On a renovation job in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a veteran contractor said something that annoyed everyone in the room:
“Most renovations fail because homeowners want perfection, not function.”
From a trade perspective, chasing perfect alignment, trendy finishes, and Instagram ready details often creates fragile builds. Real homes move. Wood shifts. Buildings settle. Trades design with tolerance, not fantasy.
Good renovation work is not about zero flaws. It is about durability, repairability, and long term use. A slightly imperfect finish that lasts ten years is better than a perfect one that fails in two.
Trades do not cut corners. They build for reality.