Design-build firms carry the client through the whole journey — discovery, schematic design, design development, documentation, and construction — with one team accountable for everything. That's a powerful business model and a complicated operational one. MY LAURA supports the construction half of design-build with the tools you need for the work that actually happens on site.
In design-build, the client relationship starts long before a shovel hits the ground. You're walking them through mood boards, floor plans, elevations, and finish selections months before construction begins. Then construction starts and the operational needs shift dramatically — trade coordination, material ordering, change orders, and phased billing.
Design-focused tools (like Houzz Pro or Morpholio) handle the design phase well but struggle with the construction operations. Construction tools (like Buildertrend) handle operations but lack design integration. MY LAURA focuses on what it does well: being the operational backbone for the construction phase, and integrating with the design tools you already use.
Approved drawings and selections need to translate into a real construction estimate, then a real project, without losing fidelity.
They picked you because you're one team. They don't want different portals for design and construction. Or confusing workflows.
Selections made during design (tile, fixtures, cabinetry, paint) need to become POs during construction without re-entry.
Design takes 2–4 months. Construction takes 4–6. That's a lot of time for scope and budget to drift.
You need profit visibility for the whole engagement, not just construction. Design fees, construction revenue, material costs — one view.
A design-build project has the same multi-trade chaos as any remodel. Your designer can't also be your project coordinator.
MY LAURA doesn't try to replace your design software. If you use Chief Architect, SketchUp, Revit, or whatever your team has standardized on, keep it. MY LAURA picks up when the design is approved and construction begins. The approved drawings become a project. The selections become line items on a construction estimate. The client continues in the same branded portal from design review to final walkthrough.
The client portal in MY LAURA can host design documents (uploaded from your design tools), estimates, change orders, invoices, schedules, and photos — in one branded place. The client never has to switch between "design tools" and "construction tools."
MY LAURA projects are built for long timelines. Status lifecycle, project history, and document storage keep the whole arc of the job in one place. When a design decision from month two becomes relevant in construction month five, it's still there and always linked.
The construction phase of a design-build project has the same trade coordination needs as any remodel — unlimited trades, subscribable iCal feeds, trade-specific portals where each trade only sees the work that concerns them, and SMS notifications. See the trade partner portal →
Design fees, construction revenue, material costs, trade partner costs — all in one project report. You see whether the engagement is profitable across its full lifecycle, not just the construction slice.
"Design-build isn't two businesses stapled together. It's one business, and the operational tools should treat it that way."
Spin up MY LAURA, import your existing projects, and see if it fits your workflow. If not, cancel in one click.