WHY DOES YARD WORK ALWAYS SEEM NEVER-ENDING? I totally get what you mean about the “planned beds” turning into chaos by midsummer. I once spent a who...

TRIMMING DOWN EXPENSES ON PROJECT SUPPLIES I hear you on the voice memos—tried that trick a few times when I was knee-deep in drywall dust and couldn...

WHAT’S A “NORMAL” LENGTH FOR CONSTRUCTION LOANS THESE DAYS? That’s a fair point about timelines keeping everyone accountable. I’ve had a couple proje...

STRUGGLING WITH VENTILATION INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS LATELY That paperwork grind is real. I’ve been in the middle of a build where we had to pause eve...

I get where you’re coming from, but honestly, I’ve found voice controls way more useful than I expected—especially when my hands are full or I’m worki...

I've seen this happen a lot. Had a client once who bought a narrow, oddly-shaped lot—initially seemed like a headache. But those constraints forced us...

Gotta say, samples aren't always the magic bullet they're cracked up to be. Had a client once who meticulously approved every single flooring sample—t...

Yeah, this lines up pretty closely with my experience too. A couple years back, I was building a custom home for a client who insisted on triple-pane ...

Swim goggles can definitely fog up—I get your skepticism there. I've tried them a few times, and honestly, I end up squinting through a cloudy mess ha...

Yeah, those tradeoffs sneak up on you. I once had a client who insisted on triple-pane windows everywhere, thinking more insulation is always better. ...

Yeah, I feel this one big-time. Last year I spent an entire afternoon adjusting backsplash tiles because one corner looked slightly off whenever the s...

Yeah, mixing in sand or crushed stone is a solid idea. I built a pit last summer and noticed gravel alone can trap embers longer than you'd expect... ...