ᐅ Insufficient slope in the wastewater pipe

Created on: 22 Sep 2020 09:12
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NicolasH
Hello everyone,

Here is the situation:
Shortly before completing our house, it was discovered that the wastewater pipe coming from the foundation slab was installed too low, and the slope toward the sewer connection is insufficient. We reported this issue and requested a correction. The defect was noted in the acceptance report and has since been resolved.

Now, the construction company is asking us to cover the costs because the wastewater inspection chamber was not in place before the foundation slab was built, so the reference point was missing. However, we were never informed about this. In my opinion, the sewer connection could also have served as a reference point. We were also never warned about the possibility of having to bear these costs ourselves.
What are your thoughts on this matter?
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NicolasH
22 Sep 2020 13:00
There is a piping plan, but no elevations are specified.
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nordanney
22 Sep 2020 13:32
NicolasH schrieb:

There is a piping plan, but it does not include any elevations.

And how is the company supposed to know how to build then?
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NicolasH
22 Sep 2020 13:45
The plans were created by the general contractor or by the architect appointed by the general contractor, so I am unable to answer this question.
OWLer22 Sep 2020 14:06
We were given all the plans or they were included with the building permit / planning permission application for drainage and had to be signed by us. That wasn’t the case for you? I would check now to see if and who might be responsible for that.
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erazorlll
23 Sep 2020 17:16
Do I understand this correctly:
- The sewer connection was already in place and the height was (theoretically) known
- First, the contractor constructed the foundation slab including the connection from the slab
- At a later point, you or a company hired by you installed the shaft, including the complete connection and pipes from the foundation slab to the sewer connection
- Then it was discovered that these parts do not fit together or that the slope is insufficient
- There was no pipe layout including heights, and the exact reference point on the foundation slab was not defined in writing

I am wondering how the contractor decided at what height the connection should be? Was it just a guess? And you never discussed this with the contractor since the pipes were installed by you, to ensure everything would match?
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NicolasH
23 Sep 2020 17:38
That is accurately summarized. I must admit, to my shame, that we relied on the architect's statement that the heights were correct. You always know better in hindsight...