Kohler and Grohe go head to head. It isn't fair to compare the two because both companies have their leading products. May I suggest Riobel as another helpful option! We are a high-end boutique and even though we have Grohe and Kohler's full product line, people always lean towards Riobel. The look and style of their fixtures, their high-end quality without breaking the bank, and the overall performance is incredible. Check out their products. If this is just between Kohler and Grohe then here is how it all breaks down: Each company has a full product line. Most companies have their toilet line, faucet line, shower line, kitchen line, etc...Every company has their best selling line. Kohler's best sellers are their bathroom products such as their toilets and their faucets. Grohe however, is the leading company for their kitchen faucets- not so much their bathroom line. None of this is based on opinion, it is entirely based on what sells in the industry and what the demand is. If you want the 'porsche' for shower fixtures, Hans Grohe is one of the best! Let me know if this helped!

Leslie, here's what I'd do (and have done in some cases): go online and price out all the items you're going to order, or at least all the big ones. If you qualify for free shipping, make sure you have that showing (e.g. print out your shopping cart showing $0.00 shipping if it isn't otherwise prominently displayed somewhere). Then go into your local store and tell the guy you want to get a final price quote so you can make the decision to finalize your order. Tell him he mentioned discounts, but you want to see how much it all comes out to. And mention that you were looking online to try to get an idea of what the prices would be, but you're hoping his price will be in the same neighborhood so you can order from him. And then see what he does. He may say, "let me see what pricing you found," sit at his computer and compare that to his pricing, and tell you he can match the pricing. Or he may immediately backpedal and tell you he can't match online prices because he has the overhead of a brick-and-mortar operation, or that you aren't getting the same quality items ordering online, or some other excuses. When I shopped a local dealer, he did the former -- took the pages I had in my folder (I made it clear I had researched the pricing, but didn't wave the sheets in his face) and matched the online pricing within a few bucks in every case. Now, in my case, buying locally means that I have to pay 6% sales tax, which I'm not charged if I buy online. (Technically, we should be voluntarily declaring our tax-free purchases and paying the state a 6% use tax, but no one does this.) I decided that I'd be willing to pay that difference in order to support the local business. I'd have been somewhat lost without his knowledge -- brands I didn't know about, pieces I didn't know about -- and seeing a wide range of products in his showroom, and so I tried to rationalize that it's worth a little more in sales taxes to support the local merchant. That all being said, when I did place the order for our first bathroom through the local dealer, and it wasn't all completely smooth going. I found out that for some manufacturers, they only place orders once a week or when they hit a minimum dollar threshold, so we lost some days I wasn't anticipating. And then they didn't notify me that some items were backordered from the manufacturer. I couldn't check my order status online; I had to repeatedly call the dealer to ask someone to check. When I found out after a week or so that my tub was going to be delayed three more weeks, and had my contractor breathing down my neck because it was going to delay a lot of work, I ended up canceling that item with the local dealer because I found it online, in stock and available for same-day shipping, so I got it within a week. (Despite what some have posted here, I used eFaucets for that order and a few other items in the past six months, with absolutely no problems.) And I had to go back to the local dealer (more than 30 minutes away) to pick things up several times as items came in piecemeal over a period of several weeks. So when it came time to start ordering items for our second bathroom, I decided that with the knowledge I had gained during the first rounds of shopping and procurement, that it was going to be easier for me to order online, and that's what I did. I got all my Hansgrohe shower hardware from Ira Woods, an online site that isn't mentioned much on this forum but is often recommended in the Kitchen forum. Sink, faucet, toilet, light fixture, dimmers, doorknobs, etc. were all ordered online, from various online sites. One other thing I'd like to mention. You said you're starting in two weeks. You need to ask the local dealer and/or any online retailer what is in stock, and when you will receive each item. Many online sites say "in stock" but actually don't have real-time inventory data feeding their web site. Some just say "in stock" for everything, whether it ever is or not. Don't assume it'll be okay; get on the phone, or live chat support, and ask them to specifically check what's in stock and when you will get it. (I did this just yesterday with our final batch of bathroom accessories; I found two online sites which said "in stock" for the five items I was ordering, but actually didn't have all the items in stock, and I ended up splitting the order between two different sites.) If you're inclined to buy from the local dealer, ask him to check with his warehouse/distributors/manufacturers to be able to give you actual shipping dates rather than generalized estimate (e.g "usually ships within one week"). In my experiences just having done two bathrooms, you'll be lucky to get all your materials within two weeks -- but it depends a great deal on the manufacturers and product lines you're buying, as I'm sure some more popular items are readily in stock at warehouses. Also, for your own sanity and stress reduction, be sure to find out from your contractor exactly what he needs when. He may tell you, for example, that the shower trim/diverter and showerhead won't be needed for a month, but the thermostatic valve is needed when he begins work in two weeks. Or that the toilet isn't needed until near the end of the job, but the tub is needed at the beginning. So a delay in shipping some products may not be any problem at all, but your contractor can tell you. Depending what you're doing in your bathroom, there may be some things you need early in the process which you aren't aware of without asking. (For example, I was caught unprepared when my contractor told me he needed the shower drain near the beginning of the shower construction; now that I've seen how a shower is built, I understand why, but it just wasn't on my radar until my contractor gave me a heads up. It turned out that the drain we chose consists of a frame and the actual metal drain which sits inside the frame; the frame was available immediately, and that's what the contractor needed immediately to build the shower bed and tile, while the metal drain had a four week lead time, which worked out fine because it wasn't needed until after the tile was done.) And yes, this can all become rather overwhelming, especially while working full-time! I'm just finishing nearly six months of work on the gust bath, an addition, and a master bath, and I can't wait to be able to devote my full attention back to my "day job". ;) -- Eric

Peony, thanks for the input re: Delta! Lazygardens and Graywings, yes, it always seems to come down to the SKU (and you're right-- sometimes maybe it's changed just for logistics). If the SKU would be the same, then I would assume it's the same product. However, BB stores tend to carry products designed as exclusives, or at least the ones I've looked at. OldTimeCarpenter, I really appreciate your input. It's good to know that the certification is a public document. Patricia, I hear you re: the fancy brands. When I was looking for a faucet last time, I read reviews of higher-than-my-budget products, and they definitely had their failings, too. Like you said, it can be much safer to go with a known/major brand with easily accessible parts. Annie, what a shame! Plumbers have recommended Moen to me, but like I said the one I got at a BB store was so cheaply made . . .I think it depends on what price range you get. Shicksal, that is good to know! Sheila, that is very impressive customer service. I have read similar good reports re: Delta. I have been very happy with the quality of ours so far. May Flowers, is the quality different across the board, or only certain brands/models? Tibb, I am so sorry. How frustrating. Is your order pending or did you already get it? I am totally with you on the function over form re: a faucet. While I usually care about every detail, I don't regarding a faucet (esp a shower one!) other than if it will last! So, it sounds like Wolverine has a great history, but has changed, as some are now manufactured in China. This article seems to support the idea that not all Wolverine faucets are compliant. It discusses that Wolverine has been "low-lead" all along (which I still don't get; WHY is any lead in faucets???), but then it goes onto to say: "Dueger pointed out that the firm has not raised prices on its AB1953 compliant low-lead faucets. Packaging on the complaint faucets is marked âÂÂNL.âÂÂ" So, doesn't that mean that SOME of the faucets are compliant, and not all? Because you have to check the packaging. Geesh, in this day and age where we are all aware of environmental dangers to our health, it does not make sense. Here is a link that might be useful: Wolverine Low Lead

So this is a really loaded question: Like asking if there's a difference between price/quality for cars. Many mainline faucet companies make very good mid-priced faucets that are good quality, durable, stylish and available at big box stores. You can certainly spend significantly more money and get higher-end design, materials, etc. However, it's not necessary to do that to get a durable faucet. Whether spending additional money for solid brass, high end design, etc. is worth it is a personal decision -- same as it is with appliances. Here's the thing that I've said before: The price of faucets is out of line with what they are. I can buy a good quality dishwasher, with stainless steel inside and out, that will ACTUALLY WASH THE DISHES, not just look at them, for $500-800. We are making kitchens into crazy expensive spaces with stone countertops, high end appliances, super expensive cabinets, etc. And if you have that kind of money... fine. But don't get bullied into thinking that you have to spend $1,000 on kitchen faucets or a buy a Wolf range to have a nice and well designed kitchen.