Renovations are a long string of small decisions. Which tile, which faucet, whether to move the outlet six inches. Each one feels obvious on the day you make it. Two months later the contractor asks which grout color you agreed on, and you have no idea.
A decision log is a fancy name for writing down what you chose and why, as you go. It takes a minute per decision and saves a lot of arguing later, with your contractor and with whoever you live with.
Keep one log per project
Mixing the bathroom and the deck in one long note gets messy fast. Give each project its own place, even if it's small. When a question comes up about the bathroom, you want to read only about the bathroom.
Write down why
"Gray hex tile" is a decision. "Gray hex tile, because white shows every hair and we can afford it if we skip the heated floor" is a decision you can still defend in three months.
Reasons matter most when you change your mind. If you write down why you picked something, you'll notice when that reason stops being true.
Log the things you decided against too. "No heated floor: $1,200 extra, not worth it for a small room." Otherwise someone will suggest it again in week five.
Record measurements with units and where you measured
A number without context is useless later. Write "Niche: 14 wide, 24 tall, 4 deep, inches, measured inside the framing" rather than just "14 x 24".
Measure twice, on different days if you can. Write both numbers down. If they don't match, measure a third time before anyone orders anything.
Photos with a tape measure in the frame help too. Take them before the walls get closed up, so you know where the pipes and wires run.
Get quotes you can compare
Quotes are hard to compare because they rarely cover the same things. For each one, note:
- The total, and what it includes. Materials? Demolition? Haul-away? Fixtures?
- What it leaves out. Get this in writing.
- Whether they're licensed and insured. Ask for proof, and check the license with your state or city if you can.
- Who pulls the permit. In many US towns, plumbing or electrical work needs one, and you want the contractor to handle it.
- When they can start, and how long they think it takes.
- The payment schedule. Be wary of a large payment up front.
Then compare like with like. A cheaper quote that skips the vanity install isn't cheaper.
Log every change once work starts
Once the crew is in, changes happen in conversation. "We found rot under the toilet, it's another $400." Agree on it, then write it down that day with the amount and who said it. Ask for it in writing too.
Little changes add up. A log of them is the easiest way to understand the final invoice.
Finish with a punch list
Near the end, walk through the room and list everything that isn't right yet. A chipped tile, a door that rubs, caulk that's missing behind the sink. Go through it with the contractor before the final payment.
Keep the warranty details, model numbers and paint colors in the same place. The next time something breaks, you'll know exactly what's behind the wall.
Where Nave fits
Most decisions happen away from a desk. In the tile aisle, on a call with the contractor, standing in the half-demolished room. That's when the reason is clear, and that's when you're least likely to write it down.
Hold the button and say the choice and the reason in one go. Months later, when someone asks why the fan vents outside, the answer is in the project's thread with the date next to it. Below is a made-up week of a bathroom redo.
