Did my plumber mess up?

We just had some plumbers come in to unclog a stopped up toilet. They said the clog was too far into the pipe for a snake to reach, so they would have to cut into the sewer pipe to fix it. They did, and a significant amount of raw sewage sprayed out and spilled out onto my basement floor, at least enough to create a standing puddle on the floor. For clean up, they asked us to use two of our old towels, which we gave them. The smell was horrendous, and remains horrendous 10 hours later. They also walked through the house in their boots that had been covered in sewage. They didn't take their trash out with them, instead leaving it in the basement trash can.

My question is, how egregious is all this relative to typical practices of good plumbers? When cutting into the sewage pipe, should they have been able to prevent the sewage from spraying out like it did? Is it reasonable to have expected them to have prepared the area with a tarp or plastic sheeting to prior to cutting into the pipe? What kind of cleanup is industry? Would most plumbers take off their shoes and take trash with them? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this, as I will be taking this up with the company owner tomorrow.

i would call their ofice a pitch a tea total *****!!!! if you have not paid the bill yet, I would tell their boss...he can carry his azz down to Dillards and buy you some more towels or you will take it out of his bill.
also tell him to send a crew over to STEAM wash the wood floors or that will be coming out of his bill also.

if he balks at any of this, inform him that you WILL go on face book and angies list, to critique his business pratices
what his slob employees did is NOT he way professional plumbers act.

IF , I believe it was phisfood. would be as so kind to post the pictures of a bathroom he TOTALLY covered in plastic,
you will see how a pro does it

Doesn't sound like they cared about your home too much. Every step should be taken to make sure you, or your floor doesn't come into contact with raw sewage. But sometimes...sewage happens as they say. If it does, it should be cleaned thoroughly with something a hell of a lot better than YOUR towels. A good cleaner and elbow grease should do it, as that sewage contains bacteria that can make you very sick.

As far as the boot thing goes, this is how I handle it. When I first get to a home, I like to do a walk through first to see what I'm getting into, I remove my boots at the door. When it comes time to work, I will put drop cloths down where I need to work, or wear "booties". I will not remove my boots while I'm working, because should something happen and I injure myself not wearing safety footwear, I am declined workers compensation.

Thanks for the feedback Frodo! Appreciate the perspective.

Thanks for further validation on this Matt30

I walk up to the customer's front door with shoe covers in my hand, and put them over my boots before I walk in. I always lay down drop clothes in my work area, and definitely do so when clearing drains from inside the home. A cordless shop vac cleans up the area when I am done, and if necessary, I have a spray bottle of soapy water to clean a little further. I don't attempt to sanitize, as I don't want to be held liable for any damage that the harsh chemicals necessary for that might do, though I recommend that the home owner do so with their sanitizer of choice.

I would not even consider leaving a customer's home in the condition you describe.

phishfood said:

I would not even consider leaving a customer's home in the condition you describe.

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You and me both!

Yupppersz...

I would never consider leaving the mess with the customer.

I would take the mess if they wanna pay me for it I didn't buy there garbage. I clean up my own mess but never old material I throw it in there garbage That's it no loading in tr truck. And obviously I sweep up.

If I paid someone to swap out a water heater I wouldn't ever expect to see the old one sitting on my side yard for the next year. If you left the parts you removed I would never use you again. If you can not include it in the price without making a big deal out of it then you are doing things wrong. Heck more than half the stuff you pull out is recyclable anyway, you will get paid twice to get rid of it.

My thinking exactly. If I called a plumber to replace my old water heater, and they advised they don't take the old one with them, I would move onto someone else. You might be missing a whole lotta customers with that attitude.

I am a plumber I don't take people trash, old fittings, water heaters or junk with me. I didn't buy there junk. I would be cleaner but I am not taking that **** back with me. Then I pay for garbage fees and more time to dispose.

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Tell me the name of your company so people reading this will be sure who not to call.

When I do a main sewer or water connection, there is no way I would be allowed to leave the old asphalt, dirt and parts in the persons driveway and expect them to get rid of it.

What happens if the person you were working for was a 90 year old lady and you left an disposal sitting in her trash can that she is not strong enough to put on the curb? Thats just poor business in my book.

Man....if you don't want the old water heaters and fittings, I'll come pick them up for free. That's free money!

There is a poor old Hispanic fellow who drives around my neighborhood weekly, shouting, "Meto....Meto." He'd love this stuff!

I even wipe out the bottom of cabinets.

i leave nothing behind. but a smile and a bill


I learned a little trick many many years ...picky people will see a water spot in the cabinet and call a plumber BACK
so, i clean the water spots up, takes about 30 seconds. and stops BS

A professional plumber will ALWAYS clean up after themselves and take the items they removed with them for proper disposal. Anyone who does not is not a plumber, but a Craig's List type "plumber". It seems your "plumbers" were not plumbers and had no clue how to clear a clogged drain pipe. I am sure they knew how to write up a bill though.

frodo said:

IF , I believe it was phisfood. would be as so kind to post the pictures of a bathroom he TOTALLY covered in plastic,
you will see how a pro does it

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Like this one

Oh>>>I apologies, it was David not Phishfood. nice picture, THAT!! IS how a pro does it!!!