"Eventually, I asked for a simple daily summary email outlining progress and upcoming decisions."
That's a smart move. I've found that even the most skilled contractors can be surprisingly bad at communication. A few years back, I was working on a small subdivision project and hired a civil engineer who was brilliant at his job but terrible at keeping me in the loop. I'd go days without hearing anything, then suddenly get bombarded with urgent questions about drainage slopes or soil compaction tests—stuff I assumed he'd handle without my input.
I finally insisted on weekly check-ins, just quick calls to touch base. It helped, but honestly, I still ended up spending way too many evenings googling obscure zoning regulations and stormwater runoff guidelines. Seems like no matter how much you delegate, there's always some hidden homework waiting for you...
I get where you're coming from, but daily emails might be a bit much for me. I tried something similar once, and after a week or two, the updates started feeling repetitive—like I was reading the same stuff over and over. Weekly check-ins seem more manageable, at least in my experience.
"Seems like no matter how much you delegate, there's always some hidden homework waiting for you..."
Yeah, that's definitely true. I hired someone to handle permitting for a renovation last year, thinking it'd save me time. But somehow I still ended up spending evenings digging through city websites and calling offices to clarify details. Maybe it's just part of the deal when you're trying to keep costs down...you either pay extra upfront or pay later with your own time.
Totally relate to the hidden homework thing. A few months back, I hired someone to handle landscaping—figured I'd finally get weekends off. But nope, found myself researching plant species and soil drainage at midnight because the landscaper kept asking me questions I didn't even know existed. Guess it's a balancing act between saving money and saving sanity...maybe next time I'll just embrace the weeds.
Been there, done that...hiring help can sometimes feel like signing up for a DIY crash course you never asked for. When I got my bathroom redone, I thought I'd just point and nod, but ended up knee-deep in grout types and waterproofing methods at 2 AM. Still, picking up a few new skills isn't all bad—at least now you're the neighborhood expert on soil drainage, right? Silver linings, I guess.
Went through something similar when I hired a guy to help frame my garage. Thought I'd finally get a break from measuring and cutting, but nope—ended up spending hours researching load-bearing beams and local building codes. Not exactly the relaxing weekend I had in mind, but hey, now I can spot a shoddy framing job from a mile away. Guess that's worth something...
