Hi, I’m Rebecca — the one who keeps a binder of every code your inspector will actually check.
Cosaroom exists because I got tired of guessing at codes and contractor quotes — so I started verifying everything myself and writing down exactly what I found.
The fixer-upper that failed inspection twice
I bought a rural Alabama property with a half-collapsed shed roof and a pool that had never been fenced. The inspector flagged both before my insurance would even bind coverage.
Doing it myself, out of sheer stubbornness
A contractor quoted me $2,800 to re-shingle a 10×12 shed. I bought architectural shingles instead and did it myself in a weekend. The pool fence took longer — three different people gave me three different answers on what my county actually required.
Failed re-inspection over a 2-inch gap
My pool fence failed its first inspection because of a bottom gap no guide I’d read had mentioned. I rebuilt it myself, passed re-inspection the following weekend, and started a binder of every code and measurement I’d verified firsthand.
The binder became a website
Neighbors started borrowing my binder before their own inspections. I figured it was time to put it somewhere more useful than a three-ring binder on my kitchen counter — that’s how Cosaroom started.
What I’m actually trying to do here
Most outdoor and home project sites either guess at code requirements or quote a generic national average that doesn’t match what your inspector will actually check. I don’t do that. Every measurement on this site — drip edge overlap, fence gap clearance, shingle waste percentage — comes from something I measured myself, on a real project, usually after getting it wrong the first time. I’ve re-shingled two sheds, replaced over 400 feet of fencing across three different projects, and passed four separate county inspections on two different properties. None of that makes me a contractor. It makes me someone who has actually done the thing I’m telling you how to do.
A bit more about me
I live in Alabama with my husband and a dog who supervises every outdoor project from a safe, shaded distance. When I’m not measuring fence posts or counting roofing nails, I restore old hand tools I find at estate sales — there’s something satisfying about getting a rusted plane or a forgotten level back into working condition. I still keep that original binder, even though everything in it eventually makes its way onto this site.
— Rebecca
A quick note on transparency: some links on this site are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them — at no extra cost to you. I only reference products or resources I’d actually use. It helps keep this site going, and I’m grateful for your support.
Want the measurements, not the guesswork?
Browse the blog for the real numbers behind fencing, roofing, and outdoor projects — verified on actual properties, not estimated from a desk.
