I've got a collection of echeverias and sedums that were doing fine, but lately when I water them even lightly, the leaves start feeling squishy within a day or two. I'm using regular potting soil and the pots do have drainage holes. Should I be worried about root rot, or is there something else going on?
The fix here is switching to a gritty, fast-draining mix - think cactus/succulent soil or regular potting soil amended heavily with perlite or coarse sand, maybe 50/50. What people sometimes miss is that even with drainage holes, regular potting soil can stay damp at the root zone for days, and succulents are basically designed to handle neglect, not consistent moisture. Are you checking if the soil is completely dry between waterings, or are you watering on a schedule? Because with succulents you really want to wait until the soil is bone dry, then water thoroughly and let it drain completely - this might mean watering only every 2-3 weeks depending on your climate and pot size.
Soft, mushy succulent leaves almost always mean overwatering or poor soil drainage - regular potting soil holds way too much moisture for these plants, which is your culprit here. Even with drainage holes, that soil keeps roots sitting in water longer than they can handle, and the leaves absorb too much water and basically start to rot from the inside out. Switch to a gritty cactus/succulent mix (or make your own with regular potting soil plus perlite or coarse sand, maybe 50/50) and back way off on watering - these guys want to dry out almost completely between drinks, not just surface-dry. If the stems are already soft or translucent, you might be dealing with early root rot and should repot them into fresh soil to save what you can.
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