1. Yearly costs may include fall winterization (if appropriate in your area)and a spring check and start-up. The backflow prevention device is also most likely to require a "Certified Test" and inspection each year. 2. 1 year warranty is sufficient, usually. Some of the components (heads, valves etc) will carry manufacturers warranty for several years but most contractors will charge labor to replace these items after the first year. 3. Periodic program changes due to weather and rainfall amount are about all that is necessary. Possibly a walk through of the system every few weeks to make sure each head is functioning properly. 4. Depends on the area. It might add to resale value and might also be just smoke UYA. 5. I'm in Missouri. Sorry.

So your original thread for my response.

"After installation, I noticed that all 4 support brackets are making contact with the sides of the sink, and don't touch the rim at all because they're too thick to clear the gap." It appears they are using Cinclips. If they aren't pushed all the way to the bottom of the sink flange, they aren't installed per manufacturer's installation instruction, per the video and written copy. If they aren't touching the sink flange, the sink isn't mechanically fastened and is destined for failure. Not if, when. Pull the Cinclips and the sink and install a Hercules Universal Sink Harness or a Sink Strap. Neither will have any clearance problems and you can stand in your sink when they're installed.

With large format tile and the modified thinset, there was a pretty good chance that the thinset had not created a strong enough bond where the Kerdi would be damaged when the tile was removed. Without a doubt, float out the wall prior to continuing. A good foundation will improve your chances of success. I've used Versabond quite a bit over Kerdi, but I don't use it with large format tile because the tiles are so large. Modified thinsets need air exposure to completely dry and develop a complete bond. Thinset sandwiched between a large format tile and Kerdi will not see much air, especially the thinset away from the perimeter of the tile. If you're using Versabond, I'm guessing you bought it at Home Depot? Custom's unmodified thinset is Customblend. I'm not a big fan of Customblend right out of the bag, but if you have to use it, I'd recommend picking up a bag of portland cement and adding a margin trowel or two of portland cement to each batch of Customblend thinset that you mix up to fortify it a bit. Definitely change to a larger notched trowel to apply thinset to the wall, and definitely burn in and back butter the tile prior to setting it. It will help immensely with coverage and adhesion. The gap under the bottom row of tile? It depends on how inconsistent the floor/wall junction is as you go around the room. If it's wonky, with the floor already tiled? I'll toss out rough numbers for this example: Let's say your tiles are 16" square and you had a 3/8" gap in some spots between the bottom of the wall tile and the top of the floor tile, and in other spots they touched. Your best bet may be to strike a level line across the four shower walls about 15-5/8" above the highest spot on the perimeter of the floor. With a 3/8" variance in elevation around the perimeter of the floor, that line will be 16" above the lowest spot on the perimeter of the floor. You then scribe the bottom edge of each tile so it conforms to the floor tile, so when the tile is set in place the top edge of the tile will be on the line you drew on the walls. Some tiles may fit without having to be cut at all. Others may have up to 3/8" taken off their bottoms. Others may vary, you'll have to trim a bit here, a bit more there, to follow the contour of the pebble floor tile. A pain? For sure. But that'll solve the uneveness of the wall-floor intersection, and with the top edge of your bottom course of wall tile now being spot on perfect level around the entire shower, you've created the proper foundation upon which to tile the upper walls. An overall generic lesson? First thing I do in any shower is fix the framing. With square and plumb framing I get square, plumb, and flat backer board and plumb and square wall corners. With good backer board I get a good tile installation. Fight the framing at the start and that's the only battle you'll have to fight. Everything else will follow smoothly. Good luck!