I've spent decades working alongside professionals who have seen just about everything a home project can throw at you. Those stories are some of the most valuable lessons I can share because they show what can happen when a seemingly minor decision is made without checking what it affects. Wayne Potts, a carpenter with more than 50 years of experience and hundreds of homes and renovations behind him, has one story in particular that has stayed with me. It involved 18 inches, an approved plan, a failed inspection… and an estimated $180,000 to put the house back where it was supposed to be.

A Horror Roof Story

Several years ago, I was hired to fix an error a homeowner made while building his house. It wasn't a small error, in fact is was the biggest I've seen over my 50 years of framing. 

I was called for a job in a subdivision of the Greater Vancouver area. We were told that the homeowners had just completed their framing and added an additional 18 inches from their permitted (approved) plan to their upper floor height. Upon the routine framing inspection, it was found, noted, and promptly failed.

To make the change, we had a large housemoving company come in, put jacks under the roof and lift it up. With the roof in the air, we could then reduce the upper floor wall studs before putting the roof back to the approved height.

To fix the error, we estimated it was around $180,000. Apart from the outrageous price, this may sound like an unfair required fix, but the client did not follow their approved plan. These bylaws are put in place for everyone and allowance should not be given to one person.

Perhaps it was deliberately done with hopes of not getting caught or completely accidental, either way you wouldn't want something so small, like a little more ceiling height, to have you throwing out your budget and calling the bank for more.

So, next time you make any changes to your plans, discuss it with your contractor and design team first before it could cost you your savings.

“You can use an eraser on the drafting table or a sledgehammer on the jobsite.” - Frank Lloyd Wright

The Takeaway

A change that looks minor on a drawing can have very different consequences once construction is underway. If you want to change something from the approved plans, don't assume it can simply be worked out on site. Talk to your contractor and design team first. They can determine whether the change affects the structure, permits, bylaws, other trades or anything else already underway. Sometimes the answer will be simple. Sometimes it won't be, but finding that out before the work is done is almost always the better place to start.