If they’re leaving coffee cups in your crawlspace, what else are they leaving behind the walls?
That’s honestly my biggest red flag. I’ve seen a crew leave sandwich wrappers under new flooring—makes you wonder about their wiring work, right? I always ask to see behind the drywall before it’s closed up. Maybe it’s overkill, but better safe than sorry.
makes you wonder about their wiring work, right?
That’s exactly what I worry about too. If they’re careless with trash, what’s happening with stuff I can’t see? I’m new to this, but is it normal to ask for photos of everything before the walls go up? Or does that just annoy the crew? Just trying to figure out what’s reasonable without being a total pest...
Honestly, asking for photos before drywall goes up is totally fair. I’ve done it on every project—if a crew gets annoyed, that’s a red flag for me. You’re paying for the work, you deserve to know what’s behind your walls. Most pros won’t bat an eye at that request.
Honestly, asking for photos before drywall goes up is totally fair. I’ve done it on every project—if a crew gets annoyed, that’s a red flag for me.
Couldn’t agree more with this. I learned the hard way—first flip, I skipped the photo step because the contractor seemed “nice” and in a hurry. Fast forward six months, I’m trying to track down a weird electrical issue and realized nobody had any clue where the wires were running. Ended up cutting three holes just to find a junction box that should’ve been obvious.
Now, I ask for photos and even mark up prints if I can. Some crews roll their eyes but honestly, if they’re good at what they do, they usually don’t mind. If someone pushes back, it’s usually because they’re hiding something or just sloppy.
I also like to see receipts for materials—caught one guy charging me for copper when he used PEX. Not a huge deal in the grand scheme but it’s the little things that add up... Trust but verify, right?
Now, I ask for photos and even mark up prints if I can. Some crews roll their eyes but honestly, if they’re good at what they do, they usually don’t mind.
This is spot on. I started doing the same after a plumber “forgot” to insulate a couple of pipes behind a bathroom wall. Didn’t notice until winter hit and the pipes froze. If I’d had photos, would’ve saved me a ton of hassle. I also keep a binder with all the receipts and sketches—might be overkill, but it’s saved my butt more than once. Sometimes I get pushback, but like you said, if they’re legit, they don’t care.