If it were me, I'd want it moved but things being out of alignment really bug me.

Do you have a wider or narrower tub than you did before? I ask because maybe he was trying to save you the money of relocating all the piping? It would cost a significant amount, IMO, to have all the plumbing moved and reroughed (the tile is the least of it), but then again I'm not you and I don't know your situation.

This is a new bathroom, so I can't imagine why they didn't take the time to follow the architect's drawings and measurements, and make everything line up. I am a very linear person, so it does bug me that it isn't in alignment. But I just don't know how typical this is, and if we are being picky. I've never seen a tub where they didn't line up, but maybe I just have never noticed?

In my current bath, the original fixtures and the tub drain don't line up. I was living here a couple of years before I even noticed, but if you're having it done, have them do it the way you want.

>.I'm wondering if maybe the contractor didn't measure where the fixtures would need to line up before placing the studs, and he had to move to one side to accomodate the stud

Could be. In my case, i think they measured the center width of the tub without considering that the flange area would be in the wall once the tub was installed.

Ask the contractor! This IS a reno and it could very well be that the existing studs didn't allow centering the fixtures, however that should have been discussed with you in advance. If it were me I'd have it remedied at his expense. I look at it this way, if I were a home buyer looking at this property and walked into the bath, what would I think? I'd think " Boy , they really screwed up that one, it must have been a DIY, I wonder what else he/she messed up ? "

Thank you everyone!

flyleft, we wondered if the placement was due to a stud being in the way. However, this was a new wall, so it should have been planned better. And if there IS a stud there, it just opens up another can of worms to move the fixtures.

paul21, you make a good point. We have no intentions of selling anytime soon, but when we did, this could be an indication of more shoddy work hidden somewhere.

We are trying to move back in at the end of the month, and fear that this could delay us. But from what I am hearing, it sounds like we should make them redo it.

I see I am the odd one out, but if it were me, I would likely not delay the completion of the project over 2" *unless* it would make me crazy every time I looked at it. To me, as long as the valves/spout/etc. are aligned, I don't think 2" off center with the tub drain will be that noticeable. I am sure it is very obvious to you right now, but in the context of the finished bathroom, will you really care? Every house has its quirks, and this could just be one of yours'. I should note that I tend to be very picky in general, but I have learned that in a major undertaking like a reno or new house build, you really have to pick your battles.

All of this said, if it is very important to you and you will regret not addressing it, you are well within your rights to ask your subs to correct it. But I can imagine that if the original cause of the mistake is hard to determine (was it the plumber? the architect? the GC?) you may find yourself with a longer delay while the team decides who is truly at fault and should pay the costs.

Good luck!

Happy ending...the plumber was there today, and saw the problem. He apologized and said they should have caught the mistake at rough in. But he also said it wasn't hard to fix, and voila...it's already done!

Thanks for the support and advice. Hope we have smooth sailing from here on out.

Glad to hear you found a solution. Saved me from typing a long reply!

Wowza. What's going on here recently? Seems maybe the economy is making tradesfolk admit their mistakes?

So no one minded having to redo the tile? Is it redone already? How exactly did it happen?

It was fixed the same day we pointed it out to both plumber and contractor. They apologized, admitted that it was a mistake that should've been caught earlier. We don't know how they got off center, but it was a simple (relatively speaking) fix. They went in through a closet that backed up to the shower, removed a section of drywall and moved the pipes over a couple inches. There were about 6-10 tiles that had to come off. It's all tiled back now, perfectly centered.

I must admit, we were pleasantly surprised at how accommodating they were.