Oops! Is a Contractor's Work Ever Really Done?

A contractor was hired to renovate a kitchen. The homeowner was thrilled with the results, but asked for a few final punch-list items: adjusting the cabinet doors and replacing a damaged drawer pull. To reach the cabinets, the contractor moved the refrigerator, but failed to securely reconnect the ice maker supply line before leaving. Two days later, the homeowner discovered water throughout the kitchen and adjacent rooms after the line separated, damaging the newly renovated space and the surrounding flooring.   Notable Timestamps   [ 00:45 ] - Mike sets up today's scenario: a contractor's punch-list visit ends with a disconnected ice maker line and water damage throughout a newly renovated kitchen.   [ 05:08 ] - Brennan and Mike revisit the CGL's j(5) and j(6) exclusions, which apply only to ongoing operations on the particular part of the property being worked on -- not completed work.   [ 08:03 ] - Once an operation is complete, the Damage to Your Work exclusion takes over, precluding coverage for property damage to the insured's own completed work -- unless a subcontractor did that work.   [ 09:51 ] - "Your work" and the "products-completed operations hazard" are both specifically defined policy terms, complete with a three-part test for exactly when work is deemed done.   [ 11:37 ] - The team finds the carve-out they were looking for: coverage turns on whether the work "has not been completed or abandoned."   [ 14:45 ] - The kitchen renovation was substantially complete, so the water damage likely falls under the Your Work exclusion.   [ 15:19 ] - Either way, some damage may still be covered -- reconnecting the ice maker wasn't really the contractor's "work," so the resulting damage to the flooring is arguably separate, covered damage.   Your PLRB Resources   Coverage Question: Is This an Ongoing or Completed Operation? https://members.plrb.org/documents/is-this-an-ongoing-or-completed-operation-2025-08-25fjg   Adjuster Resource Sheet: Faulty Work https://members.plrb.org/documents/adjuster-resource-sheet-faulty-work   Employees of member companies also have access to a searchable legal database, hundreds of hours of video trainings, building code materials, weather data, and even the ability to have your coverage questions answered by our team of attorneys (https://www.plrb.org/ask-plrb/) at no additional charge to you or your company.   Subscribe to this Podcast   Your Podcast App - Please subscribe and rate us on your favorite podcast app   YouTube - Please like and subscribe at @plrb   LinkedIN - Please follow at "Property and Liability Resource Bureau"   Send us your Scenario!   Please reach out to us at 630-509-8704 with your scenario! This could be your "adjuster story" sharing a situation from your claims experience, or a burning question you would like the team to answer. In any case, please omit any personal information as we will anonymize your story before we share. Just reach out to [email protected].   Legal Information   The views and opinions expressed in this resource are those of the individual speaker and not necessarily those of the Property & Liability Resource Bureau (PLRB), its membership, or any organization with which the presenter is employed or affiliated. The information, ideas, and opinions are presented as information only and not as legal advice or offers of representation. Individual policy language and state laws vary, and listeners should rely on guidance from their companies and counsel as appropriate.   Music: "Piece of Future" by Keyframe_Audio. Pixabay. Pixabay License. Font: Metropolis by Chris Simpson. SIL OFL 1.1. Icons: FontAwesome (SIL OFL 1.1) and Noun Project (royalty-free licenses purchased via subscription). Sound Effects: Pixabay (Pixabay License) and Freesound.org (CC0).