Skinny deals don't survive surprises.

[JS Burnett]

Margins are thin right now. That means every decision on a project has to be right the first time.

The way I approach every deal starts before the bid is signed. I read the scope the way a contractor writes it, looking for what's missing, not what's there. Missing line items don't show up as problems until demo starts and walking away isn't realistic. By then the number has changed and you're absorbing it.

On a recent commercial repositioning the bid looked clean. Competitive number, professional presentation. Structural supports for the parapet addition weren't in it. Roof modifications the parapet required weren't in it. Both mandatory. Both code. Both absent.

Found it before the contract was signed.

On the construction side I don't wait for inspectors to tell me what's wrong. I've caught foundations with wrong measurements for the prefab metal building going on top of them. Roofs missing rubber gaskets on every screw, which means water infiltration nobody finds until it's a gut job two years into a lease.

Inspectors check boxes. I look at the project.

The difference between a deal that works long term and one that bleeds out slowly is usually caught or missed in the first thirty days. That's where I focus.

What systems do you use on the front end to protect your margins before construction starts?