One of the most common and costly mistakes I see in residential construction:
Starting construction before plans are fully complete.
This usually happens because design, consultant coordination, and permitting take longer than expected—so there’s pressure to get started.
I’ve seen this frequently in places like Aspen and Telluride, where projects end up starting as winter sets in simply because earlier phases ran long.
The problem is that once construction begins with incomplete information, contractors are forced to interpret missing details. That leads to change orders, rework, and an initial budget that was never fully complete.
The result is almost always higher costs and a longer schedule than anticipated.
The best way to avoid this is simple:
Make sure drawings are fully developed and coordinated before starting construction. Time invested upfront is one of the most effective ways to control both cost and schedule.