In traditional procurement, duct banks get buried twice — once in the ground and once in the subcontract markup chain. By the time the product reaches the site, the owner has paid multiple layers of overhead, and the schedule depends on a trade that may not even fabricate the product.
Duct Bank One’s buy-direct model was built to fix that.
How the Traditional Model Works
A typical duct bank scope runs through three layers:
- Manufacturer → Electrical Contractor – Material markup.
- Electrical Contractor → General Contractor – Labor and supervision markup.
- General Contractor → Owner – Prime markup and contingency.
Each layer adds cost, time, and distance from the product itself. When the work goes long — because of weather, rework, or manpower — the owner pays again. That’s not bad behavior; it’s the industry norm. But it’s also where money and accountability get lost.
How Buying Direct Works
Buying direct from Duct Bank One means you can guarantee product and guarantee schedule. No dealer backlog, no subcontractor bottlenecks, no capacity surprises. When you buy straight from the source, you lock in manufacturing slots, delivery sequencing, and volume availability long before trenching begins — and you can secure bulk pricing across projects when the program allows. It’s the simplest way to gain complete control over one of the most critical scopes on the job.
- Design engineering and stamped calculations.
- Verified production data and delivery schedules.
- Transparent pricing and freight costs.
- Field training and technical support — without markup or added layers.
Electrical contractors still perform the installation — we make sure they have a product that installs safely and quickly. The result is clearer contracts, faster procurement, and lower total cost of ownership.
Why It Doesn’t Undercut ECs
We don’t take electricians out of the picture — we put them back where they’re most valuable.
“Take the electricians out of the trench and get them wiring again.”
When duct banks arrive precast, ECs spend fewer hours tying rebar and pouring concrete and more hours wiring gear, terminating, and energizing systems — where their skill and margin matter most. That’s good for the project, and it’s good for the subcontractor.
Why GCs and Owners Prefer It
1. Price Transparency: No hidden multipliers or compounding markups. You see exactly what the product, freight, and field support cost.
2. Schedule Control: Direct access to DBO’s engineering and production means you can lock in lead times independently of subcontract schedules.
3. Risk Reduction: Fewer contracts mean fewer handoffs, fewer coordination errors, and fewer delays.
And because DBO handles design, fabrication, and QC, there’s no ambiguity about who’s accountable for performance.
4. Accountability by Design: When you buy direct, you know who to call — and it’s not a middle layer relaying questions down the line.
Proven Results in the Field
On multiple hyperscale and industrial projects, GCs that bought direct from DBO:
- Reduced underground material costs by 10–15%.
- Eliminated weeks of procurement lag.
- Kept ECs focused on wiring, not concrete.
The ECs still completed their installation scopes safely, faster, and with fewer punch-list items — because they weren’t stuck managing materials.
A Partnership That Works for Everyone
Buying direct isn’t about cutting anyone out — it’s about connecting the right expertise to the right task:
- DBO handles design, manufacturing, delivery, and support.
- Electrical contractors handle installation and testing.
- General contractors and owners maintain control over cost, risk, and schedule.
That’s not disruption; that’s collaboration done right.
Build with Transparency
Buying direct from DBO gives you:
- Clear pricing.
- Reliable delivery.
- Verified engineering.
- Less downtime.
- A shorter path from trench to turnover.
It’s not a new idea — it’s the way infrastructure should have worked all along. Because the closer you are to the source, the more control you have over your project.
