Field Notes
Field Notes
Occasional, practical writing on renovation, construction lessons, and Bay Area fixers from the field.
AI Does Not Fix a Disconnected Project
AI does not rescue a disconnected construction project. Its real value is in reducing the cost of change by helping operators keep scope, estimates, field conditions, purchasing decisions, schedules, and open questions connected before the jobsite pays for missing information.
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The Jobsite Is the Filter
The 2025 International Builders' Show compressed the whole industry into one hall. AI drew the crowds, but the technology that mattered was quieter: the products and systems that reduce uncertainty once the work leaves the trade show floor for an actual house.
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Not Every Fixer Is a Good Project
A fixer is not automatically an opportunity. A house can need work and still not support the work it needs, and the discipline is in aligning price, site, layout, and time, or passing when they do not line up.
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What We Evaluate Before a Renovation Scope Is Set
Tile, cabinets, and lighting are the last part of a renovation, not the plan. Before any of it, an old house has to be read as a site, a structure, and a layout, because that early reading is what decides whether the project is coherent or just expensive.
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