Expect the unexpected!!!!..My guess is you'll get many minor things of no real consequence,as the HI needs to show why he is paid..Maybe a slow drain, a switch or outlet that doesn't work..A slow drip in a faucet..Something that may not be up to current code, but is perfectly fine... When we sold our home, the HI said the furnace was original(30+- years old), and this was true,but it still worked PERFECTLY FINE..We had no intention of even beginning a dialogue on this issue..HI asked for ALL permits in any worked performed since we owned it...Didn't have them handy, went to Boro Hall to ask for copies, which they readily produced..I looked at the the final" for the pool we installed and it said "vinyl pool",don't know why,must have been a clerical issue,as we had a gunite pool..The Bldg Dept sent me to the Tax assessor,who said their records(based on "final" permits)had us assessed at a lower rate vis-a-vie the vinyl pool, and said our taxes would increase about 200+- dollars a year based on this new info..LOL,we were moving so,the new owners got a higher tax bill in the following tax year...Sometimes, you are better off NOT opening a potentail can of worms.. Good Luck

Nightmare kitchen reno stories are certainy not just the domain of box stores. I congratulate anyone who gets a good kitchen they are happy with at a fair price by laying their cash down and just buying it without a lot of research and comparison shopping. I don't think many people have that experience and for the rest of us it's research, research, research. I found this thread really helpful in preparing me for the box store experience. My Mom in doing her kitchen started pretty cold at a Home Depot and found the experience less than pleasant. Design was poor and after paying $50 they didn't want to let her have the drawings to take home and think about. They were also quite indignant when she informed them she was comparison shopping. She walked away and I offered to help her navigate the process outside a box store. Now 6 months later we are waiting for measured drawings from HD so we can place our order. Part of the reason is that one of the HD's exclusive lines (in Canada) was the best constructed cabinet we looked at behind the doors in her price range that came in the colour and style she wanted and could be configured in her desired layout without too many major compromises. New Depot, new Kitchen Consutant who isn't a CKD but has a design background and has worked in kitchens in that store for 2 years. Store has 1 installer who has been working with them since they opened. He comes and does the measure and he comes back for the install. I asked to see his work and they made arrangements for us to see a recent kitchen (if things go well we would offer to do the same for someone ese). He gets paid the same to install her entry level product kitchen as he does Thomasville and KraftMaid and he has years of experience working with the product we are buying (not always true when you are working with a GC or a store with inexperienced installers). I haven't seen the labour quote yet but I have estimates from other companies so I will have a good idea how inflated it is. Basic design evolved from other consultations so we are not looking for a lot of layout advice and I plugged the product we are getting into my rough measure (I actually made a product list and had another Depot give me a price quote before we went too far). Once we have measured drawings from them we will verify the dimensions they are using as well as double check the order to make sure it is correct. They are frustrating to deal with in terms of service compared to dedicated showrooms but so far so good. My Mom will get 10% off the cabs and 1 year interest free by putting it on their card. We probably won't get the countertop through them as they sub-contract it and I can get it direct without their mark-up. I may yet end up here cursing them but I think each circumstance is different and people shouldn't automatically cross them off their list without seeing what is happening in their local stores. I'll update as we move forward.

opaone: Looks like my sensor collection is missing a component, even though my house is deliberately "leaky." Is this the IQAir [AirVisual Pro] Smart Indoor & Outdoor Air Quality Monitor [PM2.5, CO2, AQI, Temperature, Humidity]? How do you like it, and why did you select this brand? I have several. Of the consumer variety this and Foobot are generally the more accurate according to testing by Lawrence Livermore and others. I went through five IQAir's (testing against a borrowed lab meter) before settling on this one. All were fairly accurate but this one was the closest. Foobot was similar though I only went through three. I keep an IQAir and Foobot next to each other in our bedroom all the time and then have another IQAir that I move around wherever needed. I write about healthcare and population health and IAQ is an increasingly critical component.

I cannot speak for your unit, but we do a lot of work in condos. Around here, luckily, most of them don't really care what you do inside ( to a point! ) but they do require paperwork filled out with the license and insurance of the contractor doing the work. This is where you would get into some trouble unless of course your Dad is a licensed contractor. I think it is time to just sit down and have a conversation with your Dad. This isn't about whether he can do this or not. Do you really even want this? All you are doing is opening a wall to look into a hallway? You mentioned a bar top? Where's the design plan , drawings? Do you really know what this is going to look like? Slow this down , get a plan and set the details and the end goal. If he does not agree, then kindly ask him to repair the wall and call it a day. I feel for you - it's tough to fight with a contractor, especially when it is your Dad!