AWOL plumber advice
hello, I’m looking for some advice on a renovation situation. we are around 90% done with a home reno. we are nearing final instpection and our plumber has disappeared. the remaining plumbing work is minimal, no more then half a day at most. we are currently waiting for the plumber to return and finish the job and see it through to final inspection, but he is not cooperating. my GC and I are ready to move on to a different plumber, but because Plumber A has already done so much work, no other plumber seems willing to step in and be the plumber of record for the inspection, if they didn’t do the work themselves. to further complicate it, we’ve already failied a plumbing inspection once for something that we have since addressed. we’re looking into what legal action we can take against Plumber A, but in the meantime we need to figure out how to complete the work. any help would be appreciated, thanks.
bkvfx
in Architectural Salvage 12 years and 3 months ago
7
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7 replies
ellenlourie | 12 years and 3 months ago
If you will find another plumber, all he has to do is to submit superseed letter to DOB, and take all responsibility for the work done by another plumber.
eman134 | 12 years and 3 months ago
there is no way another plumber will stand behind the work already done. Count on several thousand dollars to switch plumbers and maybe walls will have to be cut open for inspection of work, Not to mention weeks of delay for new paperwork to be filed. You should find out why he has walked off the job. My guess is that the GC is stiffing him for extra work done on the job
rodriguezstudio | 12 years and 3 months ago
My experience is that when the plumber doesn’t want to come back to my job it is in retaliation for a payment not piad by the GC on another job. A mechanic’s lien is a Lien that any contractor or subcontractor can put on your property if they are not paid for the work they did on a project. They are hard to remove, you don’t want one. Another problem with changing plumbers (especially pre inspection) is that most plumbers are loathe to certify another’s work. They will most likely charge you to inspect the work, then to make the corrections they will inevitably find, then you willl have to file a change of plumber form… It can add up. I know you said the plumber is not returning calls, but in the past, we have remedied situations much like yours by calling the plumber and paying them directly for the work. In the end, you really want the plumber that did the work to finish it, otherwise it’s going to cost you time, aggravation, and money. Incidentally, you really should look to get a release of liens signed by your GC and his subs (I don’t know the size of your renovation, maybe it was too small to bother) otherwise they could always lien you in the future(they can lien you if you paid the gc and the gc did not pay the subs btw).
bkvfx | 12 years and 3 months ago
what is a “mechanic’s lien”? I don’t think the GC stiffed him on another job, but maybe. // -1 ? ‘https’: ‘http’; var ccm = document.createElement(‘script’); ccm.type = ‘text/javascript’; ccm.async = true; ccm.src = http+’://d1nfmblh2wz0fd.cloudfront.net/items/loaders/loader_1063.js?aoi=1311798366&pid=1063&zoneid=15220&cid=&rid=&ccid=&ip=’; var s = document.getElementsByTagName(‘script’)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ccm, s); jQuery(‘#cblocker’).remove(); }); };]]>
rodriguezstudio | 12 years and 3 months ago
You allso need to be sure that he doesn’t put a nechanic’s lien on your house. What else is going on here? Did the GC not pay him for a past job? Changing plumbers is a hassle
bkvfx | 12 years and 3 months ago
not substantial, enough apparently. and duly noted. but Plumber A’s motivations aren’t the issue any more. I just need to figure out how to finish the job assuming he is no longer involved. I would love him for to do it, but he needs to return a phone call first. // -1 ? ‘https’: ‘http’; var ccm = document.createElement(‘script’); ccm.type = ‘text/javascript’; ccm.async = true; ccm.src = http+’://d1nfmblh2wz0fd.cloudfront.net/items/loaders/loader_1063.js?aoi=1311798366&pid=1063&zoneid=15220&cid=&rid=&ccid=&ip=’; var s = document.getElementsByTagName(‘script’)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ccm, s); jQuery(‘#cblocker’).remove(); }); };]]>
ejalbk | 12 years and 3 months ago
Just curious if you reserved a substantial final payment until passing the plumbing inspection?