You Can’t Satisfy Everyone

Lately, I have had a few jobs go south for reasons I don’t seem to understand. In this business, there is no way to predict the future and how different clients deal with frustrations. That is one topic that comes up a lot, people just don’t understand the building permit process. Most think what they are dealing with in a remodel is simple but it seems that is not usually the case. Permits are all about safety for anyone entering a dwelling. Remodeling can be a great thing, you have to understand that changing things with your home comes with certain risk factors, these factors can be obvious or not. When submitting plans to a local city or county for work you want to do, remodeling, additions, or when you get caught doing work without a permit. The process can get ugly quickly if you don’t listen to building inspectors and all their wants.

Another problem is that municipality plan submittal systems are far from perfect. The city of Phoenix went with a new system called Shape, the old system worked great, with no issues. This new system I felt, is lacking in many areas. I did a few new houses for two brothers; I’ve had problem after problem trying to get plans submitted in the correct order. Talk about frustrations, then I try to talk to the city about it and that is another set of problems. Months went by with no solutions, there has to be a better way!

All these problems don’t help the cause, others want solutions immediately. So, this is where the title fits in, there is no way to satisfy everyone. Another great example, I started designing a cabin in Yavapai for a guy, I even lowered my price just to satisfy him. It took some months to get it designed and drawn with many other things a new home needs- soil report, grading and drainage plan, septic system design, and a solar system too. This cabin was two-story which means there is structural engineering involved. My client was level-headed throughout the design process and the beginning of the plan check phase with Yavapai County. Now it’s almost one year since we started, he called me names and said I wasn’t an excellent business to work with. I can handle some criticism but when it goes on and on I’ve got to stop it, you just can’t satisfy everyone!