Why didn't they just cut and chip it out before any drywall etc was started? Harder now but still doable. General contractor should have dealt with this.

I can't understand what you are referring to. Is it that tall white stick behind the door?

They can get rid of the stump. It's not serving a purpose, is it? It may require more work for the builder, but that is an eyesore that has to go!

If it were sunny, some people might be able to see the tall white stick more. I would say get rid of it! .......You may not be able to.

I haven't ever seen anything quite like that before. I'm wondering if it is part of a square metal supports post when pouring the footing? If that is the case it might not be able to be removed. What is the contractor saying in regards to it? I would find out if it can be removed. If not, I have some ideas of what can be done to hide it.

Talk to your builder or contractor immediately. One of his sub-contractors made a mistake and it needs to be fixed right away -- before any further work is done. Contractors don't like scheduling to be disrupted, but the longer you wait to address it and the further into the construction process you get, the harder it's going to be to correct it. Insist if you must. If it's bothering you now, imagine of how you're going to feel once you've paid for it and then you have to live with it.

The only other solution would be to run a piece of rounded or fluted trim/molding up the entire wall to the ceiling so that it looks like it was trimmed out for the purpose of softening the corner and is an intentional design element. In any case, they need to make it right for you.

Christi, on behalf of Thos. Baker

Fluted Trim or molding along these lines (only larger) to create a finished look and conceal the stump/mistake. But I would still insist it be fixed properly. This is only a last resort solution.

Christi, on behalf of Thos. Baker

A lot of things can be cured with signage. Have a sign professionally done that reads:

"My builder [builder's name] of [company name] did this to me." With an arrow pointing to the left.

Hang the sign on the wall to the right of the blunder for everyone to understand. Then take an image of the blunder, with sign, and post it as an idea book on Houzz.

It's really not that big of a thing, but a conscientious builder would not have let something like this happen.

Bizarre. I agree it should be fixed but if not... http://houzz.com/photos/3586604 ?

Insist that it be remedied. This is someone's mistake, and you should not have to "deal" with it. Terrible!

They are there to do what YOUR vision is. Who's paying who???

I see this so often here...whether it's a builder, designer, contractor....they screw somehting up & then the homeowner is here asking how to make that ugly blunder "work".

Agree with everyone above. I can't for the life of me figure out how they managed that in the first place.

Tell your contractor to go rent a concrete saw and get rid of it. That's an inexcusable mistake that should have been remedied before the drywall went up. Oh yes, make sure he fixes the problem on his dime.

Another problem with this is if you live in a place with cold winters, that concrete stump is going to act as a thermal bridge that will transfer the cold into your home. This has the added problem of becoming wet with condensation because the air in your house will be warmer than that piece of concrete. That condensation will damage any drywall and floor finishes coming into contact with it. So not only is it an eyesore, but it will cause ongoing damage to that location of your home until it is fixed.

I also agree with the idea of signage but I wouldn't put it inside the house. I'd put it outside with a picture of the mess inside. He might not care as much about one inside but there will be a lot of people seeing it outside. It will even more upsetting to him if he has placed a sign advertising his work in your yard already.

Thank you everyone for the great advice. I insisted last night that there is just no way I can live with this thing. My contractor said he's going to get a mason to chop off this concrete. If he is successful, what does he need to do to avoid thermal bridging? And what should I look for to ensure what they do doesn't compromise the structural integrity of the house?

Maltby Design, yes cold winters are common here for us in Wisconsin. So thank you for the thermal bridging info.

Tell him your expectation is that it is removed to a depth that allows that section to be insulated properly, and properly tied into the existing vapor barrier. I don't see any reason to think that removing this extra concrete would in any way create a structural issue. It wasn't supposed to be there in the first place.

Any stump can be removed. Make them do it right. Lazy lazy lazy.