I know how that sounds coming from a contractor. Hear me out.
Some of it was the GC. Bad estimating, missed scope, a sub who flaked. That happens and it’s on us.
But some of it was you. And nobody in this industry will say that to your face because we want the next job.
You changed the tile after the substrate was down. That’s not a swap. That’s a tear-out.
You decided mid-framing that the island should be six inches longer. Six inches moves plumbing, moves electrical, moves the pendant layout your designer already approved.
You “just wanted to see” three more faucet options after we’d ordered the one you picked. The lead time reset. So did the schedule behind it.
You signed nine change orders and now you’re surprised the total moved.
Here’s what I tell clients on day one. Every decision you defer costs more later. Every change after a trade has started costs more than the change itself. Every “small tweak” has a tail.
The homeowners who come in under budget aren’t lucky. They’re decisive. They trust their designer, they trust their GC, and they stop shopping once the job starts.
If your remodel is over budget, look at the change order log before you blame the contractor. Read what you signed.
Then ask yourself how many of those decisions you’d make again.
Ryan Yang Co-Founder & Head of Operations, BuildLogIQ