Day 2

This has been the hardest entry to write so far, because it encompasses all of the frustration and anger that can come with a project like this.

So it was plumbing day. There are two plumbing tasks we need done up front, moving the kitchen sink drain and water connections two feet to the right of their current position, and to cap off the water connection in the wet bar because we no longer want a sink there. The estimate we got from Sol for this work plus hooking up the sink and appliances after the cabinetry and countertops were done was $750. I'd have to pay the plumber directly as his services aren't covered by Sol's company.

Wife wasn't feeling well so she left work early. She got home around 3:30 and called me to tell me that there was no plumber in the house, nor was there any sign of there ever having been a plumber in the house at any time today. After the fiasco with the demolition crew yesterday I was getting even angrier, though I did bear in mind that the demolition worked out well in the end. The anger abated when Wife called me back five minutes later to say the plumber had just arrived. Knowing nothing about plumbing I had no idea how long the work would take but I knew there was no way in hell he'd be done today. Coming back the next day was fine as long as he didn't get in the electrician's way, I suppose.

I got home with the kids around 5:30 and of course the plumber was still going. He's hammering, pounding, cutting and having fun with a blow torch. The house was already dirty and dusty enough from the previous day's demolition, but with the added smoke I figured it was best to just tell the kids to stay in their rooms with their doors closed. Around 6:30pm the plumber showed me a problem with the wet bar area, telling me that capping it off would be more difficult than anticipated because he'd have to replace some Y-looking valve in the wall. Of course he didn't have one of those handy and would have to run to Lowe's to get one then come back and finish the job. I took the kids out to dinner bringing back something for Wife, figuring he'd be done shortly after we got home.

He didn't finish until 8:45. Then he presents me with a bill for the work he's done so far. It comes to $840. He says that installing the sink and appliances when he comes back will be $750. I start steaming at this point. According to Sol, everything total was going to be $750. I understood that the problem he had with the wet bar was going to increase the cost, but this was utterly ridiculous. It was too late in the day to call Sol, which I would do the next day. So there were a couple of possibilities: Sol's estimation skills are astoundingly bad, which does not bode well for the electrical work and flooring/tiling work that I've also agreed to subcontract, or the plumber thinks he can pull a fast one on me, which would not be smart for him since it could cost him Sol's business in the future.