I have just discovered that the plumbing contractor who built my house concreted in the area around the drain & water delivery pipes under my bathtub, instead of leaving it open or tarring it in. The drain started leaking, and the plumber I called to fix it can't fix it without removing the tub, which apparently was also set in concrete, and chiseling away the concrete. He's quoted me a price of $3200 labor and $1000 parts. The house is about 13 years old.

What responsibility does the building contractor and the plumbing contractor have to fix this, since they are the ones causing the high labor/extra cost? Can I expect the original plumber to fix this mistake?

Most contractors offer only a one year warranty, even on new houses.

Also, are you the original owner of the house?

If you aren't, then who's to say who made the decision to fill in the buck-out?

More to the point, there isn't a thing wrong with filling in the buck-out -- Some building contractors and homeowners request that the buck-out be filled in to maintain the integrity of the slabs vapor barrier and slab insulation.

As for the estimate you were given, it sounds a bit high -- I'd recommend obtaining at least two more estimates before commencing work on the repair.

In our area we leave the tub dap-out open or we seal the floor of the hole with tar or roof cement. I don't believe I've ever seen one that was completely filled with cement. Since the trap and tub waste connection's under the slab we leave that part open to be serviced. 1000$ for parts to repair a leaky drain? I got to get back in the plumbing game. I really want to trade my RX7 in on a Porche. If I get one sucker, (oops! I mean customer) a week for a $4200 a shot I can be riding in style in no time at all.
Get another estimate and this time get a plumber that doesn't want to winter in Aruba. Regards, Tomn