Yeah, inspections can be a bit of a drag timing-wise, but totally worth it in my experience. Had a similar setup when we redid our kitchen—paid in chunks tied to milestones and inspections. Honestly, it saved me from some sleepless nights worrying about whether the contractor was cutting corners or not. Sure, sometimes the inspector would point out stuff that seemed nitpicky at first (like seriously, who cares if the outlet is half an inch off?), but later I realized those small things add up. Plus, having payments linked to passing inspections meant the contractor had extra motivation to get things right the first time around. So yeah, a little slower maybe, but I'd rather wait a few extra days than deal with bigger headaches down the road.
I totally get your point about inspections adding peace of mind, but honestly, paying in chunks tied to inspections made me pretty anxious when we renovated our bathroom. Don't get me wrong, it does keep contractors accountable, but sometimes it felt like everything ground to a halt waiting for the inspector to show up. We had one delay that lasted almost a week because the inspector was backed up...talk about frustrating.
"Sure, sometimes the inspector would point out stuff that seemed nitpicky at first (like seriously, who cares if the outlet is half an inch off?), but later I realized those small things add up."
Yeah, true, but some of those nitpicky details ended up costing us extra because the contractor charged us more for the revisions. Maybe we just got unlucky with our contractor or inspector, but next time I'd probably try negotiating fewer payment milestones or at least clearer guidelines upfront. Still learning though...homeownership is definitely a journey, haha.
Yeah, inspections can be a double-edged sword...they catch important stuff but can also drag things out. Maybe the trick is finding that sweet spot between accountability and efficiency? Still haven't figured it out myself, haha.
"Maybe the trick is finding that sweet spot between accountability and efficiency? Still haven't figured it out myself, haha."
Yeah, totally agree with you there. Finding that balance is tricky, especially when you're dealing with payments in chunks. I've seen it go both ways on roofing jobs—sometimes paying as you go keeps everyone honest and motivated, but other times it can slow things down if inspections or approvals get hung up.
One thing I've noticed is that breaking payments into clear milestones helps a lot. Like, instead of just random chunks, you tie each payment to a specific stage—say, materials delivered, tear-off completed, underlayment installed, shingles halfway done, etc. That way everyone knows exactly what's expected before the next payment hits. It gives the homeowner peace of mind and keeps the crew focused on hitting those checkpoints.
But yeah... inspections can definitely throw a wrench in things. Had one job recently where we were cruising along nicely until the inspector flagged something minor about ventilation spacing. It wasn't even a big deal structurally, but it still meant waiting around for re-inspection and delayed the next payment milestone by almost a week. Frustrating for everyone involved.
Maybe part of the solution is building in a little flexibility around inspection points? Like having smaller interim payments or partial releases if an inspection delay pops up unexpectedly. Not sure exactly how you'd structure that without complicating things too much though...
Anyway, still figuring this stuff out myself—every job seems to teach me something new about what works and what doesn't. Curious if anyone else has found good ways to handle these inspection-related delays without losing momentum or trust along the way.
"Maybe part of the solution is building in a little flexibility around inspection points?"
Yeah, I think you're onto something there. Honestly, inspections always seem to pop up at the worst possible time—like right when you're finally hitting your stride. Last summer, I had a deck project stall out because the inspector was on vacation (of course 🙄). Having a bit of wiggle room built into the payment schedule would've saved me a lot of headaches. Live and learn, I guess...
