Ever Opened Up a Wall to Find a Surprise?

[Isaac Lane]

Question for the group: what’s the worst “hidden issue” you’ve uncovered once demo started?

On one of our flips, demo revealed that several basement support posts had been shimmed with scraps of wood instead of set on proper footings. The GC’s original bid didn’t account for structural repair, and the investor was staring down a costly change order.

Here’s what we did:

- Brought in a structural engineer the same week for quick specs.

- Negotiated the repair scope with the GC to keep pricing tight.

- Got approvals and work underway within 5 days, minimizing schedule slip.

 What surprises have you run into once the walls came down?