I can change an undermount sink in an hour and a quarter. If he gets $250.00 for that, he's doing well.

A dent in the rim of an undermount sink can usually be straightened to near perfection; it's worth a shot. How is his mistakenly taking the sink and denting it your fault?

The silicone can all be cleaned from the sink rim. If you get a few scrape marks, refinish the sink with a random orbital sander. I do it all the time.

Get a new contractor. You are being taken for a ride.

Too much money paid already...almost done. I just need to know that I am right...everything they touch causes more problems. I swear they over tightened the bleed screw intentionally...not one of the 4 will budge. Coincidence?

I would think the contractor / plumber would attempt to fix the dented sink so i can return it - it's not my fault it's dented but I can't return it as is. I've ordered a new, 4-hole sink and just want it installed at no extra charge.
It seems everything is our fault. I couldn't believe they opened a box that was clearly not for them and it had a shipping label. The plumber said "you can't leave boxes around and not think we wouldn't open it especially when it said Moen". Seriously, you just open things in people's homes. Perhaps I expect more from people.

"you can't leave boxes around and not think we wouldn't open it especially when it said Moen"

Say that to me and I'd open up on him!

"Perhaps I expect more from people."

That plumber is an idiot. Seriously.

Had my own plumber in today to disconnect the dishwasher and to install the sink that i wanted. Turns out the faucet wasn't installed correctly; no putty on the base. The dishwasher, though defective, was not installed properly either.

And this was the contractor's plumber that did such shoddy work? I would be discussing a cost adjustment with my contractor.

I install a boatload of kitchen faucets and never use plumber's putty. I can't find its use recommended in any manufacturer's instructions. Most modern faucets have an O-ring gasket.

I'll bet your plumber was an old guy. Old school at least.

Joseph - There was a removal plastic cover and the faucets where on top of that. Yes, old school plumber; didn't see an o-ring but i wasn't looking for one either.

Donna,

I'm with Joseph Corlett, LLC - most faucets install with a gasket (either O ring or plastic base) rather than putty. Part of the reason it's not used is because putty will damage many surfaces (granite, marble, etc.). The manufacturer's instructions are the deciding factor.

So here's part of the problem: There's a layer of management missing here. Jobs happen one of two ways:

1. The homeowner acts as the general contractor and hires individual trades. The homeowner is responsible for making sure materials are on site, scheduling, quality control, and making sure the project stays on time and on budget. A homeowner will act in this capacity if it's a small job and/or if they have construction experience.

2. The homeowner hires a general contractor and that person has overall responsibility for getting the job done on time and on budget. They are responsible for materials, scheduling, quality control, hiring subs, permits, etc. If you do this, you have to be explicit that these duties are on the general contractor - and you will pay for them.

Homeowners (and contractors) get into trouble when these things aren't spelled out and/or when either party blurs the roles.

If you are acting as the general contractor (it sure sounds like you are) then suck it up - this is the job and it's not always easy.

If you aren't the general contractor you have totally messed up the roles by getting intimately involved in decisions that you should be working through your GC.

^^Did you even read the whole post?

Yes, I did. Why do you ask?

:)

Jake the Wonderdog - I am not the GC, i am paying for a GC and a PM. I have no idea what the role of either truly is. The GC from day 1 was a joke - he was onsite rarely and only to tell the subcontractors what needed to be done. As far as I could tell he never checked the work to be sure it was done correctly.

For example, newly plastered walls - painters / plasterer didn't sand to a smooth finish. the PM came out and looked and said "looks good" I had to point out the obvious flaws in the finish.

Installation of Sliding Door (replacing standard door and window). The KD of the same company suggested the door. GC told the subcontractor where to place it. Nobody took into consideration the width of the refrigerator door which was going to impede entering /exiting the home. GC was annoyed when i called andsaid it needed to be moved.

Kitchen Window was being replaced. Contract explicitly stated same size or larger. GC and PM both saw the window but installed it anyway - it was 2 sizes smaller! I had to call and tell them i wanted a window that fit the space.

This has been an ongoing issue from Day 1 - you tell me what I'm supposed to do and how this should have been handled because I have no idea. If I relied on the GC / PM my renovation would be a disaster! Not once has the GC said "that's not done correctly, do it again"!

Jake The Wonderdog, I asked because it appeared from your comment that you had not.

Hi Donna,

So I'm really sorry that you are having these kinds of problems. Based on your comments it was a mistake to keep the GC / PM. I understand you are in too deep at this point to make a change. I get that.

The thing is that once roles start getting blurred, it can be really difficult to sort them out again - both on a practical level and on a legal level if it gets to that. If you start managing a job and taking on a role that's not yours, it makes it really difficult to hold the appropriate party responsible.

In retrospect, the right answer is to have a discussion about roles and responsibilities as the problems happen and become apparent. (As in, "Mr GC, your job is to make sure this job is done properly, on time and on budget and to supervise your subs. Mr. GC you also take financial responsibility for mistakes on this job. I will go after your bond if mess this up, so I suggest that you stay on top of it." )

There should be very little direct communication between you and any subcontractor. They work for the contractor, they don't work for you. None of the issues with the kitchen sink is your problem, nor is the financial part of it your problem - It's all on the GC.

BTW: Again keeping roles clear - you should not be purchasing sinks. You should have been talking to the GC / PM about what type of sink / faucets you want based on an agreed allowance $ for that item. It should have been determined ahead of time so issues with sink base cabinets / countertop / plumbing could be completely worked through by the GC /PM. He is responsible for ordering the item, making sure it's on site, and that everything works together, not you.

I noticed you posted about electrical problems as well in another forum. The exact same advice about blurred roles. It's your GC's responsibility to know enough electrical code to communicate clearly with the subcontractor (including with drawings, etc) what is needed. It should be assumed that none of the existing wiring could be kept and a drawing showing outlets, switches, etc should have been provided to the electrical sub by the GC.

Any change orders need to be agreed upon by all parties along with a price for the change. Change orders get expensive fast, so you really want to be sure you understand what you are looking at when a project is bid.

Thank you beth09. I was all set for the mess and upset a kitchen reno can cause. I was not prepared to critique every thing that was being done and to correct "professionals" who should know how to do the job correctly the first time. I did expect bumps in the road but not what i got!

I'm sorry Beth, I strongly disagree. "One has to take matters into their own hands" involves doing what I said - including firing the GC before it gets this far.
Note: I'm not saying that Donna should have "Just let the GC handle things" - when things started going south roles should have been reviewed. When the contractor understands that he alone will be responsible for the job he will either get with the program or get fired - and I would have said that the second time we had to have this conversation.

As it is, Donna is an enabler of a huge mess. This is exactly the wrong way to handle a relationship with a GC - and the result is very predictable. She will have little recourse legally as well. The GC may be an incompetent boob, but this situation didn't get this bad without a big assist from the homeowner.

Yes, the GC has a larger responsibility in defining roles and explaining how that should work. He's done this before. However, customers need to understand how this works and keep things in line as well, or they risk the type of mess that's going on here.

Donna, you cant tell them to use a 3 hole sink when you have a faucet that requires 4 holes, then get get mad when they use the 4 hole sink. Although he should have called and explained the situation.

That being said it is obvious the contractor is unable to communicate OR plan well and has poor quality standards.

Vith - I didn't realize that the 4 items all had to be connected or nothing at all. My husband was in the next room so he only had to walk a few steps or holler to him...there was no excuse. I admit it was partially our ignorance but he had no right to open a box that wasn't addressed to him!

Jake - IF i ever do a renovation again I will be sure that the GC is going to check the work and correct the work of his subs. Early on it was clear he was NOT going to correct anything except to be sure they stayed on schedule.

I guess I should have been clearer on what I expected but he and the PM just kept telling me to trust them "we do this every day for many years, just relax"

"we do this every day for many years, just relax"

Code for "Run for your life."

jellytoast - I do think you're correct. They came with such high recommendations from friends and friends of friends. I do believe this company has an A team and a D team. Unfortunately, we got the D team.