What type of warranty should be given on shower re-do?

Lynn C.
by Lynn C.
I have a shower pan leak, so the shower is being gutted back to the studs.and rebuilt. What type of warranty(s) should I be getting from the contractor? Any other suggestions would be appreciated too. Thanks.
  7 answers
  • I do not know about anyone else, but I provide a one year warranty on all my work. And depending upon the materials used and their warranties sometimes longer. But you should get at least a one year on labor and materials I would think. Besides if they do the job correctly, you should not have any issues. And if they do not, you will know quite quickly if there is an issue or not. I would ask them to provide you with how they are planning to replace the pan. And what materials they are planning to use. There are many new methods of pan installs around these days that are much easier and faster then the old lead pan or hot mop tar methods used in the past. Once you know what they are going to do, Google U-Tube on that. You will find hundreds of videos on how the job should be done. Once you know that, simply ask or watch as they do each part of the job. And if something just does not look like what you saw, ask. It may drive them nuts, but you are paying for it not them.
  • There may be differing warranty lengths depending on the materials. Those may be warranted by the manufacturer. For example, a shower pan may be warranted to 10 years but the labor warranted by the contractor for only 1 year. While a warranty is nice, it is not a substitute for doing your due diligence on the contractor to be sure they know what they are doing, check references and be sure that your contract specifies that they will follow all manufacturer's installation requirements so that the manufacturer's warranty is not voided. Often you can find the manufacturer's installation instructions online. Take lots of photos during installation, and use a tape measure to show distances. You'd be surprised later at how helpful they can be when trying to remember where pipes run behind walls and other issues.
  • Nest Home Improvement Nest Home Improvement on Jan 24, 2013
    Lyn, Are you asking about a warranty from the first contractor that installed the shower or for the second one? In either case, be sure to get it in writing. Many contractors include it as part of their written contract agreement. A one year time period is typical. When I do a pan, I have typically my plumber take care of it. They have been doing this work for many years and they stand behind their work. Have never had a problem. So experience really does matter, especially with plumbing! Good luck to you. Best regards, http://www.nesthomeimprovement.com
  • Always take photos of what is being done by your contractor before they close-up everything as such is the case with the shower pan. Photos speak louder than words when it comes to proving that something went wrong. Always get a written warranty from them and be sure to read the manufacters installations to confirm if the contractor is installing it correctly.
  • Lynn C. Lynn C. on Jan 28, 2013
    Thank you so much for taking time to help me out. It is really appreciated.
  • Nest Home Improvement Nest Home Improvement on Jan 29, 2013
    Lynn, How did this work out for you?
  • Lynn C. Lynn C. on Jan 30, 2013
    Nothing is happening yet. The insurance rep came out and agrees it is the shower pan and insurance is going to cover it. Thanks for asking.