Heard a framer say 'measure twice, cut once' is only half the rule

I was grabbing coffee before a job in Tacoma and overheard two framers talking. One guy said, 'Yeah, measure twice, cut once, but you also gotta think twice before you measure.' He was talking about a porch roof where they measured the pitch right but didn't think about the gutter overhang. They had to redo a whole rafter. It hit me that the thinking part comes first, before the tape even comes out. Now I try to picture the whole piece and how it fits for a solid minute before I mark anything. Has a simple mental step like that ever saved you from a big mistake?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_emma16d ago

Oh man, that's so true. I've totally cut a board to the perfect length but forgot it needed a notch for a pipe. That extra minute of just staring at the plans saves so much time later.

bennett.mason19d ago

My last sketch looked like a toddler drew it with their left hand.

verawhite20d ago

Ever sketch it out on a scrap piece of plywood first? That quick visual catches a ton of problems.