custom home ties up a project manager and a crew for many months on one large contract. Remodels turn over faster but need a steady flow of new clients. The CEO sets the smallest job the firm will design, how many custom homes it takes at once, and which neighborhoods and house ages it goes after.
The builder license runs through one officer
In Michigan, for example, a company applying for a residential builder license names an officer, partner, member or managing agent as its qualifying officer, who must also hold a license as an individual. If that person stops serving, the company's license is suspended, though the state may allow time to qualify a new one. Rules vary by state. Before that officer retires or sells, have a second officer licensed and ready to take over. Source: Michigan Compiled Laws 339.2405: qualifying officer for a company's builder license.
Referrals do much of the selling
Clients spending on a whole-home remodel want proof from people they trust: past clients, neighbors who watched the job, real estate agents, interior designers and lenders. The CEO keeps those people close through client events, finished-home tours and a personal thank-you when a partner sends a family. One bad addition on a close-knit street can cost several jobs, so the CEO steps in early when a client relationship sours.
Owners need to see two backlogs
Signed design agreements and signed construction contracts are separate pipelines. Build revenue this year comes from design work sold months ago, and next year's comes from design clients sitting with the designers now. The CEO reports both to the owners or board, with the build value each design client is expected to bring, so a slowdown shows up a season early.
How much design-build chief executive officers make
The closest BLS group for design-build chief executive officers is chief executives. Chief executives who work for building contractors earned a median of $220,450 a year ($105.99 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s above the $213,990 median for chief executives in all industries. About 1,370 of the 204,350 chief executives in that survey work for building contractors.
Per the template: salary, plus a bonus when revenue and profit grow. Founders hiring an outside CEO may add a profit share or equity, since the firm's value rests on the brand and client list the CEO keeps growing.
Building contractors
$220,450$220,450 median Middle half $162,630–$341,330 10th–90th $117,930–$453,730
All industries
$213,990$213,990 median Middle half $129,540–$356,200 10th–90th $75,700–$507,730
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Building contractors
$117,930
$162,630
$220,450
$341,330
$453,730
All industries
$75,700
$129,540
$213,990
$356,200
$507,730
BLS doesn’t publish pay for design-build firms on their own. These figures cover construction of buildings, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has run a residential design-build, remodeling or custom home firm with full profit responsibility
Prices and sells design work, not only construction
Uses job cost and backlog reports to set prices and hiring plans
Has built referral ties with agents, interior designers or lenders
Has hired and led design, sales and construction leaders
Teach these on the job
Your design agreement and how fees are credited
The neighborhoods, house ages and permit offices in your markets
The past clients and partners already close to the firm
What your owners or board expect to see each quarter
Your CRM and project management software
The CEO reads the CRM that follows each lead to a signed design agreement, the project management system, such as Buildertrend or JobTread, and the backlog and job cost reports the CFO builds. The CEO doesn't run these systems day to day but should know which report answers each question the board asks.
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Design-to-build conversion
Clients keep paying for design, then walking away because the construction price comes in over their budget. What do you do?
A strong answer: Finds where it breaks (budget talk at sales, estimating checkpoints during design, designers' cost awareness), sets a target budget in the design agreement with estimates at each stage, and tracks conversion.
Behavioral · Make-or-buy decisions
Tell me about a time you decided to bring a capability in-house or stop doing it, such as architecture, engineering, cabinetry or a trade crew.
A strong answer: Weighed cost, quality control, steady workload, management time, and licensing and design liability (licensed professionals, professional liability insurance), tested before committing, and can say whether it paid off.
Design-build revenue lands months after a design agreement is signed, so read each number over a full year and agree on targets with the owners from your own past jobs.
Revenue Growth
Construction revenue earned this year compared with last year, design fees on their own line, and the value of newly signed design agreements as an early sign of next year.
Profit Margin
Gross margin on jobs closed this year, split by project type, so the board sees whether additions, large remodels or custom homes pay best.
Client Acquisition
Construction contracts signed above the size you define as high-value, each tagged with where the client came from: a past client, an agent, a designer or marketing.
Customer Satisfaction
The average rating from a survey sent to every client after move-in, plus public reviews. The CEO reads every low score and calls that client personally.
Should a design-build CEO come from design or from construction?
Founders usually come from one side: an architect or designer who added crews, or a builder who added a design studio. The gap shows in where money leaks. Designers draw what the budget can't buy, or crews rework details nobody priced. Ask finalists about a job where design and production fought over a costly detail, who paid for it, and what they changed afterward. You want a CEO who settles that fight before the client ever sees it.
How much does a design-build chief executive officer make?
Chief executives who work for building contractors earned a median of $220,450 a year ($105.99 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $162,630 and $341,330 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
What happens to the license if the founder sells or steps back?
Plan it before the deal. In Michigan, a licensed builder must notify the state within 10 days of a change in who controls or directs the business, such as new partners, directors, officers or trustees. Check your own state's rule. Then hand the client and referral relationships to the new CEO in person over several months, not with a letter.
Why does the template mention long hours and high-stress situations?
That line ships as written. In practice it describes tasks: evening design presentations for couples who both work, weekend client events and home tours, and calls when a job goes badly wrong, such as water in a finished room or a client threatening to walk. Spell out those tasks beside the template's line so candidates can judge the role, and state that reasonable accommodation is available.
Which contracts should a design-build CEO negotiate?
The template has the CEO negotiating high-value contracts. At a firm this size that usually means custom homes and the largest whole-home remodels, where one contract can keep a crew busy for most of a year. The CEO's part is the terms, not the first meeting: the payment schedule, allowances, warranty and how disputes get settled. Set a contract size above which the CEO signs, so salespeople and designers know when to bring them in.
