I’ve had my plumber install a replacement tub in one of my homes where the old one was cracked and leaking. In completing the replacement the plumber did a bit of damage to the sheetrock around the tub. He said it was hard to get into place without having to remove the toilet, etc., and that the walls were not square to set the surround. The new tub surround also is a little smaller than the one that was there, so it needs some touch-up paint around the edges.
My question is, who pays for this sort of repair and paint/trim? My plumber is saying he got me a great deal on the tub surround and saved me money, even though it is a slightly smaller and we now need to paint a bit. So are these finishing costs on me or on him?
They are on you, just like everything else. These sort of issues are the consideration for selection of tradesmen, otherwise it would be as simple as hiring the tradesman with the lowest price. Lowest Bid vs. Total cost of job
I’m not sure that I would allow him just to say it’s my responsibility. The expectation is that when a service is rendered, that the service would not cause damage that would need additional work unless we discussed it prior to the work being done. If damage would done I would expect him to repair it.
What if he punched a hole through the wall while putting the tub in, or broke a lamp? Is he saying that it would still be my responsibility? That is not reasonable to expect and I would insist that if he would want to continue working for me that he would need to repair his mistakes.
If there was lack of communication on what to expect at the end of the job, it was not on you, it was on him since he is the “expert”.
Depends. What was communicated, how good was the price overall? I am pretty patient when getting a deal or have a quality contractor with a few foibles. On the other hand, if I’m getting drilled on price or the contractor is consistently difficult, I’m inclined to put it on him.