# New Home Construction...Issues



## GoldDot40 (Nov 18, 2016)

While doing a walk-thru last night, I came across this 'problem'. On the other side of this wall is the kitchen. That conduit and electrical feed was supposed to come up inside the wall to the outlet where the refrigerator will plug in. This a slab foundation. So how would this be repaired without a LOT of work? We're not supposed to close until the 30th.


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## NE GA Pappy (Nov 18, 2016)

there ain't no easy way to fix that, unless you build a small cabinet of some type over it.


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## GoldDot40 (Nov 18, 2016)

NE GA Pappy said:


> there ain't no easy way to fix that, unless you build a small cabinet of some type over it.


That ain't happening. I'm confused on how this passed any type of electrical inspection. I don't even know when the last time an inspector has been out there. Maybe I should've called them today. Guess I'll have to wait until Monday.

I'm also confused as to why this is coming through the floor anyway. ALL the other electrical is fed from the ceiling. I wonder if this can be 'snipped' flush with the slab and plugged. Then they run a new wire from the ceiling down inside the wall to that outlet...like everything else?


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## gobbleinwoods (Nov 18, 2016)

That is attractive.    If I am not mistaken, codes say the electric plug for a refrigerator is to be 4 feet off the floor.   Did they run the wire up the wall on the other side?   Also, the frig is to be on a dedicated circuit so if it was yes it could be rerouted potentially but with this fine craftsmanship who knows if it is a dedicated wire to the panel box.


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## Hooty Hoot (Nov 18, 2016)

Should have been fixed before now.
Just tell them to fix it and let them worry about it.

I would disable the feed. Cut conduit and level with hydraulic cement. Run new feed.


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## GoldDot40 (Nov 18, 2016)

gobbleinwoods said:


> That is attractive.    If I am not mistaken, codes say the electric plug for a refrigerator is to be 4 feet off the floor.   Did they run the wire up the wall on the other side?   Also, the frig is to be on a dedicated circuit so if it was yes it could be rerouted potentially but with this fine craftsmanship who knows if it is a dedicated wire to the panel box.



Yeah, on the kitchen side...the actual outlet box is in fact right at 4ft from the floor. I looked in to confirm that it is in fact coming up from the other side. This is the ONLY electrical coming from the slab. Maybe they did it to ensure it was isolated from everything else? Who knows.


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## GA native (Nov 18, 2016)

So what happened was the sparkies missed the wall when they were doing rough in. The framers could have built a 2x6 wall there to hit the stub out. This is assuming that it is a load bearing wall and couldn't be moved a few inches.

All that has to happen, is to jackhammer the concrete out to beneath the wall. And then run the wire up through the bottom. A bit of drywall repair, and a bit of concrete repair. Easy fix, no worries. The builder's flunky will spend a half day out there moving the wire, and a few more short days doing drywall repair and paint.

But if that was my builder, he'd get a dang earful for letting it get this far. And not a dime would come out of my pocket. 

The wall is painted and the swain-coating is up. How often does the builder come out?


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## NOYDB (Nov 18, 2016)

Hooty Hoot said:


> Just tell them to fix it and let them worry about it.



Be wary, if they did that wrong what would make you think they could fix it in an acceptable manner?

Walk thru again and look for other examples of where they let something slide.


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## gobbleinwoods (Nov 18, 2016)

A couple of things to watch for in the fix.   If they cut the wire they can not just splice it in the wall.   If they cut the cut the slap all the way to dirt then it needs retreated for termites before filling it in as concrete cracks and they 'might' find a way in as the soil has now been disturbed.


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## GoldDot40 (Nov 18, 2016)

GA native said:


> So what happened was the sparkies missed the wall when they were doing rough in. The framers could have built a 2x6 wall there to hit the stub out. This is assuming that it is a load bearing wall and couldn't be moved a few inches.
> 
> All that has to happen, is to jackhammer the concrete out to beneath the wall. And then run the wire up through the bottom. A bit of drywall repair, and a bit of concrete repair. Easy fix, no worries. The builder's flunky will spend a half day out there moving the wire, and a few more short days doing drywall repair and paint.
> 
> ...



I have no idea how often the builder comes out. He's running a dozen or more crews in 6 different counties. I'm going to email him the picture and also contact the county inspector Monday morning and see if he'll go check it out.


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## Artfuldodger (Nov 18, 2016)

GoldDot40 said:


> That ain't happening. I'm confused on how this passed any type of electrical inspection. I don't even know when the last time an inspector has been out there. Maybe I should've called them today. Guess I'll have to wait until Monday.
> 
> I'm also confused as to why this is coming through the floor anyway. ALL the other electrical is fed from the ceiling. I wonder if this can be 'snipped' flush with the slab and plugged. Then they run a new wire from the ceiling down inside the wall to that outlet...like everything else?



Yeah, I'd like to know why they ran just that wire in the slab. I'd rather have it coming down from the attic. 
Is it romex in the conduit? Just think if it was in the wall and you needed to pull another wire. The conduit doesn't even go all the way up to the receptacle box.
If they are going to leave it in the conduit and put it in the wall, the conduit should go all the way to the box. If they are going to use the conduit then I'd have them remove the romex and run three separate wires for future repairs if needed.


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## jimbo4116 (Nov 18, 2016)

Hooty Hoot said:


> Should have been fixed before now.
> Just tell them to fix it and let them worry about it.
> 
> I would disable the feed. Cut conduit and level with hydraulic cement. Run new feed.



That is the ticket.  It is the contractors expense.  I would also call code enforcement and have them look at it to insure the fix meets codes as well.

You might want to look around a little more to see what other shortcuts my have been taken.

Make your lender is aware as well.


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## GA native (Nov 18, 2016)

Artfuldodger said:


> Yeah, I'd like to know why the ran just that wire in the slab. I'd rather have it coming down from the attic.
> Is it romex in the conduit? Just think if it was in the wall and you needed to pull another wire. The conduit doesn't even go all the way up to the receptacle box.
> If they are going to leave it in the conduit and put it in the wall, the conduit should go all the way to the box. If they are going to use the conduit then I'd have them remove the romex and run three separate wires for future repairs if needed.



Would have to see the floorplan. This could be a freestanding wall, with no direct path to the load center. 

Which would rule out my theory of it being load bearing. But the framers could have easily moved the wall three inches, or built a 2x6 wall. 

It should have been resolved when the sparkies were wiring the house. And I'd wager they called the builder, and he never got around to correcting it. And I am curious as to how this passed inspection. A bare wire like that, should have never been drywalled in like that.


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## Hooty Hoot (Nov 19, 2016)

Whole story has not been told here. Maybe OP doesn't know. The only reason to run an under slab wire is for an island unless I haven't thought of something. Anyway, this is an easy fix. No reason to make to much of it.


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## GoldDot40 (Nov 19, 2016)

I knew somebody had some prior pictures. The wife had taken some pictures that I hadn't previously looked closely at. Got her to send them to my phone. So it appears that me saying all the other electrical was run through the ceiling is incorrect. It appears that a LOT of the dedicated and high voltage runs are in fact run through the slab. The bedrooms, living room and secondary outlets were run through the ceiling.




The area at hand is circled in yellow. The red and blue bundles actually hit their mark inside the wall. The little conduit stub is about 5 inches out of line. I feel like RIGHT HERE is when someone should've realized it wasn't right.

See the far right of the picture the 4" pipe....that is the bulk head that feeds the breaker panel. The red bundle beside it is the supply coming from the panel to those in-slab circuits. Like I said, I know that 'some' of the wiring did in fact go UP instead of into the slab.


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## GoldDot40 (Nov 19, 2016)

GA native said:


> Would have to see the floorplan. This could be a freestanding wall, with no direct path to the load center.


Here you go. The red dot marks the spot where the goof is...


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## tree cutter 08 (Nov 19, 2016)

Just wandering what's the benefit of running wiring under the slab? Never seen that done around here but seldom see a slab house either. Usually basment or crawl.


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## greg_n_clayton (Nov 19, 2016)

I bet I have seen a hundred stub ups moved over the years in concrete floors !! But it should have been done while the framing was going on !! But then again, why is any electrical under there in a house !!! It looks like the trim man even worked around it !! Like has done been said, I would just tell them to fix it and not worry about it nomore !!


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## NE GA Pappy (Nov 19, 2016)

Try as I might, I can't think of a reason for that wire to go under a slab.  There is no reason for it to run under the slab.  

Crazy stuff.


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## Rivershot (Nov 20, 2016)

NE GA Pappy said:


> Try as I might, I can't think of a reason for that wire to go under a slab.  There is no reason for it to run under the slab.
> 
> Crazy stuff.


 Cheap contractor trying to save wire, in the slab you can go straight to where you need to go, no going up, over, around, down and sideways. He said it was the dedicated circuits, which would be the heavier gauge and more expensive wire. Makes sense for some like WH, A/C, heat, dryer etc… but not 12g for the fridge.

 JMG,YMMV


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## tackdriver (Nov 20, 2016)

at the point of frameing is when this should have been noticed.


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## GA native (Nov 20, 2016)

GoldDot40 said:


> Here you go. The red dot marks the spot where the goof is...



That's a good looking floorplan. 

I couldn't tell you why the wires are run through the slab. I'm a framer, not a sparky. 

But if that wall contacts the ceiling, it's an easy fix. The sparky will just reroute the wire through the attic and down the wall.

And it would seem that the framers couldn't move the wall, with those other two water stubs.


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## GoldDot40 (Nov 20, 2016)

GA native said:


> That's a good looking floorplan.
> 
> I couldn't tell you why the wires are run through the slab. I'm a framer, not a sparky.
> 
> ...


Thanks. We love it. Lots of seperation between us and to kids = peace and quiet.

Maybe this will be an easy fix. Never had a new house where I could see how everything is built from scratch. It has me watching everything. That wall does meet the ceiling right there. I guess this sort of thing happens when everything is done specifically by different crews. Still should've been caught and corrected before now.


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## Oldstick (Nov 20, 2016)

Wow!! First ignored by the framers, then also ignored by either the finish carpenters, the finish electricians, government inspectors or all three.  From what I have read on this forum, the "not my job" mentality is only prevalent among government employees.

Trump is going to fire someone hopefully.


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## 1gr8bldr (Nov 20, 2016)

This makes no sense. No one would run 98% of the wiring above slab and then one wire through the slab???? And it would come from where? No other close pipes for wiring. No matter if it makes sense or not. Tell them it needs be fixed now before it holds up the job later. No wire can be exposed like this, even in a cabinet cavity these days. How did the electrical rough inspector miss this? Why has the builder not already addressed this? This is strange


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## NOYDB (Nov 20, 2016)

Anybody that you can ask what that is intended for?

Find out before you insist on changes. Might even have a real purpose.


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## mguthrie (Nov 21, 2016)

That stub is to run electric to your island. The red,blue and white "pipes" coming out of the slab are plumbing. Should have been caught before now. I'm a framer and would have pointed it out to the builder while shalking lines. Not a big deal.


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## Eugene Debs (Nov 21, 2016)

Oldstick said:


> Wow!! First ignored by the framers, then also ignored by either the finish carpenters, the finish electricians, government inspectors or all three.  From what I have read on this forum, the "not my job" mentality is only prevalent among government employees.
> 
> Trump is going to fire someone hopefully.



This is home building today, new home consumers want three things, Quality, Quick, and Cheap, I don't know of any contractor that can provide all three, two of the three yes, but not all three.


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## GoldDot40 (Nov 21, 2016)

mguthrie said:


> That stub is to run electric to your island. The red,blue and white "pipes" coming out of the slab are plumbing. Should have been caught before now. I'm a framer and would have pointed it out to the builder while shalking lines. Not a big deal.


No, the bundles for the island came out of the slab right where they were supposed to...some 6-7 ft away. The only wire coming out of this conduit stub was pulled through the wall and up directly to the outlet where the refrigerator plugs in.


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## notnksnemor (Nov 21, 2016)

Where is the main panel located and is the other end of this pipe at the main panel?
Maybe a clue there as to why it was run in the slab. Regardless, as others have said, it needs to be fixed correctly.


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## GoldDot40 (Nov 21, 2016)

NOTNKSNEMOR said:


> Where is the main panel located and is the other end of this pipe at the main panel?
> Maybe a clue there as to why it was run in the slab. Regardless, as others have said, it needs to be fixed correctly.



On the floor plan pic, the main panel is in the garage right behind where the stove will be. I have an independent home inspector coming this weekend to give it a thorough look over. Hopefully they'll get this done and we won't find too much more.


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## GA native (Nov 21, 2016)

GoldDot40 said:


> While doing a walk-thru last night, I came across this 'problem'. On the other side of this wall is the kitchen. That conduit and electrical feed was supposed to come up inside the wall to the outlet where the refrigerator will plug in. This a slab foundation. So how would this be repaired without a LOT of work? We're not supposed to close until the 30th.



Is that two wires going into the wall? If so, then this circuit feeds power to the fridge and the kitchen island.

 Mystery solved.


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## notnksnemor (Nov 22, 2016)

GoldDot40 said:


> On the floor plan pic, the main panel is in the garage right behind where the stove will be. I have an independent home inspector coming this weekend to give it a thorough look over. Hopefully they'll get this done and we won't find too much more.



Perfectly legit way to run the circuit had they read their yo-yo correctly. They simply missed the mark and it should have been fixed way before now.


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## jimbo4116 (Nov 22, 2016)

NOTNKSNEMOR said:


> Perfectly legit way to run the circuit had they read their yo-yo correctly. They simply missed the mark and it should have been fixed way before now.



you still have to wonder why when there is an outlet box in the wall a foot away.  Which means they were pulling wire from overhead to the same area already.  The framer should have called someone in when he saw the stub miss the wall.  Even then the electrician pulling the wire should have questioned it as well.  Plenty of blame to go around.
Makes you wonder what is in the walls you don't see!


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## notnksnemor (Nov 22, 2016)

jimbo4116 said:


> you still have to wonder why when there is an outlet box in the wall a foot away.  Which means they were pulling wire from overhead to the same area already.  The framer should have called someone in when he saw the stub miss the wall.  Even then the electrician pulling the wire should have questioned it as well.  Plenty of blame to go around.
> Makes you wonder what is in the walls you don't see!



Since it's a dedicated circuit for the refrigerator, I'm guessing they did it to save about 80 feet of wire from going overhead. You'd be surprised what is in some walls. I've seen half full Coke cans that were rocked over.


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## jimbo4116 (Nov 22, 2016)

NOTNKSNEMOR said:


> Since it's a dedicated circuit for the refrigerator, I'm guessing they did it to save about 80 feet of wire from going overhead. You'd be surprised what is in some walls. I've seen half full Coke cans that were rocked over.



Well that didn't work out for them.

Had a fire.  Had to remove the drywall.  3 of the 2x10 ceiling joists in the kitchen were covered with paint and severely weathered.  Obviously had been used for scaffolding before making their way to my kitchen ceiling.  Found 2 empty cans miller lite encased in foam under the deck of my boat. Not much surprises me.


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## GA native (Nov 22, 2016)

jimbo4116 said:


> you still have to wonder why when there is an outlet box in the wall a foot away.  Which means they were pulling wire from overhead to the same area already.  The framer should have called someone in when he saw the stub miss the wall.  Even then the electrician pulling the wire should have questioned it as well.  Plenty of blame to go around.
> Makes you wonder what is in the walls you don't see!



I put the blame on the builder. Every sub who had to work around that wire, called the builder and told him about it.

The framers could have easily resolved this with a 2x6 wall. But most likely, none of them spoke English. And didn't care anyway...


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## GoldDot40 (Nov 22, 2016)

GA native said:


> I put the blame on the builder. Every sub who had to work around that wire, called the builder and told him about it.
> 
> The framers could have easily resolved this with a 2x6 wall. But most likely, none of them spoke English. And didn't care anyway...


This man has been around it seems. Hit the nail on the head.


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## Hooty Hoot (Nov 22, 2016)

Your making a mountain out of a mole hill. Fix it and move on. Now it is holding up floor covering.

No sub-contractor has the authority to deviate from the plan w/o approval...........PERIOD. Plenty of stupidity on this one but the leading knucklehead was the one who shoved the wire through the drywall, wired and trimmed the outlet. Plenty of things happen in the home building business where a knowledgeable person would ask themselves; How could anybody be this dumb.

FIX IT AND MOVE ON


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## Hooty Hoot (Nov 22, 2016)

AND don't pay the electrical contractor until it is fixed.


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## tree cutter 08 (Nov 22, 2016)

I agree the 2x6 wall would have been best fix and probably what was intended to go there to start with.


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## boatbuilder (Nov 23, 2016)

GoldDot40 said:


> While doing a walk-thru last night, I came across this 'problem'. On the other side of this wall is the kitchen. That conduit and electrical feed was supposed to come up inside the wall to the outlet where the refrigerator will plug in. This a slab foundation. So how would this be repaired without a LOT of work? We're not supposed to close until the 30th.



The only one that should be worried about the amount of work it will take to fix that is the builder or general contractor. 

Do you have retainage on the contract you can withhold until it is fixed properly?


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## GoldDot40 (Nov 23, 2016)

Oh, I ain't worried about whether or not it will be fixed...it's WHEN. We've already had to delay closing a couple other times. Like I said, having an inspection done before we close. He said he'd go over it with a fine tooth comb. Ain't signing ANYTHING until everything is correct.


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## Deerhead (Dec 2, 2016)

Just have them run the new line through the ceiling and abandon the line in the floor.


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## GoldDot40 (Dec 2, 2016)

Not sure how they fixed it, but it's fixed. Closing on this place today. Passed an independent inspection as well as the county. They knocked out the punch list within a day.


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