A design-build contract is a works contract enabling the purchaser to entrust an economic operator with the task of both drawing up the studies and carrying out the works.
Purchasers subject to the provisions of Book IV may only enter into a design-build contract, regardless of the value, if technical reasons or a contractual commitment relating to improving energy efficiency or the construction of a new building that exceeds current thermal regulations make it necessary to involve the contractor in the design of the work. Such a contract is awarded to a group of economic operators. It may, however, be awarded to a single economic operator for infrastructure works.
However, the conditions mentioned in the previous paragraph do not apply to design-build contracts relating to the construction of State-subsidised rental housing financed with the public aid mentioned in 1° of Article L. 301-2 of the Code de la construction et de l’habitation, when they are entered into by the low-cost housing bodies mentioned in article L. 411-2 of the same code and semi-public companies for the construction and management of social housing.