A shower does *not* use a tub shower valve and trim. You bought the wrong thing. They corrected it with the shower only module. Just unscrew the shower head and add a handheld. Problem solved. No need to tear out anything.

I'm truly a layman. OI appreciate your help so please excuse the fact I know nothing about plumbing.

Shower System Includes: Shower head, hand shower, wall supply, handles, and diverter

• 2 lever style metal handles
• Built-in shut off and diverter
• Matching hand shower with 59" hose
• Hand shower holder pivots left and right, slides easily, and locks in place
• Designed to easily install with standard U.S. plumbing connections
• Rough in valve included

Valve Trim Specifications:

• Valve trim constructed of brass ensuring dependability and longevity
• Integrated diverter is located on the valve trim
• Swinging temperature dial allows for pin-point water control
• Rough-in valve is included with this package
• Valve Trim Height: 8" (top to bottom)
• Valve Trim Width: 5-1/2" (left to right)

So this explains what was ordered for me. Then their supplier added a tub spout. But with the configuration of the plumbing, I can't have a tub spout. I have a tub but no water to the spout.

I have a tub but no water to the spout.

You should have a spout. The builder should correct at their expense.

What type of surround do you have? Tile or some other material, or is it a one piece tub/shower? Any pictures you could attach?

So this is a tub with shower?

If so, there is no question you should have a tub spout. The builder needs to fix this.

Is the builder saying you have to give up something like the handheld or the showerhead to be able to have a tub spout? Some handhelds function just fine as a showerhead on a slide bar, if giving up one thing works for having the spout. Without having to tear out the wall. If that's even possible, maybe he'll make it financially worth your while to consider it?

Yes, exactly. It was hard for me to explain. What should I ask for financially. And thank you.

PPF. It’s a gorgeous, expensive back splash.

Chispa yes tub with shower. I think that if they’d paid attention to what I ordered. This wouldn’t be a problem. Is that the case?

I just want some clarification please. You note, "with the configuration of the plumbing, I can't have a tub spout. I have a tub but no water to the spout."

What fixtures are currently plumbed on the system? Typically, you would have a tub spout and some version of a shower system, either a hand-held or a fixed shower head. Are you actually saying that in your current set up that you have a hand-held and a fixed shower head with no tub spout. If so, that would be absolutely unacceptable and they have to fix it. That is indefensibly wrong regardless of who purchased what and whether or not it was purchased correctly, I would laugh at any excuse for doing that like he just told the best joke ever and then say something like, "you had me going for a second there, but seriously... fix that and have a conversation with whoever installed that."

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If your system is currently installed with a tub spout and shower, they still got it wrong. It is your job to select fixtures, it is the contractor's and plumber's job to ensure the items selected can be installed as you desire and inform you before doing the work if they can't. I suspect the supplier sent over the wrong valve/diverter and the plumber had a two way valve and three fixtures so he guessed which was proper. His guess was wrong and he has a duty to stop and make sure his guesses are right. So it is still his problem.

Whether or not he has to tear out the wall is something we can't really know as we don't know what needs to be done, what type of access is there from the back, and what the waterproofing solution is.

ETA: I would avoid saying, "if they’d paid attention to what I ordered. This wouldn’t be a problem." It is not your job to order the right valve, that is the job of supplier, the contractor, and the plumber. Simply say it was their job to coordinate the installation of the tub spout, hand-held shower, and fixed shower head that you selected. Understanding and selecting diverters and valves is not your job or your problem.

And it is quite important what type of wall we are talking about. Is there drywall access? Or is this tile on exterior wall? Or - any number of things.

Drywall removal and replacement is not "tearing out a wall". It is pretty straightforward.

You first said you have a shower, with a shower door. And now its a tub shower? Which is it? A separate roman tub and a separate stand up shower? Or a bath tub with a shower head over it? You're confusing everyone with contradictory statements. Post pictures.

You first said you have a shower, with a shower door. And now its a tub shower? Which is it? A separate roman tub and a separate stand up shower? Or a bath tub with a shower head over it? You're confusing everyone with contradictory statements

In the OP's defense, they did not say they had a shower, they mentioned a "shower door" and "shower parts," both of which are present in a tub/shower combo.

What do the plans show?

If a tub is shown, then there is no question that a tub spout has to be included.

Yeah, there's a lot of confusion here:

Assuming this is a tub / shower and there is missing a hand-held and it wasn't plumbed for - even after being spec'd and such - there's a problem.

If there is drywall access to the back, it's potentially worth asking them to fix it.

If it's all tile, don't open the wall. It will never be water tight. You should negotiate a discount that's reasonable.

BRI911 Thanks for clarifying. That’s it exactly.

Verbo-right. I do t know the lingo so next time I’ll post pics. And yes, it’s a tub shower combo.

Unless you did something to create misinterpretation, they should build as selected. Their plumber contributed to the error.

@Terry - could you post some photos?

I will. I live an from the house but will at least post the pics of the parts that were ordered.

It is confusing but it appears that the mistake makes the tub or shower less functional than is normal.

Who provided the plans for this? When I remodeled there were very detailed plans for everything including all of the plumbing and before anything was done, I had selected the actual "fixtures" and provided them to my GC.

I had communicated exactly how I wanted my shower to function - e.g. a thermostatic valve with three way diverter - shower head plus two hand held shower heads and it was on the GC and plumber and tile person and everyone else involved to provide that.

They did have a minor goof in that I had originally wanted the kind of drain which is tiled rather than a standard style drain with a metal cover. Somehow this wasn't done and I lived with that since the cost of redoing at that point made no sense since it really didn't impact functionality. I just found a gorgeous drain cover from Designer Drain.

I didn’t draw up
The plans, the builder did. All I did was send the parts with their supplier as I was supposed to do. My combination was a shower and handheld and a separate tub spout which the supplier recommended. The way it’s set up I can use only two out of the three things or use what they put in which I hate.

My 2 cents... The contract arrangement matters. If this is a tract home and you are purchasing a completed home at some point in the future, there is likely nothing you can do. If you own the lot and are financing the build, you likely have recourse. My advice assumes that this is a build on your lot arrangement.

I am not sure the plans are ultra important, nor do I think the pictures really matter that much. The OP selected three items to be installed on the advice of the contractor's supplier, those three items were delivered to the job site and ready to install but were not. The contractor and/or his subs have a duty to clarify things when there is confusion. You can't make decisions for the homeowner (this is moot if the homeowner is the contractor).

There are several reasons that the duty exists even if the plans show it differently, but why even bother getting into them? If your builder insists that the plans rule and he will not make any change to the plans now simply respond with, "Thanks for letting me know. I selected these items based on the recommendation of your expert, now that I know that recommendation was erroneous, please pull all the fixtures and the valve out of the wall, I will make a different selection. The only thing I liked about that selection was having all three. Do you want to call the supplier and handle the credit or do I need to?"

And that is the reason why you shouldn't make unilateral decisions on the job site. When you have something on a site that doesn't meet expectations you either stop and verify or attempt to limit the cost of the rework.

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Having said all that, you have to decide how important this is to you. Having a great point and getting the contractor to agree with your great point are two very different things. It may well be a fight not worth winning.

You own the property, hired the builder and selected per the builder's guidance. The plumber was too lazy to read but is the builder's hired expert who misdirected you. Escalate beyond the super and office recep.

Thank you for taking the time. The wording you gave me should help me in this matter. This is a custom builder on my land with his design and a construction to permanent contract.

If a diverter valve was installed, you should have water going to a tub spigot, or the shower head. A or B. But not A and B at the same time.

An aftermarket handheld can be installed that will function as a shower head and handheld, with no issues.

I recently had a remodeled shower plumbed and had a terrible time with the supplier finding a 3 way valve that had the features I wanted. I gave up and ordered just the handheld, on an adjustable bar, which will be the only shower head. I really like it and am not disappointed at the outcome.
If I'd had an overhead rainhead plumbed or something, then that wouldn't have worked. So, if you love the tile, if they will have to do a full tear out in order to not compromise the waterproofing, I would look at that as a compromise - if you think you could live with that, with compensation to you for the $$ you are saving them from having to re-do everything.
They also might make showerheads that have an attached handheld that turns on with control on the showerhead instead of from the valve, so you could still use a 2 way valve.
eta: This looks like what I was trying to describe, that the handheld is turned on from the base of the showerhead (I think):

Kohler unit

Thank you VERBO. I’ll pass that along.

Hopefully there's a way to fix this - and really - if the plumber had to pick 2 of the three things to make work - what doofus figures the TUB SPOUT gets voted off the island?

Using a handheld on a sliding bar as a showerhead is pretty standard, and paring it with a tub spout seems like a no brainer if you have to pick 2. But if they already plumbed a showerhead that makes the outlet for the hose totally wrong.

Sigh.

Hopefully they can open the wall behind the plumbing and not your tilework.

Is this a game of chicken? They’re waiting for me to fold? Today I sent an email asking for compensation to take two spouts and they haven’t answered. I think they’re trying to convince me nothing is wrong but It sounds like you folks get it so they must. I’m sure they want their final payment.

But here’s nerve. I asked if I could get my money back for the bath spout if I didn’t use it and he told me to call the supplier. I mean…really?

I'm still confused, though. Right now, you have a bathtub-shower combo... but no tub spout?? Are they expecting you to fill the bathtub using the showerhead?

I wouldnt settle on this. You need a bathtub spout. They need to fix this at their expense.

Emily, I have a tub spout but not the one I ordered. The showerhead and handheld isn't what I ordered, I have to chose two now, according to them. So I have a choice of what I want to live without. Yippeee. I'm' going to post the pics in a sec. I'm home now to do it.

Sorry I didn't post this sooner. I wasn't home. I think if the plumber had looked at this before he did the install, it would've worked out. Unfortunatley I don't a pic of what they did install but I'm not near the site. It has all three components. If you have a set, is the plumbing different?

Ya got me!

I put a toe tester in my newly remodeled shower about 12 years ago. I wanted that in my newest shower remodel...hand held, rainshower head and toe tester. With a valve that only had temp control, on/off, no adjusting the water flow. I have low pressure and would never have an occasion to choose lower water flow, because it's already too low. I could NOT find a 3 way valve with those criteria, nor could the rep at Ferguson. I finally gave up. I'm not surprised Terry's system isn't what she wanted or ordered; it seems to be the standard these days.

Yikes. I wonder if that's why they can't solve the problem.

Terry, probably not. The system you picture looks like it has both a temp and flow control and diverter, but I'm no expert, lol. I just mean the standard these days is customers (in all venues) not being able to find people to do what we want.

Amen to that...

I had a solid guess at what happened which was refined and reinforced by your picture, I have been reluctant to get into that because someone is going to say there is nothing they could do about it, which is incorrect.

Regardless of why the problem happened your contractor and plumber both had a duty to limit your damages once they found something wrong. In other words, when they had three items to install and could only install two items, they should have stopped regardless of which valve/diverter was supplied and what was drawn.

Furthermore, given the particulars of your situation it is even more ridiculous. The shower set you selected shouldn't be installed without the hand-shower and no tub should be installed without a tub spout unless you have that signed off on by the owner, the spouse, kids, and family pet... that is one of those things that is going to bite you in butt 9 times out of 10. They are at fault. They are obviously at fault. Don't let them, or anyone else, muscle you into believing otherwise.

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Here is what I strongly suspect happened. Valve/diverter combos are typically noted as 2-way, 3-way, etc. That is the number of outlets that can be installed on the system. In a typical tub/shower combo a 3-way valve will be one shower head, one tub spout, and one additional item (usually a hand shower).

However, your shower head actually has two outlets, so in your system a 3-way valve/diverter is meant to be (1) shower head, (2) rainfall shower (in the shower head unit), and (3) hand shower. I would bet dimes to dollars the person at the supply house saw the 3-way valve included in the system and simply added on a tub spout believing the system had an outlet for it already.

So your plumber installed the shower system as per the instructions and didn't care why the valve/diverter didn't have an extra outlet for your tub spout.

I am of the opinion that the supply house made the first mistake and should work out a discount with you for correcting it to a 4 way diverter/valve combo. Which will probably look like this:

However, and I know I am a broken record, the plumber should have noticed the mistake during installation. The builder should have noticed the mistake after installation and before tile. The builder's 13 year old son should have noticed the mistake, and frankly, even is 3 year old should wonder why the tub doesn't have a spout.

Sorry for the long post but here is my advice...

Stop asking what happened or why it happened. You shouldn't care. They need to find a way to fix it and that is all.

Good luck.

This is what we did for our tub/shower combo. I wanted the tub filler and also a handheld but didnt want to spend the money on the wall diverter in our kids bath. I actually think the showerhead diverter has better pressure than our wall diverter in our master bath and it was about $300 cheaper!

I don't understand the resistance. Well, I guess I do...but it's a mistake on their end and it needs to be rectified.

They should be able to open up the wet wall and correct the plumbing.

No one wants to go through the tile...so if the back side of the wall is accessible (drywall for example), the back of the wall can be opened up and the plumbing corrected. Then patch the drywall.

If the back of the wall is not accessible, then you go through the tile. It's a pain...but that's why your GC is getting paid the big bucks.

Any "repair issues" are between the GC and the plumber. Any drywall repairs if needed are between the GC and the drywall crew. You get to sit back and watch. If repairs are not made to your satisfaction, you withhold payment. Not as your GC sees fit. You withhold whatever payment you see fit.

Your GC needs to stand up for the profession or get out of the profession.

Good luck.

Bry911. Thanks to you and my realtor friend I understand the mistake. I think the builder suggested this but then gave a better solution which is much simpler. He wanted me to get a shower head with an attached hand held which I don't find attractive. He said with the first plan, I'd have too much hardware on the wall. But what you showed me looks fine. I suspect his solutin is much less work. But I like what I picked out and will get the four way thing you show.

can they do this with only a two way converter in the wall? I am grateful for the long post!

I agree Mongo! But I like byr911 diverter idea. Do you like the four way diverter idea.

I think you should get what you want. It can be what you wanted originally, or what you now want if someone has shown you something you were unaware of, and that you now like more than your original idea.

I wouldn't go with a "simple solution" to appease your builder. Your builder had a simple solution from the start, which was to follow the original plan.

Good luck with it!

can they do this with only a two way converter in the wall? I am grateful for the long post!

Well here comes another long post. Sorry...

Here is your current valve diagram (I believe).

There are two options to fix it. The first is to keep the existing valve and add in a diverter. In that case your Shower Head (Rainfall) would become Tub Spout and your plumber would add a diverter valve and a handle above your current system that would be used to change between shower and rainfall. This will work fine except that they don't seem to have the Calhoun handle available for a diverter valve. Usually these things are interchangeable so he can probably get the shroud and matching handle for the Calhoun and use it on another diverter.

Or you could use the 4-way valve that I posted earlier, but you have to be particular about how it is installed. Here is how I would install it but this isn't exactly intuitive when you are using it.

In the Signature Hardware 4-way valve the top valve switches between the three fixtures on the top portion and the bottom valve (the one in red) is an on/off valve. In other words, your bottom valve can run at the same time as your top valve, but only one item on your top valve can run at a time. For me, I would want the hand shower to run with the tub or shower head... However, you may want one of the other features to run simultaneously. It could be great to have the shower and rainfall feature going simultaneously. This is going to suck to plumb, but this is where you are at now.

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It is impossible to know how difficult the fix really is. If the stems for the 4-way valve line up with the stems from the 3-way valve, the plumber might be able to do most of the work from behind and just drill a single hole through the tile. I would bet against them lining up but sometimes you get lucky. Adding a diverter from behind should be doable and could be accomplished by drilling a hole through the tile.

ETA: If the Calhoun is not the system you selected can you get a link to your system?