Yes, but mostly out of economic necessity. Unless you're building some billionaires summer cottage it's just not economically justifiable to pay for all the la

Yes, but mostly out of economic necessity. Unless you're building some billionaires summer cottage it's just not economically justifiable to pay for all the labor required to deviate from the standard plus all the material. If you want "better" you just do more extravagant construction but you keep to the same minimums. That said, there are plenty of people exceeding the minimums. You just don't know it because they are doing it themselves (or with a friend or two's help) on their own property and typically not pulling permits. <clutches pearls>