My plumber and his helpers recommended a contractor to gut remodel my bath. Of course, the contractor screwed me, and eventually stopped showing up...but that is not the issue. The contractor hired one of the plumbers workers to do my plumbing. So when the job fell apart, I figured it was good to continue to use him as I took over trying to get the remodel finished. WRONG! Yikes! Today's adventure: he stopped by because I asked him to fix the heating pipes he moved that were banging. I asked him to show me where he had moved that bathroom's water cutoffs, and to turn the water on to make sure there were no leaks before I tiled over the durock floor. (Most of the plumbing is in the floor.) He assured me there wouldn't be any and left.

I didn't think of going to look around, I was in the middle of painting when he came. I would think that, as he is the person doing the plumbing, that it is his job to double-check things. Anyway, it turns out that the tub faucet, the only fixture installed because it is a free-standing one and therefore he installed before the floor, was turned on a little, and now I have water all over my house. Not just the upstairs bathroom, but my bedroom ceiling just below, and a ton of the water went right into my memory foam mattress, boxspring, carpet, and down into the basement. I called him (after turning everything off) and all he said was "It's not my fault the valve was on!"

Of course, I wish I had checked, so I am kicking myself, but what should I do now? Just suck it up and pay for fixing the damage myself? I am angry as I feel that he did not do his due diligence. I wish I had never started this disaster! I don't think I will be able to get anyone else to take over the job, either. HELP!

were permits pulled and inspections done?
you will have some leverage thru the building department if they were pulled.

Who actually turned the water on?

Tough deal there , if you are essentially contractor now its on you. That's what you pay a
contractor for to make sure trades are licensed and skilled, he also takes on that responsibility or accountability. You'll not be getting some unlicensed nothing to loose assistant to pay for any mistakes hes not even making the money to have it if he would. Always have to have someone with something to loose that's what makes them accountable!