Mid-build problems and how we handle them

Every remodel hits at least one surprise. After decades in the Denver trades, here’s the truth: it’s not “if,” it’s “what kind.” The difference between a good contractor and a great one is what happens at that exact moment — what we tell you, what it costs you, and how fast we move.

Here’s our actual playbook for the surprises that happen most.

The five we see most often

1. Surprise rot or water damage behind the wall

How often: roughly 1 in 4 older Denver homes (pre-1970).

What we do: stop, document with photos, get the structural assessment, and get you a written change order with three options: minimum repair, recommended repair, full remediation. Most of the time, our pre-build contingency covers minimum and recommended without changing your final price.

What it costs you: typically $0–$5,000 if it’s localized. We carry a standard contingency and absorb up to that threshold without adding to your invoice. Anything beyond that, you see itemized before any work continues.

2. Existing electrical that doesn’t meet current code

How often: roughly 1 in 3 homes built before 1985.

What we do: pause, get the inspector’s read on whether we have to update vs. should update, and present the options. Code-required updates we eat the cost on if we missed flagging them in our walkthrough. Code-recommended updates are itemized for your call.

What it costs you: depends entirely on the scope. A single subpanel replacement is $1,500–$3,500. Whole-house rewires we’re not doing as part of a kitchen remodel — we’d flag it before contract.

3. Plumbing that’s deteriorated more than the inspector saw

How often: about 1 in 5.

What we do: evaluate whether what we found will fail in the next 5 years. If yes, you should know. If no, leave it. We give you the call with a clear cost and what we’d recommend if it were our home.

What it costs you: $1,200–$8,000 typically, depending on accessibility. Sometimes we can save money by including it in work we’re already doing — a kitchen remodel that opens a wall is the cheapest time to replace the lines behind it.

4. The client changes their mind

How often: every project, in some form.

What we do: a calm conversation. Most “changes” are small enough that we can absorb them. Big ones (move the island four feet, add a half-bath, change the cabinet finish) get a same-day written change order with a fixed cost and any schedule impact. You sign it before we re-scope.

What it costs you: depends. We don’t penalize small changes. We don’t subsidize big ones. We do tell you straight what the trade-off is so you decide with the actual information.

5. Permit or inspection complications

How often: rare in our work, but it happens — about 1 in 12 projects.

What we do: we own it. If we missed something at submittal that adds cycles, we eat that time. If the inspector wants something the original design didn’t include, we walk you through whether to revise or comply. We never let inspection delays bleed into your move-back date without explicit conversation.

What it costs you: if it’s our miss, $0. If it’s a discretionary inspector call, we’ll explain options.

What we don’t do

These are red flags in our industry. We don’t do any of them.

• “Discover” surprises that we should have caught at the walkthrough. A contractor who is constantly “finding new issues” mid-build is either incompetent or dishonest. We do a thorough pre-build inspection so 90%+ of surprises get caught before contract.
• Quote you a low number, then nickel-and-dime through change orders. Our fixed-price contracts mean change orders happen only when the scope actually changes — not because we underbid.
• Hide problems and hope you don’t notice. If we find something, you hear about it the same day, with photos.
• Use your contingency to fund our cost overruns. Contingency exists for your scope changes and unforeseen site conditions. Our miss-bids stay our problem.

Our pre-build process is designed to surface problems early

Most “mid-build surprises” can be predicted. Our pre-build walkthrough includes:

• Drone or attic inspection of roof, fascia, and ridge
• Visual electrical panel review with photos for our master electrician
• Plumbing accessibility check under sinks, in mechanical rooms
• Moisture meter readings at any wet wall or below-grade space
• Foundation crack mapping with depth and direction notes
• Code-cycle check with city — what’s been updated vs. original to the structure

We do this before signing. It takes us roughly half a day. We absorb the cost. The result is a fixed-price contract with very few surprises.

What to ask any contractor you’re interviewing

• “What’s your contingency policy? When does it kick in, when do I see it?”
• “Walk me through how a change order happens. What does it look like in writing?”
• “What’s a recent project where you ate a cost you could have passed to the client?”

If the answer is vague, you have your answer.

If you want to talk through a specific concern about your home before contract, reach out. We’ll tell you what we’d look for.