I get the urge to pad estimates, but honestly, I think just tacking on 30% can backfire. Sometimes it gives a false sense of security, and then when you hit something major—like rotten decking or mystery pizza box “repairs”—you’re still in the hole. I’ve started doing a more detailed walk-through before I even touch a project, just to see what’s lurking. It’s not foolproof, but it’s saved me from a couple nasty surprises. Maybe “unknown unknowns” are inevitable, but I’m not convinced they have to be quite so frequent if you dig a little deeper up front.
I hear you on the “unknown unknowns.” Last year I thought I had everything covered for a bathroom reno, then found a squirrel skeleton in the wall. No amount of estimate padding could’ve prepped me for that. Detailed walk-throughs help, but I still keep a little “weird stuff” fund on the side... just in case.
Detailed walk-throughs help, but I still keep a little “weird stuff” fund on the side... just in case.
I get the logic behind a contingency fund, but honestly, I think a lot of folks lean too hard on that as a safety net. In my experience, especially with commercial projects, you can minimize surprises by investing more up front in exploratory work—thermal imaging, moisture meters, even small demo cuts. It’s not foolproof (nothing is), but it’s caught hidden rot and old wiring for me before they turned into budget busters.
That said, I’ve also had my share of curveballs—once found an old cast iron pipe that wasn’t on any plans and had to reroute half the plumbing. But I’d rather spend a bit more on diagnostics than just pad the estimate and hope for the best. Contingency funds are good, but they shouldn’t be the main plan for unknowns.
I hear you on the diagnostics—thermal imaging saved my bacon once when we found a hidden roof leak behind a wall, way before it became a mold nightmare. But I still get nervous about stuff you just can’t see, like what’s under old built-up roofs after a big hailstorm. Ever had a situation where even the best prep work missed something major? I’m always torn between spending more on upfront checks or just accepting there’s always gonna be some “gotcha” moments...
Thermal imaging has bailed me out more than once, but I get what you mean about the stuff you just can’t catch. Last year, we had a commercial retrofit with an old tar-and-gravel roof. We did all the usual scans, core cuts, the works…but when we finally pulled everything up, there was this weird patch of rotted decking right under a rooftop AC unit. No sign on the surface, nothing on the scans. I still don’t know if it was some ancient leak or just years of condensation pooling in that one spot.
It makes me wonder—how much is too much when it comes to upfront checks? I always push for more testing, but it’s a tough sell to clients who want the lowest bid. Then again, skipping it can mean eating thousands in change orders when you find hidden damage. Is there some sweet spot between due diligence and just accepting that surprises happen? Or do we just have to build those “gotcha” moments into every project budget? Sometimes I feel like I’m second-guessing myself every time I walk a roof…
