As Jacks of All Trades, and Masters of Few, we are always searching for that perfect sheet, that perfect property damage estimate. An estimate which captures all the damage so precisely, with just the right pricing, that we can hold it up and say to all "here it is, an estimate that's so perfect, it will not be subject to supplements nor challenged by change orders". But just when we've received the authority to settle such a perfect matter and the boss has congratulated us on such a "splendid" settlement, we get the phone call, the "supplement call"…

Believe it or not, it's usually just as hard for your contractors to make those calls as it is for you to take them. As a contractor who prides ourselves on reputation and expertise, requesting a change order is a moral blow to our contractor well being. While there are countless issues that drive supplements and construction change orders, code and law requirements are one of the primary drivers of surprise reconstruction costs and delay.

The costs of complying with building codes increase around safety, energy-efficiency, and sustainability. The International Code Council is a thinktank of building officials and engineers who contemplate, write, and adopt increasingly costly building codes. By adopting newly written ICC standards, local and state governments limit their liability and aim to better protect their communities. Building departments and field inspectors have little concern for cost, common sense, or our construction schedules and many take adversarial positions with building owners, contractors, engineers, developers, and even insurers.