We have let HD management know of a couple of the problems as they occured. The rest had not happened yet. The Mgr called the KD up who then called us up. That's how HD mgt operates. The KD came to our home and noted the first few problems but he won't accept blame. He dislikes mistakes pointed out. His catch phrase is, "People are willing to live with worse situations and less 'get around space' than you just so they can expand their number of boxes (cabinet units)". He says people regularly live with 30" hallways. He has an answer for everything. His favorites are, "It doesn't appear in my folder, I don't have the missing wall noted in my drawing, You really can get out of the back door OK - see how I do it? (turns sideways), I don't have the appliance specs, etc." But he has blinders on and tells us nothing at all is problematic and his design is perfect. HD sent out a measure guy to take a look at the job and see if the design was feasible within the space. Measure guy told the KD that he needed to be to code with the width of the hallway and he also told him the oven cabinet was on top of the electrical switches. By that time we'd purchased a new window based on his design and had to move the switches. The KD told us he made the hall way to code but he did nothing to the design - it's hard to tell with all the fillers they use and he told us he pulled some out. The measure guy mismeasured the ceiling height, etc. Boxes had to be cut down. The measure guy who is a contractor out of HD wanted the installation job but we hired a woodworker from down the street. It seems to me the problems are both the KD and the measure guy's fault. I need to take another look at the language of what we signed. The design from HD is free. We paid in full for the Kraft Maid cabinets to complete that design. After we paid for the cabinets we were allowed to have a copy of the design to take to contractors. Our contractor likely should have really conemplated the design before beginning work. He thought the KD was an effective designer. He works with Premier Cabinets whose designers get it right all the time. The contractor has himself and 2 other employees so that he is juggling jobs which we don't mind. He's a wonderful woodworker and we have several custom areas. He'd get to another step with installation and say, "Well, that can't work!" Thank you all so much for your advice.

First of all - YOU should NOT have to be going through all of the CRAP!!! In a perfect world - this whole process should )actually) be FUN - However, since this is NOT a "perfect world" - there MAY be set backs, delays and/or cost over runs - but generally speaking (IMHO) this process should still have a reasonable amount of "fun" still in the contents.... Zeebee said what I was going to say too - red flags with your present KD.... Also - there's TONS of wisdom being put out here by the likes of Cheri 127, Zeebee, Live Wire Oak and Kitchenconfidential 2.... I'll add my own .02 cents on this as well - There are MANY people who will pretend to be KD's - maybe because they did a whole ONE remodel of THEIR OWN kitchen, or have watched some TV shows on remodeling, or are really good at researching stuff on the internet - THESE attributes DO NOT qualify folks to be real honest to goodness KD's. The folks that actually ARE the "real deal" (real Kitchen DESIGNERS - NOT "decorators") ACTUALLY have CREDENTIALS, KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE to back up the "talk they talk - with the walk they walk".... Sounds to me like you have "gotten in bed" with a "pretend" KD - a "decorator" (IMHO) that may know "pretty" - but does not have clue about how "looking pretty" gets executed into BEING pretty - the actual application of each trade and the materials that are used - along with how things go into place, and "the order of battle" - TO MAKE A FINISHED PRODUCT THAT IS YOUR KITCHEN PROJECT. Most "decorators" are really good with color, and can pick out drapes, but when ot comes to laying out a kitchen in CAD for cabinets AND countertops - they're "looking like a scared deer in the headlights" :-o They're clueless when it comes to "what gets done first, then what, and so on. I despise "decorators" they make guy's lives (like mine) in the trades - A LIVING HELL, and.... There's days where I'm sure that other guys like me fantasize about - "if MERCY KILLING were LEGAL" - "decorators" be the on the TOP OF THE LIST!!! But alas - as the saying goes: "Decorators - Can't Live WITH 'em - Can't KILL 'em" HA!!!! Anyways - all playful kidding aside........ It also sounds to me - like (from the amount of time that you are waiting on two or three other bids - that EITHER the other GC's don't want to work with you beacuse of your current KD imposter - OR - business is really good in your area.. I hope it's the latter - because here in AZ = GC's are breaking the sound barrier to get bids back to customers - so they can get more volume of work. Your in a tuff spot, but if you stay cool and READ everything that gets put in front of you to sign - and UNDERSTAND IT - you will be ahead of the curve..... I'd be looking for a REAL KD in the mean time - contact NKBA to find some other prospects in your area.... a link is below for you to check out... hth kevin

To give some perspective, the prices came in as follows: Wellborn - $17,500 Medallion - $15,500 Thomasville - $11,500 with all the discounts ($400 sink base + $2,300 or $2,700 total) I live in northern California, (San Francisco bay area) where the houses have been historically more expensive than other parts of the country. The median home price has gone from a high of 700-800k to a low of 400k. We are trying to keep within a $35k-40k budget. It's just hard to leave $3k on the table. The two quotes for Wellborn and Medallion were with small cabinet shops. I'm pretty sure that they can't match the HD Thomasville price. I worry a bit about the small cabinet companies going out of business, in this economic climate. I have the same worry with the appliance places. I didn't have a lot of confidence in the HD designer, bless his heart, his English was terrible, it took him three hours to get a quote, and I had him call Thomasville three times to get my questions answered. Each line has slightly different options for ventilation hoods, spice racks, glass, etc. I have the most confidence in the KD who represents the Medallion line. She is fast, knows her line, and came up with a quote in a very short order. The designer representing the Wellborn line was nice enough, but she wouldn't even give me a print out of the design and she wanted to insert herself by making decisions such as pulling out an 18-inch depth run of cabinets on the gas range side meeting up 12-inch depth of cabinets albeit with a 90 degree angle up at the top, but without passing it by me. Then, she gave me triple crown molding and just assumed I wanted the "egg and dart" molding because it looks like little Eiffel Towers to her. I don't like egg and dart molding! Of course, I can always go back and change things up, but I feel I have to micromanage the process with both the Wellborn and Thomasville representatives. If I think objectively about it, I think Wellborn does have the nicest finish. I can cut costs by turning the door end panels into plywood veneer end panels. To be honest, my quotes aren't really apples to apples, either with respect to the solid door end panels (Wellborn had it, Medallion doesn't include it, and Thomasville does include it). I'll have to think about the trade-offs. The other issue about Thomasville is it appears that the drawers are more shallow than Medallion and Wellborn. I think the lead times are all about the same with these manufacturers (5 to 6 weeks). Like odiegirl, I also have some structural changes--a post which is holding up the end of the roof needs replacing with a beam, otherwise, this cramped kitchen will still feel closed in. live_wire_oak: thank you for your comments. I am going to mull this all over. Karen

I do not have time to read all of this, but want to encourage you to peruse and search this site for lawsuit, shoddy cabinets, etc. There are quite a few of us that ended up in court because we hired the wrong person. Knowing all that I know now, and knowing how the courts operate, I would never give my good CASH money to any small business again. NEVER. Now, IF you use a credit card and have a GOOF-PROOF, most excellent contract with every dot and tittle expressed, numbered, named, excellent drawings and inspiration photos all signed by you AND the cabinet maker so there is no mistaking exactly what you want or expect at the end of the contract, and have a finished sample door style and color (usually half goes to you, half goes to the cabinet maker), THEN and only then would I consider doing business. The credit card company will do and CAN do what no court will ever do without it costing you big dollars, the CC Company can credit you back for bad cabinets or not being satisfied. You see, the small guy has a contract with the CC co. and he is not guaranteed money "no matter what" he does. My case in point is just as suggested you do above, however, I paid CASH. I won in court, but CabFiascoGuy (as I call him here on GW) was incorporated and changed his business name. I would have had to hire another company to chase down his assets. The judge just said to call it even and we both go our own way. I got shoddy cabinets with a hideous finish, not as I ordered, crappy paint job, appliances did not fit, etc. (research my name). I am almost THREE YEARS OUT and am just now finishing my kitchen. I have hired five people to help do different aspects. Repainted four times (another story, but I ended up finishing them myself). Had to have all cabinets taken down, modified, reinstalled. 34 or so new doors ordered (all with a profile I HATE and did not choose.) . So, knowing how crappy it is to get involved with a company with not much to lose except a business name...is not anything I will EVER do again. I will MAKE myself be happy with something from a big box store. An extra month to wait for cabinets should something have to be reordered??? PUH=LEEZE!!! I have the patience of a saint now. I'm so patient now, I haven't bought a new car in almost 7 years because I'm willing to wait until the new models come out...then for a spring sale...then year end...and so on. I was NEVER like this before this cabinet fiasco. Thanks for listening. Be cautious. Even "nice people" can end up in court. Desperate people can do despearate things. Promise you the moon for the right price and persuade you to do business. I cannot afford to ever make the same mistake twice. PS. If a local guy will do business with about 25% down (using cc still), then I would be willing to pay cash once the cabinets were installed and I was smiling. This is about the only scenario I could agree with using a small cabinet maker.