In several houses we had built, in different states, someone (electrician, drywall installer, trim carpenter) managed to shoot a nail or drive a screw through either a plumbing line or a vent stack. The former resulted in leaks/flooding while the latter resulted in nasty odors from sewer gas until the source of the problem could be located and repaired. Most of the builders were responsive, but one bailed on us completely.
In the house with the irresponsible builder, we also had raw sewage back up in our bathroom. Eventually, plumbers we hired found debris in two drain locations, but that required two trips. H was traveling for work at the time so I had to handle that mess.
We once bought a new construction house that was nearly completed and our contract specified that funds would be held back until certain things such as the driveway were completed. The builder failed to take care of his list or finish the driveway, then pitched a fit (screaming at me) because he wanted the money anyway. The builder showed me a signed final inspection from the city, claiming he didn’t have to correct the code violations I’d noted in our contract addendum. I noticed that the signature did not match the earlier ones I’d seen. After checking with the city, I learned that a new employee had forged his boss’s signature while the boss was out of town. The head inspector met me at the house and agreed there were several more things out of compliance. In trouble with the city, the builder finally completed everything in our contract and then some.
In the next house, we found that a vent hood had two sections of duct that didn’t join up, so they were left separated inside the fancy custom hood cover. That was discovered during a remodel. So thankful we’d never had a fire.
When we remodeled our bathroom, I learned too late that no one on the team seemed to possess a level. My vanity was so far off that I could not hang a rectangular mirror above it. I finally located an irregular shape mirror that was not at all my style, but it worked well enough with the house and disguised the wonky vanity and counter. No one else ever noticed.
Our current build has been one long snafu. H tells me that once we’re settled in the house and can appreciate the convenience of it, then we’ll forget the pain and stress of building. I hope so. The builder blames everything on the pandemic, but that’s not the biggest problem - he is. His computer illiteracy, lack of new product knowledge, refusal to adapt to a changed environment that requires ordering materials much earlier in the process than usual, poor communication or follow up with the trades, and failure to supervise are just some of the reasons why this has been painful. On the plus side, he’s honest and means well so he eventually gets most things done right. We’ve reduced the scope of the project, to his relief, just to try to get done before we hit the two year mark.