Shower bench leaking into crawl space 1 month after $120k insured rebuild – GC wants caulk-only fix. Is this normal?
Just moved back into our house less than a month ago after a 5-month, $120k insured full remodel (damaged floors, new floors throughout whole house and a few other things)
• Shower is leaking again at the bench-to-wall junction (same spot as before) and another area under the bench. Water is saturating the wood framing and reaching the crawl space.
• Original install photos (including old marble slab phase) show hybrid wood/foam bench with incomplete continuous waterproof membrane. Floor pan under the bench is just a mud bed.
• GC and sub are proposing to switch to grout caulk at the 90° angles and “monitor it.” No one has shown up yet.
• We’re good with a temporary caulk fix to stop the immediate leak, but I’m concerned it won’t last and we’ll be right back here again.
• No permits were pulled for the original major rebuild.
Looking for advice on:
• Is caulk-only sufficient or does this need a full bench rebuild with continuous membrane, foam panels, glass removal, stone lift, and flood test?
• Should we insist on a repair permit + city inspection?
• Any leverage as homeowner to choose a different crew?