Staying flexible really is crucial, but I’d add that documenting every change helps too.
That's so true. I learned the hard way when I added a sunroom—thought I could just “remember” what we changed, but then the inspector wanted proof of insulation upgrades. Ended up digging through my phone for weeks-old photos. Ever since, I keep a little folder just for project pics. It’s saved me more than once when someone’s memory didn’t match mine. Flexibility’s great, but a paper trail is gold.
I’m with you on the photos—wish I’d started that sooner. When I did my bathroom, I thought receipts would be enough, but the city wanted diagrams and step-by-step proof of what went where. Out of curiosity, how do you keep track of all your permits and approvals? Just in that same folder, or do you have a better system?
I keep everything digital now—scanned copies of permits, receipts, inspection reports, all in a cloud folder with subfolders by project. Paper gets lost way too easily. For my last project, I even saved email threads with the city, since sometimes what’s “approved” in person doesn’t match what’s on the official record... Have you ever had to dig up old paperwork for an insurance claim or sale? That’s when my system really paid off.
I get the appeal of going all-digital, but I still keep a physical folder for each project—just in case. Maybe I’m old school, but tech can fail too, and I’ve had a hard drive crash wipe out a bunch of stuff once. Now I do both: scan everything, but also toss the originals in a box. It’s a bit more work, but it’s saved me when I needed to show an actual stamped permit during a surprise inspection. Guess it depends on how much you trust the cloud...
I hear you, but honestly, I’ve gone all-in on digital for a while now and haven’t looked back. I keep everything in two cloud backups and a local drive—paranoid, maybe, but I’ve yet to lose a thing. Paper just piles up for me, and I always seem to misplace the one doc I need when it matters. Maybe I just trust tech a bit more than my own filing system...
