Shower drain leak
 

We own a cottage home. Noticed the carpet at the entrance of the master bath getting damp after taking a shower. Had a plumbing company come out, and they said it's a shower drain leak. Said they'll have to take the shower out and fix the drain. Waiting on the estimate. Has anyone else had this happen? How expensive was it? Is this something in my home insurance might cover?

How old is the house? Not sure what a 'cottage home' is, and I do not understand removing the shower, unless this is one piece fiberglass type shower. If that is the case, it sounds like there may have been an installation problem with the shower possibly flexing more than the plumbing could tolerate. I would call home warranty, this MIGHT be considered structural and covered, in any case they may be able to provide additional info.
Good luck with your project.

I would call my homeowners insurance because most of the work should be covered.

Did they check the drain seal ? There should be two . Or just say we need to tear out the shower
Get a second opinion

Flush out your bathroom drains really good by letting the water run in the tub, the shower and flush the toilet. Sometimes the water backflows in the shower.

I would want to rule out the possibility that the water isn't coming from the cold/hot shower valve(s) that is(are) in use while taking a shower.

I hope your problem is not the same as we had in a NEW house here. Water would not drain out of the "walk-in" shower and naturally would run out into the adjacent area. It was caused by the drain not being installed at a lower level than the shower floor. The only possible solution was to tear out the tile and the concrete below the drain in order to position a replacement drain properly. Was a huge mess caused by the jackhammer and removal of the broken up tiles and concrete. Fortunately, it was a new construction and covered by the home warranty. I have no idea how much the "fix" would have been, but it involved several days including the destruction of the original tiles and concrete, pouring new concrete and tile replacement. Good luck to you, and I'm sure the mistake by the builder was a very rare occurrence. Almost any other problem with it would be an easier repair. You did not state the age of your house so unless you've had some very unusual "settling" of concrete in adjacent areas, and the house is not new, that is not the issue.

Search leaking shower drain. We had the same problem and the fix was to remove the cover over the drain and then apply silicone caulking to one of two places...the you tube video I watched told you how to determine which was the issue...5 dollars and 10 minutes later the problem was fixed and has stayed fixed for nearly 2 years. Good luck.

Or perhaps had new construction and new plumbing with it???

The home was built in 2000. t's a fiberglass walk-in shower - no tub - all one piece. It's not leaking from inside the tub - apparently underneath it. The guy that came out last Friday to look at it said we had a broken pipe under our shower. The owner of the plumbing company is coming back on Wednesday to give us an estimate. We were told if/when they repair it, we'd have to get a new shower and have new sheet rock put up.

I would use a funnel or hose to pour a lot of water directly into the shower drain pipe. If the leak is under the shower pan, the carpet will get wet, and the plumber is correct. Removing and replacing the shower will be an expensive project, but I think that your homeowners insurance will cover all costs for the tearout and repair work, as well as any damage to the carpet. The only thing they won't cover is the cost to actually repair the drain pipe, which should be minimal, and your deductible. If the contractor asks you to sign a release of benefits form, DO NOT SIGN IT. You should deal directly with your insurance company for any payments they approve. Some insurance companies will just write you a check, which may be more than you actually need to get the work done.

@RetiredGuy123 ... can you tell me what a "release of benefits form" is and why would they want me to sign it? Just trying to get as much information as possible before he comes on Wednesday to look at it again.

It is a form that authorizes the contractor to communicate directly with your insurance company in an attempt to justify your claim. It also allows the contractor to perform insurance covered work and to be paid directly from the insurance company. The problem is that you will lose all control over the work, the quality, and the time schedule, and you will be locked in to that contractor. Roofing contractors often use this tactic after a storm. I would call your insurance company before Wednesday, explain the work, and ask to set up a claim. Also, I would have the insurance adjuster come to your house to inspect the project, and would not show the adjuster the contractor's estimate unless he asks for it. Sometimes the adjuster will offer you a cash settlement. Settlement offers are often generous and include things you didn't even think about. The settlement may be higher than the contractor's estimate or you may want to get additional estimates before hiring a contractor. Good luck.

I think the reason he said that is because removing the shower will most likely damage it and maybe the sheet-rock as well.