TipsMcStagger
Member
I gutted my 30+ year old guest bathroom. The house had been replumbed through the attic with CPVC prior to my ownership because of a slab leak. I hired a plumber to replace the CPVC in the attic with PEX and to rough-in the gutted bathroom, including setting the tub.
I framed out one wall in order to make the rough width of the room 60", so as to fit a standard tub and to provide more space in the wall for the plumbing drop from the attic. The rough with of the room had been about 62".
When I told the plumber my plan, he pointed out that he'd have to relocate the toilet rough-in further from the wall (about 2"), in order to keep the proper spacing. Relocating the toilet rough-in was part of the agreed-to pricing for the job. The rough-in is set in the concrete slab.
During our initial meeting, I explained to the plumber that I was thinking of buying a Kohler Archer tub. The plumber replied that it was overkill for a guest bath and suggested I buy an off-the-shelf Sterling tub from the local home center. He pointed out several times that Sterling is made by Kohler.
After completing the job, I discovered the center of the toilet rough-in was only 12" from the tub. I called the plumber and explained the predicament. He asked for the width of the tub. I told him it's 32" wide. He replied that most tubs are 30" (apparently, the old tub I removed was 30") and freely admitted "I didn't think to measure the width of the tub."
He went on to explain "that's why I don't like using fixtures supplied by the homeowner." I pointed out I bought the tub that he suggested I buy and the tub was 15' from where he was working, in an open box. He replied, "that's where the rough-in was." I told him we originally agreed he'd move the rough-in to the proper position. He said I paid him to move it further from the wall. I asked if he thought it was reasonable to expect that I'd hire him to move the rough-in to the wrong position?
He seemed somewhat incredulous at my expectation that he would come back to make it right. He was angry.
Am I wrong in expecting that a plumber would think to verify the width of the tub he'd be installing - regardless of who supplied said tub - prior to positioning the toilet rough-in?
Thanks.
I framed out one wall in order to make the rough width of the room 60", so as to fit a standard tub and to provide more space in the wall for the plumbing drop from the attic. The rough with of the room had been about 62".
When I told the plumber my plan, he pointed out that he'd have to relocate the toilet rough-in further from the wall (about 2"), in order to keep the proper spacing. Relocating the toilet rough-in was part of the agreed-to pricing for the job. The rough-in is set in the concrete slab.
During our initial meeting, I explained to the plumber that I was thinking of buying a Kohler Archer tub. The plumber replied that it was overkill for a guest bath and suggested I buy an off-the-shelf Sterling tub from the local home center. He pointed out several times that Sterling is made by Kohler.
After completing the job, I discovered the center of the toilet rough-in was only 12" from the tub. I called the plumber and explained the predicament. He asked for the width of the tub. I told him it's 32" wide. He replied that most tubs are 30" (apparently, the old tub I removed was 30") and freely admitted "I didn't think to measure the width of the tub."
He went on to explain "that's why I don't like using fixtures supplied by the homeowner." I pointed out I bought the tub that he suggested I buy and the tub was 15' from where he was working, in an open box. He replied, "that's where the rough-in was." I told him we originally agreed he'd move the rough-in to the proper position. He said I paid him to move it further from the wall. I asked if he thought it was reasonable to expect that I'd hire him to move the rough-in to the wrong position?
He seemed somewhat incredulous at my expectation that he would come back to make it right. He was angry.
Am I wrong in expecting that a plumber would think to verify the width of the tub he'd be installing - regardless of who supplied said tub - prior to positioning the toilet rough-in?
Thanks.
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