🔥 The Most Expensive Code Mistake Is the One You Discover Too Late
Part 2 of #PermitRisk Series
In the medical clinic project in Airdrie, AB, the classification issue wasn’t discovered at design stage. It was discovered when construction was approximately 90% complete. By that point, the conversation was no longer technical. It was financial.
What could have been:
* A conceptual correction during schematic design
Became:
* Demolition risk
* Alternative Solution development
* Over $100,000 in additional costs
* More than six months of occupancy delay
Here is the pattern I see repeatedly:
At Concept Stage → Corrections are analytical.
At Permit Stage → Corrections are coordinated.
At Construction Stage → Corrections are physical.
And physical corrections are always the most expensive.
Most permit problems are predictable.
They just aren’t reviewed early enough.
That’s why I advocate for a Pre-Submission Risk Review — not to replace design, but to stress-test assumptions before they become concrete.
If you’re working on a multi-storey project or tenant fit-up, and you want a second set of eyes before submission, feel free to reach out.
Have you ever experienced a “late discovery” that changed the entire project economics?
#PermitRisk #ConstructionCosts #BuildingCode #ArchitectureCanada #CommercialConstruction #RiskManagement #AlternativeSolutions #PermitDelay #ProjectManagement
