How to protect myself from low quality work already begun?

last year

I started a bathroom remodel. I told the contractor the concrete floor needed to be leveled. I explicitly showed them the other bathroom I remodeled last year and how it had to be done. When the guy showed up to do the work. He through the cast iron tub into the bathroom and as he carried in the tile I said no, the floor needed to be leveled. He said, no, no, it's level. You can see in the pictures I've included how he made the tile crooked on the long side of the tub, then the tile is crooked at the top in the opposite direction. I've also included a picture of the wall and short backside of the tub that he did well and I expect it should look. I am fighting with the contractor now. The two tiled walls, tub, and floor need to be removed, concrete floor leveled then start. The guy actually doing the work doesn't want to move the tub but put it on stilts (I have no idea what that means but it doesn't sound good. How can I protect myself to make sure this gets done correctly? Also, how do I get the mortar of the porcelain finish off of the tub?

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PRO

Joseph Corlett, LLC

last year

The first time a client told me how to do my job, they would get their deposit back.

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Comments (8)

beesneeds
last year
That can depend a bit on what the language is in your contract. Things like what details are included in the job, does it specify the floor leveling or anything like walls being plumb. Do you have approval or some sort of sign off before grouting starts? What is the waterproofing going on under all of that, what is the detailing for that? Do you have a building inspection requirement for making sure the plumbing is right and the drain tests went well- and if so, did it pass prior to tiling starting? If not, that might be moot.
Mitch Raful thanked beesneeds
Mitch Raful
Original Author
last year
The contract does not stipulate that. The walls and ceiling do not need to be plumb. If the floor is level it will work out closed enough where it meets the ceiling. Doesn't have to be perfect just not how it looks now.
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millworkman
last year
"How to protect myself from low quality work already begun?"

Fire him?

"I told the contractor the concrete floor needed to be leveled. I explicitly showed them the other bathroom I remodeled last year and how it had to be done."

Should have been the first red flag that you needed to show him.

"as he carried in the tile I said no, the floor needed to be leveled. He said, no, no, it's level."

Red flag #2
Mitch Raful
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
No, just the floor should be leveled. One does pick one's poison. It's not going to be perfect. In my last bathroom, the floor is about a quarter inch above the threshold. That's life unless I wanted the master bedroom and bath totally leveled.
millworkman
last year
The difference Joe is this guy took the job not knowing what to do, which is showing up quite obviously........................
3onthetree
last year
last modified: last year
Disregard the floor and mismeasured cuts. Walls with only cementious backer require a plastic vapor barrier behind it (when no applied waterproofing is used on the face) and the screws and seams covered on front. Tear out the walls. Might as well tear out the floor then too, so you can level the 2nd go round.
PRO
HALLETT & Co.
last year
As above, nothing matters since it isn’t waterproof (I think I see red guard on the back wall?)