Building Renovation Assumptions Log
This is a practical guide to building a assumptions log for a building renovation project — a register of the assumptions the plan depends on, to be validated, adapted to the realities of renovating or refurbishing an existing building.
What a Assumptions Log is
A assumptions log is a register of the assumptions the plan depends on, to be validated. For the full concept and how it works in general, see Project Assumption. On a building renovation project it plays the same role, tuned to this kind of work.
Why it matters for a Building Renovation project
Building Renovation projects live or die on renovating or refurbishing an existing building. A well-built assumptions log gives the team a shared, explicit reference for exactly that — reducing ambiguity, aligning stakeholders, and making problems visible early enough to act. Skipping it, or doing it generically, is how building renovation projects drift into avoidable delay and cost.
What to include
- Assumption
- Impact if wrong
- Owner
- Validation status
Building Renovation-specific considerations
Tailor the assumptions log to the risks that most often derail building renovation projects:
- Unknown existing conditions
- Occupied-site working
- Scope changes on discovery
Example
On a real building renovation project, the assumptions log would be shaped by renovating or refurbishing an existing building. In particular, it should explicitly account for the project’s biggest risks — unknown existing conditions, occupied-site working, scope changes on discovery — rather than treating them as afterthoughts.