When he came out I was the one who actually told him that over in this spot it used to squeek & now it doesn't. This was back in July, I don't actually remember the entire conversation now? As I said I am very unhappy with the job but it is my own fault for not asking & just assuming the floor would be level. I don't believe how dumb I am. I looked at the estimate he gave me & it does not say the new floor will be level......... I also cannot believe that he gave me a hard time about replacing that cracked tile. He still has to get someone out to fix the tub which they chipped (not a big deal but I told him that he is responsible) I still owe him $900. which I am NOT paying until the tub is repaired & we come to an agreement on this vanity issue. They were to cut the vanity to 16" overall - the guy didn't include the doors when he measured 16", they are indented an inch or so. Therefore the base of the vanity - the toekick is not 14". I just want to go & pick out a new vanity altogether! When the guy put the knobbs on, he chipped the inside of the vanity where they are screwed in, also the knobs are not even. They look like I tried to put them on. He came out to fix that & the cracked tile. All he did was paint over the chipped part inside the vanity door & the knobs are still not even. I think the cost of the new vanity should come out of the $900 balance due?? I thought I was going to be so happy after the new floor etc. but I am miserable.................. Plus we spent 3 nights in a hotel because I refused to stay in a house without a bathroom! Yes, we only have 1 bathroom............. Anyone know a good contractor in Philly area!? Thanks for all your input. I appreciate it, honest!

Ok MongoCT, one last question. Just finished the subfloor install over the weekend. Big improvement. I read one of your other posts about installing Kerdi membrane over Hardiebacker and how to make it work. My question - the shower walls don't have any sheathing yet. My contractor wants to use the Hardiebacker that wont be used on the floor now for the wall of the shower. Should I swallow the costs of the Hardiebacker and use greenboard, or should I go ahead and use the Hardiebacker? My plan is to use the entire schluter shower kit. Also in the other post it seemed to indicate you recommend using latex modified thinset for Kerdi over Hardiebacker. Is that correct? Thanks!

this is one of the worst jobs I've seen recently. sorry, but if you pay him for this shower, you're nuts. he is a GC, not a tile setter. big diff. any tile setter who knows anything will know you do NOT grout between the floor and bottom tile row, or any of those corner walls. any change of plane requires 100% silicone caulk (which comes in every color to match your grout). Grout is not waterproof. the bench is just bad. horrible. I doubt it's even waterproofed correctly. The fact that it's crooked says a lot. does he expect you to accept this? someone already mentioned this. look at tiles on top. 1/3 layout. now look at tiles on bottom of bench. 1/2 layout. I mean, WTH?? Was he on crack when he did this? point this out to him and ask him wtf. Besides the lack of continuity, this slant is a joke. Does he think water should just roll down to the right? Is the bench seat even slanted downward to allow water to drain off? the cutout around the water spigot?? just horrible. ditto the slivers of tiles and wonky layout. The floor tile should have been done first, and then you bring down your wall tiles on top of it so you don't get that large gap between the two. here's mine so you see what I mean i know this shower is larger, but proper tile layout is the same. again, larger view of mine. do you see the difference w/yours now? I don't know what he charged you, but even 100 bucks was too much. Call in a reputable tile setter (an actual tile pro, not a GC) and have him come out to give you his opinion and estimate to redo it. Your shower is a fail and you should not accept it. And no you aren't being picky. only a mental patient would think this looks good. Your GC should be ashamed of himself for doing this work AND taking your money for it. Please let him read all these comments. I'd love to hear his response.

I am in Los Angeles and finished a remodel in a high rise. My remodel included a the master bath - I replaced the tub shower combination with a tiled shower which followed the footprint of the original tub. As has been posted, a shower in a high rise ESPECIALLY requires permits and multiple inspections. The plans were submitted to the City and my HOA had to approve everything. It required my signing a construction agreement with a deposit against damage. As I recall I also needed access to my neighbor's unit below me because the drain for a shower/tub is different than a drain for a tub but I might be confusing this with access needed for my neighbor's apartment in the guest bathroom because of some issues with old pipes :-). The shower itself was inspected three times including a 24 hour flood test as well as inspection of the fixtures installed. At least in Los Angeles, there are additional construction requirements for building in a high rise. For example, none of the framing can be wood in a building over three stories. The framing in my bathroom (and in a few other places in my unit) was replaced and it was metal and had to be installed at very specific distances and with specific metal materials. The FRAMING had to be inspected as well. I am not familiar with NYC Code requirements but would imagine that NYC is at least as stringent as Los Angeles in terms of building codes - especially in multi family high rise units. In my personal experience, one of the best sources for a great contractor if one lives in a coop/condo is to ask your manager who people in the building use and/or ask neighbors who have recently renovated. Hiring someone who has done a few jobs in your building is helpful as they know how to work with management and they also have experienced some of the quirks of the building. Doing major remodeling work in a high rise condo/coop is like nothing else. Just getting materials in and demo debris out on elevators is something that needs to be factored. Most condos/coops also have strict rules about how construction is done. And as pointed out, the ramifications of shoddy workmanship are potentially catastrophic - a water line that bursts or leaks can costs millions of damage as the water cascades through every unit in the stack down to the lobby. My GC (and my designer) were both people who had worked on projects in my building before I hired them and there was actually a network of GC's who knew each other working. My GC would regularly visit with the GC down the hall who was working on another unit. ETA - And the cost of work in a metropolitan condo/coop for anything is higher than the same work would be in a single family home - even in the same area in terms of cost of living. Because of construction rules, hours are limited which increases cost; floors and surfaces have to be protected - this is expensive in terms of both materials and the labor required to put down and take up every day; bringing in materials takes time; parking can be limited. For this reason many great contractors don't want to work in a high rise and so the pool is somewhat limited - which can be a good thing since as I wrote, it is generally helpful to hire someone who has worked in a specific building before. What was the scope of OP's work for his previous work with his GC. In my experience there is a huge difference between doing relatively minor cosmetic remodeling versus the kind of critical expertise needed for bathrooms. My HOA required proof of GC’s license and insurance as well as Certificate of Insirance naming the building as an additional insured. They also required proof that the permit’s had been obtained.