It's so much easier to get input if you have pictures to post and also a rough diagram on paper of your layout. There are so many talented people on this forum and I'm betting you will gets tons of advice. First, read the thread "Read me if you're new to GW kitchens" by beuhl. As you scroll down, there's a section that tells you how to upload and post pictures. You open a free account with a site like photobucket.com, upload your pictures to that site, click on the picture's HTML code to copy, then you paste that in the body of the message. Numbers/letters will appear and when you click on preview your picture should show up in the message body. Then if it's all good, hit submit and there it is!! Sounds a lot harder than it is. Your kitchen sounds very nce from your descriptions. Can visualize stainless and antique bronze. If you could post pics of a piece of your tile/floor, a picture of your granite, the cabinets, and the marble the experts here can help with the backsplash. My advice, without seeing any pictures, would be to pick a nice, warm tan/cream color that would look nice with the granite and cabs. Or maybe a light gold?? So many things you could do. What colors are in the marble?? Take a deep breath-you seem to be doing just fine and you will have lots of support here. Glad to hear you are ok. We had friends who worked in the WTC and they got out in time too.

My problems have been relatively minor so far. Demo started last Monday. On the first day, the power went off in my neighborhood for two hours. Not my GC's fault. This was, however, an omen. I had told the GC that I wanted the wall oven lower because I'm short, and he said he'd keep it at the same height as the current one. But, in fact, he raised it 6 inches. That one I caught in the framing stage, so he's fixing it. I think he forgot. Then he asked me as he was heading out to buy lights, did I want black or white UC lights. He recommended white, I'm not good with quick decisions (why I read GW for months) and said OK. Before I could tell him I really thought I'd rather have black, the white was installed (it was the same day - at least he's quick). That wasn't really his fault - I should have asked for time to decide. But we did discuss where to place the recessed lights, since the joist ran right where they should go, so they could be too close or too far from the cabinets, and I'm quite sure we had decided on too far, but he installed them, instead, too close. If this was due to a decision on his part, shouldn't he have mentioned it to me? I think he forgot again, and it was the same day. But I didn't notice until the ceiling drywall was done, so too late! The most recent thing is not really his fault, except indirectly. I'm donating the cabs and metal stuff to Habitat for Humanity Restore. They said they would be selling the oven for scrap, which was a shame, but at least it wasn't going to the landfill. When the GC demo'd, he put the oven in the driveway instead of the garage with the rest, and I reminded him that it was being donated (I'm seeing a pattern of forgetting here). I knew it was very heavy, so I told him that it was OK to leave it there - it was up by the garage, behind the dumpster, not easily visible from the street, and it didn't matter if it was rained on, but I told him to be sure not to put it in the dumpster. That was last week. Habitat comes tomorrow. Today, while my teenage daughter was home alone, a man and woman in a pickup truck came up the driveway with a dolley and took the oven, wheeling it between the dumpster and our Buick Rendezvous. My DD called my DH, who doesn't ever listen to me when I tell him what is going on, and he told her it was OK if someone could use it. She was afraid to go out and say anything to these people anyway - she's only 13. So my beloved oven was stolen by scrappers. I understand if something is at the curb, it's fair game, but no one should walk up your driveway and spend 15 minutes trying to figure out how to get an double oven into their pickup truck. I'm really PO'd. So it's been only 7 days of remodel, and I can't wait to see what's going to happen next. From now on, every piddling thing is going to be in writing. Still, my stories are nowhere near as bad as all of yours. Clearly, no amount of planning - or wine - is ever enough.

I pulled the following off our 36-page "Merchandise and Service Summary". it included item#, item description (product or service), prices (per item, Qty, Total), delivery dates. If it's a quote, there should also be an "expiration date" for the quote. NOTE: This was our "final" for when we signed the contract. If you have just a quote, you may not have all this detail b/c it's doubtful they will go through all the work required to generate it if they're only bidding. However, use this to ask if all of this is included in the quote - it may be a discriminator b/w contractors. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Permits: In 2008, it was $750 in my county (not town b/c it's rural) for a gutted Kitchen. . Misceallenous: Upcharge if second floor Upcharge for tile pattern or diagonal on walls and floors; similar for wood List of what is NOT covered in the "merchandise & service summary" (or whatever your contractor calls it) E.g., mine said "Any work to bring walls square/level for installation of cabinets, up to and including any drywall work" . Products/Materials/Supplies: cost of item, cost of delivery, cost of removal of old, cost of installation of new Be sure all "parts" are included. E.g., for a sink, you need not just a faucet, but also the drainpipe, etc. Some examples: Recessed lighting: fixtures, baffles, bulbs Undercabinet lighting: fixtures, transformers, etc. Every switch cover, receptacle, receptacle cover, etc. Cables, conduits (if required by local Code) Tile floor: Tile, sealant, grout, cementious backer board, leveling compound Register/duct grills . Demolition: Interior and exterior protection (dust abatement; protection of floors, walls, doors, driveway, sidewalks, etc.), dumpster on site, haul away of debris, Demolition of countertops, wall cabinetry, base cabinetry, drywall/sheetrock, removal soffits, removal of base and/or crown molding Removal of doors or openings, walls Removal of and exterior termination or sealing of existing range hood duct Removal of walls (if load bearing, installation of header or whatever they're doing) If changing/eliminating an existing pantry: Removal of pantry shelving Removal of electrical from appliances, receptacles, and switches from walls changed/taken down Removal of wiring in soffits Capping off old gas line If PR included, removal of bath fixtures/toilets/cabinetry . Labor: There should be a comprehensive list of what is to be installed (appliances, fixtures, etc.) If it's not on the list, then it's probably not covered Some examples: Flooring: removal of old floor, prep work (e.g., repair, leveling), installation of new floor Tile floor: sealing grout, sealing tile - if two coats of sealant, then it should state it Installing new walls, including pantry Frame new door/doorway Any other carpentry (e.g., new window wall, etc.) Blocking for countertop New ductwork for hood (may need some customization) Toekick heater/move existing register Connect duct to vent hood . Electrical Adding any new circuits (50 amp, 20 amp) Adding new receptacles, switches (dimmer or not), gang biscuit (?) Reworking of existing circuits Remove/replace/add GFCI (to meet current Code) GD: outlet, airswitch . Plumbing: Relocation of existing/adding new water supply lines Relocation of existing/adding new waste/drain line Relocation of existing/adding new vent stack Relocation of existing/adding new refrigerator water line (water & ice) Relocation of DW ---------------------- Other things to think about/look for: For sinks: stainless steel drains, strainers, etc. (Do not get a specialty finish as they often do not stand up to cleaning chemicals/scrubs/etc. E.g., nickel is affected by bleach and BarKeeper's Friend) I specified what drains/drainpipes and GD flanges - I wanted all stainless steel, not chrome, and I did not want the cheap drains & strainers. (Kohler DuoStrainer and Kohler GD cover - all in brushed stainless steel)

"...allowances themselves are not evil..." The problems with allowances are really very simple: Builders use allowances in various ways for their own purposes; reputable builders fully inform their owners about how the allowances were conceived; not so reputable builders do not. Many consumers, particularly first time builders, think that their construction cost in the construction contract, which included allowances is a maximum and all inclusive. When they can't get the desired and hoped for materials and work within a given allowance, many consumers are shocked, surprised and dismayed at the additional expenses reflected in the subsequent change orders. Many consumers, particularly first time builders, become overwhelmed by the myriad decisions and limited time frame for the choices which have to be made within the builder's normal construction sequencing and schedule. Waiting until construction to make all of these choices is fine for many experienced folks; it can be never-wracking from many other folks. Read the threads. At the end of the day, allowances all boil down to whether or not they are appropriate and "reasonable" for the nature and quality of the project, and if they reflect the owner's wishes. Think about the beginning of a construction project: how many consumers and builders are exactly on the same page at the time a construction contract is typed up? The too often answer is that each party is in their own individual world, based on their own similar experiences. Where does that leave consumers? If one's budget is large and flexible; If one enjoy shopping for and paying for one's own personal choices; if one's personality doesn't really mind "surprises" of a financial nature, where one or more allowances is insufficient to cover the expenses of an owner's desires; if one enjoys making selection decisions in a short time frame; if one has done all this before and understands how the process works...then allowances may not be much of a bother. On the other hand, if one wants their house priced all inclusively and wants to make the selection decisions up front and have them reflected in the total cost and schedule. the strategy is simple: eliminate all allowances. Everyone has a choice. But knowledge is power!