>and there are plenty of developers who'd be happy to make a quick buck by building a cut-rate tower of toothpicks. There is an equally evil and opposite force

>and there are plenty of developers who'd be happy to make a quick buck by building a cut-rate tower of toothpicks. There is an equally evil and opposite force of engineering firms looking to make a long buck by convincing permitting authorities that this needs tons of regulation (crafted to also apply to smaller buildings than the layman would consider reasonable, of course) and product supplier who'll egg them on every step of the way. The more you learn about construction the more it makes sense why organized crime always winds up getting involved in it.