We bought a new construction house in 2008 that has all Newport Brass fixtures and decorations. - 5 bathrooms, a three sink kitchen, and 2 wet bars. And I mean it is all Newport Brass - sink handles and faucets, towel bars, toilet bowl handles, etc. And here is what has broken, starting in less than one year: bathroom tub diverter handle, kitchen sink mixer cartridge, shower head, bathroom sink faucet connector, another shower head, shower temperature mixer valve, and another bathroom sink faucet connector! The parts are insanely expensive to replace, it is difficult to make sure that you have the correct model, and even harder to make sure you have the correct finish. The most frustrating thing (and why I am writing this up) is because one of the broken bathroom faucets is now discountinued, and I am stuck with the a bathroom that has a dozen plus Newport Brass installations that I will not be able to match. Ever! The "help" that I have received from Customer Service is a joke. They cant help identify part numbers or finishes, and dont seem particularly interested in the fact that there stuff keeps breaking. I have taken to proactively switching out parts, especially shower heads, with stuff on Amazon and which I feel is better quality and much, much cheaper. Do not dare install this overpriced garbage in your house!

Update: I went back to the showroom today to return all the Brizo parts. I was hopping mad after being told I would have to pay a 25% restocking fee. However, once I arrived the rep said she spoke to Brizo and they were going to waive the fee (good thing because there was no way in the hot place I was going to pay it). Anyhoo... She showed me that the plastic I was seeing on the valve bodies is to protect the cartridges during installation and will come off after tile is complete. Even she was surprised at the poor quality of the shower heads. They really are dreadful - I've seen nicer on the shelf at Walmart - seriously! I decided to keep the valves and handles which are nicely made, heavy metal and do what I need them to do. I returned the plastic shower heads. We searched the showroom for non-plastic shower heads. Even most of Grohe's heads are plastic now! I was able to find two that will work. The shower head is a Jado Hatteras shower head 842/083 and the hand held is Brizo Vesi wall mount hand shower RP41202. I was not able to see either in person in the chrome finish but I have been assured they will be all metal. Next up - marble slab shopping tomorrow wheeee!

I'm extending my best wishes for a painless remodel. I can understand your fears. I was in the same boat when I remodeled my kitchen. I'd had HORRIBLE experiences with contractors. Same thing as you, good reviews from others but their lives seemed to fall apart when I hired them. Very frustrating and scary to embark on a major remodel when you've had such bad experiences. Long story short, I remodeled the kitchen in my previous home and it was a disaster. Hired someone reputable and ended up firing them 5 months into the project because they weren't getting the job done and some of the finish work they were doing was horrid. My appliances were installed, granite was in, BS was in and I thought I just needed to have some cabinet work done. Turned out the cabinets were so shoddily constructed that we had to rip out the entire brand new kitchen and start over. Lost over $30,000 and never recouped a penny because they filed bankruptcy and listed us as creditors. It was awful. By the time my kitchen was complete, the 1 year warranty on my appliances had expired. Fast forward to this remodel, I used the knowledge I'd learned from that disaster, crossed my fingers and moved forward. I made sure I checked out the company thoroughly. Made sure expectations were in writing as well as verbal. My remodel ended up going to smoothly and this company was a dream to work with. Hang in there. You can have a great remodel in spite of past experiences. I kept thinking that this remodel was going so well and kept waiting for the whole thing to explode. It never did. Here's hoping for a smooth remodel.

I have a comment to make about the Waterstone warranty. First, many of their finishes are living finishes - not offered by many companies. These are delicate patinas and anyone offering Waterstone should fully explain the use and care and what to expect. I have done that for well over a decade with zero complaints from customers. Secondly, I would like to mention a great company that many of you might find very helpful. The company is New York Replacement Parts Corporation. They are located in Manhattan, NY. They manufacture faucet parts for well over a hundred brands of faucets, including many that have gone out of business. They were able to replace a Concinnity shower valve for me after the company had been out of business for 10 years. The owner told me they buy up the drawings of companies going out of business and they have the equipment to make just about anything. Here is the interesting part... I asked how they were able to make a profit (in Manhattan of all places) selling parts for faucets without lifetime warranties or for those companies that are no longer in business. Well, the answer was stunning. He simply said, "Try and get the part under warranty!". A month after he told me this, my California Faucets shower valve stopped working and it was under warranty. I used to be a dealer for California faucets. In fact, the owner visited my home and we played guitars together - however that was almost 15 years ago. So, I called California faucets and explained I needed a shower valve under warranty. They explained that since I was no longer a dealer I would have to go through a dealer. I said no problem! They gave me three companies and their phone numbers. I left messages for all three with no return calls. So, what did I do? I called New York Replacement Parts and paid $175 for a part that should have been free under warranty. I am going to provide a link to their website in case you might need a hard-to-find part. New York Replacement Parts Corporation The owner ordered a sink and Waterstone faucet from me and I looked through the huge list of brands and noticed the only brand not listed was Waterstone! I called and asked the owner why they were not listed. His answer was simple... somebody has to call, LOL. He also said that is why he ordered a Waterstone faucet with his Rachiele sink. There is much to be said about stated warranties, but the facts are the facts folks. There is a reason Waterstone is NOT listed with virtually all of the other brands. Waterstone stands behind their lifetime mechanical warranty and the rest of the group keeps New York Replacement Parts in business! One more time for the link...New York Replacement Parts I hope this helps many of you.