Would you expect a plumber to put up plastic to contain dust for a basement bathroom rough-in?

Question

I've read through other posts on basement bathroom rough-ins, but haven't found anything.

Yesterday, a reputable plumber used a jack hammer to break up concrete in a basement bathroom being added to the unfinished portion of the basement. I expected dust in the laundry room, and made sure the HVAC was turned off. I left the plumbers to do their work as I'm sure they've done several times for years.

When I checked the work last night, there was a healthy coating of dust in the finished portion, and no signs that plastic was put up. I asked this morning and was told that the contractor (who did the frame-up) was responsible for hanging plastic and that people did not prefer to pay $150 hr. for the plumber to do it. Since it's a bid job, at a premium price I might add, I hoped to get a second opinion.

I am afraid the couch, other furniture, and TV may be difficult to clean. Is it common practice for a plumber to put up a couple sheets of plastic or am I overly concerned here?

I appreciate the information. The other posts have already given me ideas for some other basement bathroom issues.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

I will tackle this from three ways.

1. I work as a general contractor when doing flips. I would hope to remember to put up plastic or block off areas. First because I do not want things in other areas to get damaged and secondly because I can allocate someone I am paying $15 an hour to do this.

2. If I didn't think ahead... I don't have 1 plumber out of the 5-6 I use that would ever let this happen. First they would get fired on the spot. Second they are just good guys that care about their job. They would give me a call and say "Hey you don't have this area ready, you want me to wrap it for you?" And often they are chuckling because they know their time is 5-6 times what I would pay someone else. I might tell them $40 for a wrap - but guess what they would do it anyway.

3. In my area if there was work done to part of your house that caused damage to another part then the person doing the work would be held liable. I have seen your EXACT case happen and it ruined not only electronics but also expensive clothing. This plumber could be sued. Unless he stated in his contract that his job could expand into other areas and things could get damaged unless XYZ happens - he is liable. That is why he is bonded.

My last point. Why the hell would a plumber be doing the jackhammer rough-in by himself? I always hire a laborer to help plumber with this and sometimes two guys. It is not rocket science to bust up concrete and it certainly isn't plumbing. These laborers would have covered things. I know if I am in someone else's home doing work that keeping their house clean is #1. You should be really pissed and this is 50% on the plumber and 50% on the GC. If the GC is paying the plumber he is liable to fix your damages. Depending on your relationship with him I might just bring up the issue and then try to resolve it after the job is over - and hopefully before your last check to him.

Note: And this is me ranting because of the lack of accountability that the other answers seem to have for the trades... It is NOT the homeowners responsibility to have expertise in how you will do things or how "things work". If a plumbing rough-in needs to be done the owner has to completely understand the method of excavating? Also give me 2 20-year-old guys and a few sledgehammers and we can rough-in a basement bathroom 40 feet away from stack in 4 hours with minimal dust. How the hell is a homeowner supposed to know what might happen when an expert is doing their job. If they understood everything they wouldn't need the expert!

Answer 2

I've learned over the years that when starting any job communication is the key factor. If I sense the home owner is not asking pertinent question I will briefly lay out the work for the day. Regarding the plumbers stating it wasn't their responsibility to set-up dust containment, well don't feel every plumber is this indifferent. Either way they should have notified you that the work will produce dust. If what they claimed is true; that the contractor was responsible than the onus is on him. If push comes to shove and the plastic isn't getting installed, hang it yourself and bill the contractor what the plumbers were going to bill you.

Answer 3

Would I expect a plumber to do it? No. Would some plumbers do it? Probably.

If there's a general contractor, I'd have expected them to delegate the task. You should definitely discuss this with them, and try to work out a solution.

If there's not a general contractor, site preparation would be your responsibility. If this is the case, I might have expected the plumber to let you know that you should hang some plastic. But I wouldn't expect them to do it, unless you agreed upon that specifically. Though some plumbers might have done it as a courtesy.