Making changes to the framing during the process is another of my construction peeves. The plans should be perfected before work begins such that changes are not necessary.
Practically speaking, once the building starts to take shape, it always looks different than the preconceived notions of the builder. To the client, who'd generally be much less versed in the translation from computer screen to framing than a builder, the actual framed project could be a disappointment. More often it goes the other way, the framed building looks better than the client had expected on paper, but for sure we make errors. How to react to the decision to make changes is key.
1. make the decision as early as possible - it is a lot easier to make framing changes before the framers have left the site. Don't leave it until wiring, plumbing, etc are in. That would compound the error and add cost.
2. draw out the change precisely - by drawing it on a page or screen, at least unintended consequences can be considered before new work is ordered to execute a change.
3. don't be afraid to change it twice - if the first change is not good, revert back to the original, or do something different. You only get to build a house once, so better to spend a little extra time and money to make the layout as good as possible.
I am the builder and the client on the rowhouse - so I can make changes by consulting myself, this is the best scenario. Indecisiveness is likely worse, because the decision will drag on indefinitely.
Now that the framing is done enough to get a good feel for it, it didn't feel right. Changes will be made according to the red ink. The challenge with building a new plan is it may not be as good in three dimensions as it appeared on the computer screen months earlier. With three units, all three will be changed, fortunately only one of the three was very far along. I will learn some lessons here and apply it next time. Learning the hard way is usually the best way in construction, the school where everything you do wrong is the tuition cost.