ᐅ What construction-related information would I never share publicly in the forum?

The first quotes are starting to come in. This made me wonder how detailed I want to share sketches from architects, offer lists from general contractors, etc., here in the forum.

I understand that the more details I provide, the better the help I can get. But since the forum is public,
- anyone might be able to see my plot of land and identify me,
- architectural plans and offer drawings are probably protected by copyright unless they are freely available online,
- even if I just say "designed based on model x from company y," "modified in the following areas," and then list everything, my general contractor might be reading along. Is that good or not?

How have you weighed this? Are there any tips, guidelines, or recommendations?

Thanks!

1689owen schrieb:

- anyone might be able to see my parcel and know who I am,

So? At least you can make it difficult for us by blurring. Otherwise, nobody here really cares where you live. Don’t put too much value on your neighborhood.

1689owen schrieb:

Architectural plans and proposal drawings are probably protected by copyright, unless they are freely available on the web

That depends on your contracts.

1689owen schrieb:

Even if I just say “planned based on model x from company y,” “customized at the following points,” and then list everything, my general contractor might read along. Good or not?

… then most people here won’t bother because reading is really annoying. If anything, use images to make it easier to understand.

1689owen schrieb:

How have you weighed such things? Are there tips, guidelines, etc.?

Feel free to browse the forum. If you want good responses, do it like everyone else and upload meaningful images. Nobody has complained in recent years (about us finding them / GC/contractor/project developer, that images are posted here, etc.). At least, I’m not aware of any cases. And you will find plenty of plans, sketches, drawings, and proposals here.

Post with common sense and tact, and it will work well.

Now, go ahead with your questions!

1689owen schrieb:

How did you weigh such a decision? Are there any tips, guidelines, etc.?

I decided to participate in your main thread only because your situation, as a frequently asked question, is interesting to many other readers. Normally, given the effort required to understand the background, I would have left you unassisted, since questioners who withhold background information are usually a consultant’s nightmare.

I have shared so many tips and guidelines here that you can find my personal advice by searching for the titles of my external posts (including the quotation marks in the search phrase) — and now even more quickly via my signature.

Here in the forum, I provide guidance only in urgent cases, like an emergency room (free of charge in exchange for public visibility, benefiting other readers). Privacy for the detailed information needed for more precise diagnoses is only possible in a private setting — which here is arranged by an organization that makes this affordable even for those with statutory insurance.

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1689owen schrieb:

Anyone might be able to see my plot and know who I am,

Who cares? Should we come visit you? Ew, no thanks. Definitely no direct contact with people trying to help me.
Seriously though, after a few hours, everyone here forgets about you. No one cares who you are or where you live—unless it’s relevant to the matter. But it’s your choice whether you want help. I couldn’t care less who I’m replying to.

Reminds me a bit of users who are afraid that neighbors might watch them in the garden from the upper floor, as if they were that interesting 😀

1689owen schrieb:

.. maybe my general contractor is reading along. Good or not?

Why would they be reading? They’re probably having champagne with their in-laws because their kid was visiting there during the holidays, or swimming laps in the pool because the doctor prescribed exercise for their at-risk heart. In short: they’re either busy or have a private life.
Or do you personally spy on your clients?

But you’re right: that’s exactly why we told the general contractor that we’re keeping a construction blog. And accordingly, they behaved very well.

If the necessary information is missing, time is often wasted unnecessarily.

What should definitely be avoided here is posting links.

1689owen schrieb:

I understand that the more details provided, the better the advice can be. But since the forum is public:
- anyone could potentially see my parcel and identify me,
- architectural plans and quotations are likely protected by copyright, unless they are freely available online

In that case, you simply redact the sensitive parts.

On the other hand:

Building a house is very complex. In the end, it’s a (more or less successful) combination of the house, the plot, and the surroundings. The fewer details there are, the less precise the feedback.

Some very simple examples:
- No builder specified? Potential specific details in the scope of work are unknown.
- Missing north arrow? It’s difficult to accurately assess window areas.

This is just on the "floor plan" level.

When it comes to how the house and so forth fit into the plot and the surroundings in the best possible way, information about the environment is necessary; otherwise, it’s just guesswork.

Also: I don’t think anyone here is important enough to actually investigate further. There aren’t enough of us for someone to accidentally identify another person.

- Even if I just say “designed based on model x from company y,” “adjusted in the following areas,” and then list everything, my general contractor might be reading along. Is that good or bad?

As long as you’re not writing malicious criticism, a general contractor should not care.