Contractors complete wrong work when homeowners describe scope verbally
13 posts in the last 60 days, all from r/Plumbing.
“I guess the issue here was communication?”
“Big is a relative term. I suggest you put the bathroom exactly where you want it, and find a plumber who will do what it takes to get it done.”
“About to start finishing my basement and I’m curious for the bathroom what’s what for my plumbing rough in?”
Several posts highlight misunderstandings and frustrations arising from communication issues between plumbers and clients, including misinterpretations of requests (insulation vs. isolation) and general dissatisfaction with the work performed. There's also a sense of exasperation regarding client expectations and perceived lack of knowledge.
SOURCES (35)
“Big is a relative term. I suggest you put the bathroom exactly where you want it, and find a plumber who will do what it takes to get it done.”
“About to start finishing my basement and I’m curious for the bathroom what’s what for my plumbing rough in? submitted by /u/VanillaGorilla_116 [link] [comments]”
“Alrighty so. I bought a freestanding bath, it has no hardware or nothing it has just sat around for a year waiting to be installed. I AM NOT A PLUMBER, shocker ik. I'm ready to bring it in to be installed but the drain from my shower is not in the middle of my floor. I thought I'd have to either use pipes and jigsaw the drainage system to the drain, or use a flexible pipe. I don't have the mula to pay someone to do it for me (said that way to get around their Roberto test... I am hum”
“I live in a cold climate so I asked a plumber friend of mine to install new freezeless silcocks. I looked at both of them and they seem to be pitched back, so that the water doesn't drain out of the silcock when closed. I live in a hot/very cold climate so I'm concerned about freezing, especially since these will be behind finished walls. Is it a big deal that they're this way? submitted by /u/OddPassion4238 [link] [comments]”
“Good day plumbing community! I recently had a bathtub/shower combo installed and decided on black for all the trim. We were able to get everything in black except for the waste and overflow kit. The picture included with the post is what was installed and the plumber assured me that I could just get the matching trim and add it later but I can’t seem to find a compatible kit anywhere that has all of the parts I need. If anyone knows where I could find these parts individually or a kit that inclu”
“Yes i did receive a quote for 2500 for installation but their timeframe was further out. My wife is having a baby next month so was hoping to have it done before then.”
Time and money, enough of each and a contractor can do a lot
“I’m sure it is work…..one way or another. You’re gonna do some work to finish it up or you’ll have to do some work to pay someone else to. I’ve never seen it all come together on its own.”
“Ahhh. That’s why I’m so confused. Soft copper can be bent, but comes in rolls so it’s never straight. I’ve seen on a couple posts you’re not supposed to bend rigid copper, but I don’t really get why. I’m sure it weakens it but it can’t be that much worse than a solder fitting.”
“You are right he is not a plumber. He did a very good job handling the tiles and for most of the installation, he had been working on it for over a day, and i think he opted for the flexible pipe for a quicker and easier solution. I also suspect it might be leaking from the floor, like you said, maybe i can seal it somehow? Will a certified plumber be able to easily replace the existing pipe with a rigid pipe?”
“I'm impressed you got that tub in there with the tub spout roughed in already and at that height. I'm doing valve and spout after tub is in like 100% of the time.”
“Hi all. I just wanted to get some advice. A bathroom fitter has installed the bath today but I'm not happy with how its fitted. Ive attached some pictures, please could I get some advice? I briefly brought it up with him before he left and he said its fine and he will be fitting a wooden frame around it for support which would help. Few queries and advice on what to say back would be great. The 4 bath legs are 'sitting' on what appears to be offcuts and the aren't even sitting fu”
“One might argue this plumber is very talented, having figured out to plumb in curves.”
“I'm a plumbing contractor and had a customer reach out with a question I wasn't sure of the answer to so I thought I'd ask here. They recently had a new septic tank installed and now are getting a very strong septic/sewer smell coming from their venting on the roof. While of course the venting up on the roof smelling is normal and indicative of a well-functioning system they describe the smell as something they've never had, and it smells quite strong. I don't know what went”
“As a plumber and anyone in construction would tell you, you can have anything you want. Just depends if you’re willing to pay for it.”
“I kinda agree with this. If you tile it at the same grade, what do you think your toilet will do if it's level? You'll need a few shims which will allow it to rock. Ignore it or fix the floor would be my suggestions. Oh but we are ignoring that to plumbing below is allowing it to be unlevel.... What's up with that”
“Thanks for the response and so many words. Still not sure if you are saying yes or no to the question tbh 😆”
“I am having a bathroom remodeled and my contractor for the remodel recommended a plumber to put in the tub and do the plumbing lines for it. He came by yesterday and said the job should take him a couple hours. He capped the pipes and did all his prep work then came and found me to tell me that the tub I got was a left drain assembly and I needed a right. I fucked that one up. So I called around and found the right tub and got it. It took me about 70 minutes. When I returned we carried it upstai”
“Original here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Plumbing/s/fDOfMHf2qz First, I want to thank everyone for the previous comments and affirmation I wasn’t crazy. So, new tub installed today, since they damaged the flange in the old tub. They seem to have managed to put the mortar bed in…just, again, without the plastic layer between the mortar bed and wood subfloor like was requested. Not sure why that’s so hard. Question - are these the correct screws they’re using? I feel like they should be flush again”
“You have never worked outside the US and it shows. Santees as we use them have different rules in different places and can be used on their sides and backs in different ways then we can, and wait until you lean about pan connectors etc that would be against code here. Or house traps instead of p-traps under sinks, or places where every single sink is an s-trap and completely legal. Stop trying to apply your rules in a place where they don't exist.”
“Yeah once the homeowner, or better yet the homeowner’s BF/GF/Husband/Wife/Pet starts telling us how to do our job, we just disregard everything else they say. You called us cause you can’t do it yourself. If you wanted to do it yourself while following some random YouTube video, then you would have done that, but you didn’t. Then you get angry and call them a scammer? Of course he’s not going to want to deal with you anymore, hope your gf knows how to have a conversation like adults without gett”
“Many bathtub manufacturers allow spray foam as an insulation option. If it’s used, it should be applied across the underside of the tub to provide even insulation and support, but it should not block the drain, overflow, or any plumbing. From your picture, it looks like only a small amount of foam was sprayed under the tub, which may not provide much benefit. If you have access underneath, you can add more spray foam if your bathtub manufacturer allows it . Otherwise, follow the manufacturer’s r”
“If you want a tub that holds heat then it needs to be cast iron. All the insulation in the world won't make an acrylic tub as good as cast iron.”
“okay buddy. hard water, seized threads, tight clearances. sure. thanks for the sage wisdom.”
“It’s sad we have to give someone a trophy for not being as terrible as what most do but it’s still not 100% right. 1 fail behind the wall or buried under concrete is a total fail.”
“Very good work. Call him back out to replace that shower valve tho. I hope he didn't provide that.”
“That seems fair enough to me, but given that they did not mention it to you beforehand, there is a good chance they will argue that they should be paid for doing the installation of the new toilet. As a contractor, I do see both sides of it and that is why we always make that disclaimer before dealing with situations like this. Not sure what the resolution will be but do your best to come to an agreement and know that it's very possible they will want payment for installation of the toilet.”