None of that shower stuff can be retrofitted. That must be integrated into the shower build, from the beginning. If it was not, the showers must be redone with the correct waterproofing integrated into those choices.

What Sophie said. And it’s probable that your contractor knows this. If you pay his final invoice, I doubt youll ever see him again. At this point, you may want to consider installing shelves rather than attempting to retrofit a niche.

Regarding your smoke alarm, the problem is likely not the device but the location of it.

The showers are both "finished". The GC forgot the niche in the other one also, but installed one after the shower was finished. We might have waterproofing issues now????

We're waiting for him to install the niche in the other shower. This material is Glassos (glass). The other one was porcelain, FWIW.

The shower bench will have to be installed into a very expensive marble mosaic wall in the shower that's otherwise porcelain.

Yes, they installed the smoke alarm 7' from the powerful Wolf 6-burner range. They need to move it and redo the ceiling, right?

Thank you so much!!!!

To Jeffrey Grenz: It was a remodel (mostly kitchen and two bathrooms).

Your smoke detector should not be in your kitchen at all. Yes, it needs to be moved.

I am really skeptical that they can properly retrofit a niche and a bench. I would reconsider both.

Niches and built in benches definitely need to have a tie in to the waterproofing from the very beginning. You do not "add" them later on. How are the shower's constructed? How did he "add" the other niche and what did he do for waterproofing on the "added" niche? Do you have pictures? Possibly progress pictures?

Here is where they taped where the niche would be. It has since been installed.

That doesn't help. What what's behind all the tile? How did he tie in the waterproofing? As has been mentioned it is not easily done at all after the fact.

To JellyToast: Yes, we insisted on having late fees built into the contract. I need to determine when Substantial Completion occurred, because that is when the late fees end. Maybe we haven't reached Substantial Completion yet since bathrooms are not completed.

ALSO to ALL: The wood floors throughout the home were not stained in the proper finish or Any finish. I had a wood floor pro visit and he agreed.. After insisting and lying, the GC finally confessed, and all floors had to be screened and stained. This was two months after moving in. All furniture had to be moved and we had to move out for a week. Substantial Completion wasn't done at that point in my viewpoint. He lied here in a Very big way.

I'm very sorry for your experience. It is all too common.

I'm not an attorney, and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but unless your contract has a clear definition of "completion," a reasonable schedule to achieve that completion, and specified penalties for delayed completion, I don't think you'll be able to deduct any late fees from the remaining amount due. However, I think that deducting some of the expenses associated with the temporary move out to refinish the floors is appropriate.

I'm concerned that if you pay the remaining balance less 5% retainage that you'll never see your remodeler again...except maybe a picture of him in the post office.

Here is the niche built in after tiling was complete. (See photo above for pre-installation.)

Notice how the rain shower head is pouring right over the niche. It seems to magnify the risk of future water damage from the late-installed niche.

I think the niche has to be removed and the walls redone. Does that entail all shower floors and walls being redone? Thank you!!!!