Plumber issues - bathroom

[honeyandbutterontoast]

Last December I had a new bathroom fitted. It cost a lot more than I had planned and took way over the time specified but finally was all done. I wasn’t 100% happy with the finish but plumber had excuses for everything I asked.

Today I noticed a leak coming from the bathroom and managed to track it down to a leaky bit of pipe. Phoned plumber but he told me he was on holiday till Tuesday and would come back then. I stated didn’t think it could be left till then so he told me to turn off the water and he would “try” to come tomorrow evening (so suddenly not on holiday).

Luckily another tradesman I know came to the rescue and took up floorboards skirting etc to try and find the problem and the extent of damage. It’s bad. Clearly the pipe has been leaking since installation and now I have soaking wet joists, how the ceiling hasn’t come down I don’t know.

And now it’s clear it’s all been totally bodged, the pipe work for just this area is shocking. I have another plumber coming first thing tomorrow to try and put it right, there is no way the original one is coming back! I’m guessing we are going to find a lot of issues plus this is going to cost a lot to sort. And now redecoration costs as well.

so do I just suck it up and pay to get all of this sorted? Do I have any chance of getting money back from original plumber? Or would it be a case of small claims court?

Ring citizen's advice, but under consumer rights act you are entitled to up to 100% back as clearly not done with due care or skill. You do have to give them the chance to put it right,so try and get it in writing he won't come.
Did you pay any of it on credit card? If so you can pursue it with your credit card company.
If not, you'll need to send a letter before action and the take it to small claims.
My heart goes out to you, tryimg to reslve my own bathroom issues and it's so stressful.

You'll need evidence.

Take LOTS of photos and video before you have anything repaired, and progressively as the issues are uncovered. Get the new plumber to write a report of what each of the problems were and how each was fixed, and the invoice should break down the cost of repairing each separate issue.PLus same with redecoration. GIve no room for first tradie to argue it 'wasn't that bad'.

Technically, it's better to give the first plumber the option of making good the mistakes but totally understand why you don't want to do that. I had a leak in my newly installed bathroom from an incorrectly installed pipe under the basin. In a cupboard so we didn't see it and only found out weeks later when downstairs flat had water dripping through their ceiling. Plumber came back to fix it but wasn't remotely apologetic, just shrugged it off as 'it happens'. Didn't exactly help relationships with neighbour.

Sorry OP, it's so difficult and expensive getting work done less alone the stress when it goes wrong.