Years ago, we sold a piece of land to an international buyer and got retained by them to run the development. On the day we closed, the buyer asked, “When can we get excavators on-site?”

Forget about needing to permit the building—the bigger issue was that the building wasn’t even designed or engineered yet.

I had to explain that even if it was legal, rushing into construction without a fully vetted design is a recipe for disaster.

No matter how eager you are to start, any dollar you think you’re saving by skipping ahead will turn into a hundred-dollar headache when you have to make changes on-site.

I’ve seen it too many times—misalignments between trades, coordination breakdowns, and incomplete designs lead to massive delays and skyrocketing costs. What feels like progress ends up being a major setback.

These days, I make sure every piece of the puzzle is in place before we even think about breaking ground. Every dollar spent on design upfront saves you a hundredfold in time, money, and stress once construction starts.

If you’ve ever felt that pressure to rush, take it from me—slowing down pays off.

Let’s connect if you want to talk about how thorough planning can save you from costly mistakes later.