Elevator shaft flood from a clogged roof drain cost me $8,600

I was doing a final walkthrough on a retail build in Columbus and heard water dripping in the elevator pit. Turns out the roof drain had been covered with construction debris for days, and a storm sent all that water straight down the shaft. We had to pull the cab, replace the controller, and dry out the pit before the inspector would sign off. The GC blamed the roofer, the roofer blamed the mason, and I ate the bill because my contract had a weather clause. Has anyone else had a water damage claim that turned into a three-way blame game?

2 comments

2 Comments

theabarnes1mo ago

That contract language sounds like it gave you zero room to push back, huh? Did you have any photos of the debris before the storm hit, or was it already gone by then? Seems like if you could prove the roofer left that mess, their insurance would have to step in. What does your lawyer say about going after the GC directly since they were supposed to be coordinating all those trades? Curious if you got any sort of inspection report that noted the drain blockage before the flooding.

the_drew1mo ago

Flip it around on @theabarnes for a second. That contract language? It might actually be your best friend here. If it's written so tight that you had no room to push back, that cuts both ways. The GC can't claim you accepted the work or the site condition if the contract didn't give you a chance to inspect or sign off on it properly.