Why does the toilet sit so close to the wall?

The molding fit could be closer, however you're the only one who's going to know it's not fit well.

the "not fitting well and i'm the only one who knows its there" means nothing to me.

i would have rather paid the "if no one else can see it then it doesn't matter PRICE"

its about pride of work to me
its about i'd like to get what i paid for ...
and its about, if the installers were ok with leaving it like that, where else "structurally speaking" did they do a crappy job

I get the idea that you are expecting quality, but at the same time you can't micromanage. This seems petty to me - it's behind a toilet. That's just my opinion, you are the one paying them so it really matters what you think in the end.

As a homeowner who has had both good and bad and mediocre contractors (some who came highly recommended!), I know enough to know that you will meet a highly diverse group of people from different walks of life and sometimes you have to shrug things off. I had an awesome carpenter, but he'd walk all over my plants in my yard and I'd think, what the heck??

I'd let the behind the toilet thing go, but I'd have a problem with wobbly toilets. Also, I read your post about them getting the toilet right three times -- I'd be concerned about the wax ring. If they are dropping and lifting, you risk that the wax ring is deformed and won't create a water tight seal - which is the bigger problem. Sometimes it's better to walk away, not micromanage and let them do their job, and inspect afterwards. I had a nosey neighbor who parked his chair in his driveway and micromanaged our roofers who were not happy with it. People perform differently when they know they are being micromanaged.

If you think you aren't getting what you paid for, you should say something. But you have to balance being nitpicky vs. what's reasonable. I've worked with contractors and heard horror stories about the micromanaging homeowners who complain about every little thing.

I prefer to treat my contractors like human beings instead of hired workers who don't live up to my expectations. Make them a batch of cookies, and sugar coat your complaints if you have to. It will make a huge difference, believe me.

i agree...

and i didn't micro manage at all

i wanted to but i didn't

i was more than a great homeowner who stayed out of the way but i definitely noticed things as i would walk by or get something to drink, etc.

But it does seem to me that if i had micro managed a little more i couldve prevented these problems and i couldve done it in a nice way as not to upset them

I get it

Every single issue ive seen is something you should be talking to the company who did the work and if that doesnt get resolved find a governing body to inspect the work.

Craftsmanship which i think is your biggest complaint falls completely on the person who hired them. Any professional is capable of making a mistake. Its how the react and what the do to resolve the issue is what seperates the good from the great.

Sorry but i think you just got some bad apples.

ok...

so i'm not crazy then

good to hear

my mistake for assuming when he said "i'm sending my best crew" that they would do everything correctly and to my specs

a lesson learned for me but truth is sometimes you just don't know things because you're not the expert and i can only know AFTER

I think, in this instance, it is a little crazy. The toilet sits much too close to the wall for them to have perfect molding and quarter round there.

I'd let this one go (and next time you replace the toilet, make sure you buy one appropriate for your roughin. (for example, you may need a 10" rough in toilet... to get it to sit out a little ways from the wall.)

You should definitely call a plumber, have him move the drain pipe further from the wall and reinstall the toilet.