From a contract:
“Build bathroom per plans provided”
and
“Install homeowner supplied sink”
The plans we provided for the job clearly show a double sink vanity. But, the contract we signed only mentioned installing a “sink” and not “sinks”. I interpreted that to mean one double sink. The contractor is saying that he missed the double sink on the plans, but that the contract only says “sink” not “sinks”. However, the contract also states “per plans” and the plans are crystal clear. He wants extra money to install the “second” sink.
In my opinion, since he’s not supplying the sink, it’s needless grousing. He had the plans, he didn’t notice there were “two sinks” on there, seems like he messed up, and hooking up the “other” sink isn’t really that much more work.
Replies
Tell him to grow up and look at the plans on the next job.
Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Whoa - back up there! If it's in a bath, it's a lavatory. Only if it's in a kitchen, laundry, or workroom is it a "sink".
Lavatories have overflows, sinks don't.
Forrest - not a plumber
Maybe he wants a kitchen sink in his bathroom too. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Lavatories have overflows, sinks don't.
For what most people see, that is correct.
But in the commercial world a lot of three compartment sinks have overflows.
& yes lavs in a bathroom & sinks are in others.
Plus the fixture unit rating is different.
To the OP if the plans showed two then he needs to hook up two.
We'll go easy on the newbie as he has spelled a form of 'that word' amiss as the many others before him.
forgive him for he knew not what he was doing
Yeah, but most of those overflows are removable baffles. Don't think a "hidden" overflow would meet health regs.
A lot of those "vessels" used in bathrooms don't have overflows..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
That seems like a pretty trivial disagreement. I hope it's not a reflection on the relationship that you have with this contractor.
I would like to think that if I were the contractor, I would have installed the double sink without even commenting on it
and
if I were the homeowner, I would have asked how much more he wanted for the "additional" work.
I agree with you. Small potatoes all around. We would just hook it up and go on. Maybe the nit picking has gone on the whole job and the contractor decided to draw the line in the sand this time. But of course it could be reversed also. DanT
Well, I really can't stand it when people come back and ask for more money than was already agreed upon. It's one thing if I'm asking for a change from the agreed upon scope - but to come back and say that they didn't estimate properly and I should pay them more seems unprofessional at the least and "bait and switch" at the worst.
I completely agree.
As a contractor, I try very hard to maintain a good, trusting relationship because there's always room for interpretation regardless of what was agreed to. I don't just want my paycheck, I also want a satisfied customer and future referrals.
Once trust is broken, it's really hard to re-establish. I sense that you and your contractor may not be working from a position of trust. Even if I were the homeowner and felt that the contractor had broken the trust, I would still be thinking about ways to re-establish it. Maybe even if it meant a few more dollars out of my pocket that I shouldn't have had to spend.
If I felt that re-establishing trust was not possible, I would probably take a harder line just like you seem to be inclined to do.
The sink(s) [or lavatory if you wish], faucets, and vanity are all "homeowner supplied".
The only issue is the extra work involved in hooking up a second sink.
About midway through the project the contractor came up with several "extra" charges that seemed ridiculous to me, and completely destroyed my trust in him, unfortunately. It's not a fun position to be in, but unfortunately now I feel like he's just searching for items to improve his profit margin.
If he were bidding the job per specs and the plan, the time to address this would have been prior to your signed agreement. Did they tell you about this prior to installing or did you receive a change order/extra charge after the work was completed? Maybe he feels as you, that it's not a big deal and tacked on his time for this install. Did you discuss the extra charges with them? Often times it's just communication, and sometimes attitude if someone feels their getting the short end.
He was given the plans, and drew up a contract. The contract said install "sink", which I thought meant double sink - since the plans clearly show a double sink.
Now in the middle of the project, they are doing the plumbing rough-in, and he's realizing that he didn't see the double sink on the plans and says he needs to figure out the extra charges for the "additional" work.
If you gave him the plans to give you a bid then he needs to be a man and get the job done according to the plans and specifications. His contract did not meet the drawing specifications. Tell him to go back to school and realize that drawings are part of a contract. Nobody would bid a job for a dirt road when the plans called out for a concrete highway to be inspected by the state agency. The contractor needs to be honest and admit his mistake and eat his mistake. What is happening now tells a lot about who he is. You could also tell him to comply with the specifications on the drawings. The inspectors will often check to make sure that the work is done according to the drawings not his contract. Any changes to the drawings must be approved by the controlling agency such as the county or city. By installing a single sink he is willing to makes changes without approval. It is his responsibility as a professional to know more than you. It is responsibility to read the plans correctly. As a contractor I cannot expect the local jeweler to read the plans that I should know how to read. The jeweler would not expect me to buy jewelry for him.
Did the plumber itemize his proposal? The answer is right there.
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Since the plans and the contract wording are contradictory, I would say there is some wiggle room on both sides of this issue. Double sink in plans, "sink" vs "sinks" in contract.
My guess is that the real issue is the cost of a second faucet set. We all know they can get pricey fast.
If the faucet set is homeowner supplied with the second "unexpected" sink then it would be a non-issue for me.
Perhaps, if you offered to supply the second faucet set the issue would vanish?
That would be the faucet set you are shopping for in 106174.1
Jim
Edited 6/24/2008 8:28 am ET by JTC1
Edited 6/24/2008 8:34 am ET by JTC1