'Keep it simple' means trouble

Q. This is our first time building a house, and we’ve interviewed contractors and architects. We’re so confused. One contractor we really liked told us he keeps the whole project simple by getting the architect sketches, the permits, everything. He says that by doing it his way, the job will have savings we can put into furniture, etc., instead. How simple is it, really? Can he really get permits fast with simpler plans, and does this sound legit? You always seem more cautious, so we trust your advice.

A. Not facing reality, and learning, later, that there’s more to almost anything, ends up complicating things. You may cause the project to be more expensive by naively believing what people tell you when they use phrases like “Keep it simple” or “Look, all you have to do is …” When someone tells you it’s a simple permit or simple construction, you have to decide if anything in your life is ever simple. Sorry to be the one to tell you this, but nothing is. So hiring the cheapest, dismissing the reality of learning to cover the subject thoroughly and intelligently will probably cost you more when things break down sooner or operate inefficiently.

Example: I read a set of plans from an attorney for their upcoming case showing concrete block basement walls in a flood zone, in sand, with no reinforcing rods, and tar waterproofing. The project had a permit, was “simple” and is already done — and is cracking and leaking like a sieve. The fix wasn’t simple at all for this brand new, “simple” job. Aside from multiple code violations for the design and workmanship, which should have been poured-in-place reinforced concrete with a continuous membrane under the floor slab and up the walls, the job saved over $10,000, but will now take about $40,000 to correct. Savings? And court and attorney’s fees and my consultation fee add up. This all could have been prevented.