Vent: Got chewed out by a homeowner for drilling through their new tile

I was installing a Vista 20P panel and keypad in a house out in Orange County last Tuesday. The homeowner had just spent like 4 grand on this custom backsplash in the kitchen. I needed to run wires from the panel down to the basement, figured I'd go through the cabinet above the microwave. Well, I misjudged the stud finder reading and put a half-inch hole right through the edge of a brand new subway tile. The guy came running in screaming his head off about how I ruined his renovation. I felt terrible, offered to patch it, but he wanted me gone. That job taught me to always ask for a tile sample or map out walls with the homeowner before I even pick up a drill. Now I use a borescope to check wall cavities before any rough-in work, even if it slows me down. Has anyone else had a tile or drywall mishap like that and found a good way to smooth things over with a pissed off client?

2 comments

2 Comments

josephbutler18h agoMost Upvoted

Man, I gotta push back on this a little. If a homeowner drops 4 grand on tile, they should expect a pro to need access behind it sometimes. You offered to fix it, that's more than fair. @casey_harris buying lunch doesn't change the fact that nicks happen in renovation work, it's not a museum.

casey_harris1d ago

I used to think that kind of thing was just part of the job, but a similar situation changed my mind completely. I was doing a commercial job in a restaurant lobby and barely nicked a brand new marble threshold with my drill bit. The owner was furious, said I ruined the whole look. I offered to pay for a pro to fix it and even bought him lunch the next day, but I still lost that account and it taught me to never assume I know what's behind a wall. Now I take photos of the area with the homeowner first and point out exactly where every hole will go before I start.