Traditionally, construction and remodeling projects have followed the waterfall project management methodology—a linear sequence of phases: plan, design, execute, and deliver. It’s a method built for predictability, thriving in scenarios where all variables are mapped out upfront.

But as we know, construction is seldom predictable—as unpredictability is introduced, project scope can often go out the window. In fact, studies have pointed to the negative impacts of the more traditionally understood design, build, bid (DBB) method, particularly how these rigid, inflexible approaches are incompatible as projects grow more complex in scope and scale [4]. See also: Todd R. Zabelle’s Built to Fail, which examines the larger construction industry, and why projects almost inherently and habitually overrun timelines and budgets.

On a smaller, more personal scale, we see how these concepts we’ve closely examined and discussed for years are indeed overwrought and due for a newer, more flexible project delivery model. Consider, anecdotally, an experience rebuilding Jason’s deck. It’s a problem oft experienced: The unexpected emerges to derail those tidy, linear plans. Hidden wood rot beneath the boards, posts set in unanticipated locations, and salvageable materials shift both budget and design—each discovery forces a pivot. While a project starts as straightforward, it quickly becomes a dynamic exercise in iteration, decision-making, and problem-solving.

In many ways, remodeling feels far more agile than waterfall

Agile, a framework born from the complexities of software development [3], is built to handle environments where uncertainty and evolving requirements are the norms. With its focus on adaptability, collaboration, and iterative progress, it offers a striking parallel to the realities of remodeling and home renovation. While new construction may still fit the predictability of waterfall, remodeling projects—like the above-mentioned deck remodel project—embody the fluidity and flexibility of agile. In fact, they could serve as a master class in how to manage unpredictability with a Scrum framework [1].

The Case for Waterfall in New Construction

Within the context of project management, new construction builds most closely resemble what would be referred to as “waterfall” as its go-to methodology [2].

Insofar as waterfall thrives in projects where the scope, materials, and timeline are all defined at the outset. Building a house on an empty lot benefits from detailed blueprints and a sequential process: foundation, framing, plumbing, electrical, and so on. Each phase builds cleanly on the last, leaving little room for deviation. Or, as Ralph Waldo Emerson put it, “A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams.” In this context, the “walls and beams” represent waterfall’s predictability and step-by-step logic.

The strength of waterfall lies in its emphasis on planning and control, particularly in large-scale construction where coordinating specialties like HVAC, electrical, and plumbing demands precision. But this strength is also its weakness: waterfall assumes the original plan is perfect, a condition that rarely holds up in the unpredictable world of remodeling.

“Significant” disadvantages of the usage of the waterfall approach include:

a) sponsor's difficulty in defining and gathering documentation for the requirements, especially in the construction industry;

b) the sponsor is unsatisfied with the deliveries since the deliverables are based upon documented requirements, and at the end of the product development, changes can be difficult and expensive to implement [2].

Construction companies, focused on new construction, may look to scale QA, mechanize workflows with standardization, and productize their delivery of projects; as such, they may embrace concepts and methods like industrialized construction.

Agile and Scrum in the Uncertainty of Remodeling

Remodeling is a different beast. It begins with an existing structure—one full of unknowns. As earlier posited, discovering these unknowns during a deck rebuild is no happy accident. What’s beneath the surface often changes the entire project scope. What was initially planned, to reuse the old frame, is lurched like a plane into mayday as rotted beams, meant as critical structural elements, must be quickly be replaced lest falling apart. On the flip side, finding intact posts saved time and money, reshaping plans mid-project. This constant dance of adapting to what’s uncovered feels inherently agile.

The stages of agile include:

1. Iteration and Incremental Progress

Agile focuses on small, manageable increments of work that deliver value—an approach Scrum formalizes with “sprints.” Each sprint is a focused burst of effort followed by reassessment, making it a perfect mirror for how Jason tackled his deck.

Here’s how it played out:

• One sprint involved removing the old deck boards and assessing the frame.
• The next focused on replacing rotted joists while salvaging reusable ones.
• A subsequent sprint dealt with blocking for stability and prepping for new boards.

Each sprint delivered measurable progress while leaving space to adapt. Unlike waterfall, where a single surprise can derail the timeline, agile treats change as part of the process.

The same concept, we might add, can be applied in virtually any vocation. E.g., an English department at a regional university may time-box a period at the end of a semester to pore over writing program assessment data that is then used to shape new policies and curricular objectives heading into the new year. On the other hand, a marketing team, taking cues from a software engineering team that built an app for them through iterative sequences, may choose to block off time for the creation of campaign deliverables ahead of launch to ensure time for stakeholder review (which comes next).

2. Collaboration and Feedback

Scrum thrives on collaboration and regular feedback, critical to projects like deckbuilding. “Stakeholders”—family members and household occupants—shape the design and functionality of the deck through regular check-ins (a stand-in for Scrum’s daily standups). These conversations have led to adjustments like adding built-in benches and tweaking the railing design.

Autodesk fellow Tom Wujec once said, “Prototyping is the conversation you have with your ideas.” In remodeling, prototyping happens in real time. Temporarily laying out deck boards to visualize spacing before screwing them down feels like agile’s iterative spirit at work.

3. Responding to Change Over Following a Plan

The Agile Manifesto prioritizes “responding to change over following a plan,” which couldn’t be more relevant to remodeling. Hidden rot, uneven grading, or outdated wiring demand flexibility. While waterfall might see these as disruptions, agile reframes them as opportunities to optimize. More contextually, finding reusable wood cut costs, freeing up budget to invest in better railing materials. Agile teaches us that change isn’t a failure of planning—it’s an inevitable part of progress.

Why Agile Works for Remodeling

The agile approach may seem abstract, foreign, even buzzwordy to the average remodeler, but there’s plenty of overlap that may even help anchor a spirited dinner conversation with that one family member’s spouse, whose work in software engineering has otherwise before seemed worlds apart. So, why does agile work for remodeling? Here are a few reasons:

• Unpredictable Variables: Remodeling projects are full of surprises. Agile thrives in settings where requirements evolve in response to discovery.
• Stakeholder Involvement: Direct input from homeowners (in Jason’s case, himself and his family) aligns with agile’s emphasis on collaboration and continuous feedback.
• Incremental Value: Agile’s iterative approach ensures that progress is steady and tangible, even if the final project is still evolving.
• Learning Through Failure: As MythBuster’s Adam Savage has notably tweeted, “Failure is always an option,” fits here. Mistakes like cutting a board too short become lessons that improve the next sprint.

Blending the Best of Both Worlds

While remodeling leans heavily into agile principles, waterfall still holds value in the planning stage.

In fact, studies have shown a “hybrid” approach that blends waterfall and agile methods to be the more “feasible solution to improve construction industry projects,” in that such an approach retains “the comfort of the waterfall while adding the benefits of agile,” while “project managers may be able to increase their level of success, as well as the satisfaction of their sponsors and stakeholders” [2].

Establishing an overarching budget, timeline, and scope provides structure before diving into the work. Plan your work and work your plan. But be ready to adapt as the project progresses. Combining waterfall’s upfront organization with agile’s flexibility creates a hybrid approach that plays to the strengths of both.

Wrapping Up: Remodeling as Agile Design

Rebuilding a deck has proven that remodeling is less about rigid adherence to a blueprint and more about embracing the unknown with curiosity and creativity. Agile principles like iteration, collaboration, and adaptability perfectly capture the realities of renovation, where surprises are inevitable and plans are only as good as your ability to pivot.

Whether you’re rebuilding a deck, designing a course, or managing a team, the lesson is the same: success doesn’t come from sticking to the script. It comes from responding thoughtfully to change—which can similarly be seen as a newsroom quickly responds to real events unfolding in real time, or how a show like S.N.L. rapidly iterates sketch ideas and finalizes primetime scheduling just moments before air (see origin: Saturday Night). By applying an agile mindset, we not only build better decks but also develop the resilience and ingenuity to tackle challenges head-on.

References

1. Adrielle Cristina Sassa et al, 2023. “Scrum: A systematic literature review.” https://thesai.org/Downloads/Volume14No4/Paper_20-Scrum_A_Systematic_Literature_Review.pdf

2. João Alexandre Lobo Marques et al, 2023. “Effectiveness Analysis of Waterfall and Agile Project Management Methodologies: A Case Study from Macau's Construction Industry. http://dx.doi.org/10.12662/2359-618xregea.v12i1.p23-38.2023

3. Raoul Vallon et al, 2018. “Systematic literature review on agile practices in global software development.” https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2017.12.004

4. Sergei Kortenko et al., 2020. “Negative Effects of Design-Bid-Build Procurement on Construction Projects. https://doi.org/10.24928/2020/0141