Honestly, I get the logic behind documenting everything, but sometimes it just slows things down to a crawl. I’ve had inspectors get annoyed if I asked for too much in writing—almost like they thought I didn’t trust them (which, fair, I guess). There’s a balance between covering yourself and not making the process even more adversarial than it already is. And about lawyers—mine once missed a pretty basic zoning detail because he relied on old info. Double-checking their work saved me a ton of hassle later.
Double-checking their work saved me a ton of hassle later.
Couldn’t agree more—trust but verify, right? I’ve had similar issues with zoning and even title searches where the “experts” missed something obvious. It’s tedious, but in high-end builds, one overlooked easement or outdated code can cost six figures. I get that too much paperwork can feel like overkill, but I’d rather annoy an inspector than end up in court. There’s definitely a sweet spot between being thorough and just bogging everyone down.
Title: When You Think You Know Better Than Your Lawyer
Had a surveyor miss a setback line once—cost me weeks and a pile of cash to fix. I get that lawyers and inspectors are supposed to catch this stuff, but at the end of the day, it’s my name on the permits. I’d rather triple-check everything myself than trust someone just because they’ve got a title. It’s not about being a control freak, it’s about not getting burned. Sometimes you really do have to be “that guy” who asks too many questions...
I’d rather triple-check everything myself than trust someone just because they’ve got a title.
Honestly, I get where you’re coming from. After dealing with a botched permit on my garage a few years back, I started reading every document line by line. People say you’re overthinking, but when it’s your money and your property, “trust but verify” isn’t just a saying—it’s survival. Doesn’t mean the pros aren’t valuable, but blind trust is expensive.
Doesn’t mean the pros aren’t valuable, but blind trust is expensive.
I get the urge to double-check, but isn’t there a point where it just eats up your time (and sanity)? I mean, I’ve tried reading legal docs and half the time I’m not even sure what I’m looking at. If I’m paying a lawyer, shouldn’t I be able to rely on them for the heavy lifting? Or am I just setting myself up for trouble by not digging into every detail?