You say the fronts are not aligned vertically-
were they taht way before they were installed? If yes it is not an install issue. IF no then it is an installation issue.
were the drawerheads removed during installation? hopefully not
-are there drawers of the same size in the kitchen? It is possible that drawers from one cabinet ended up in another- If this was a small custom builder it is highly possible that each drawer head and door were fitted to each cabinet so try replacing one drawer with another. If that is not possible then-
-the only other possible reason to blame installation is that the front of the cabinets are not on the same plane, they are skewed.
The only reasons for it to be a construction and not an install issue is if the drawer glides are skewed in the cabinet OR the cabinet arrived with the drawerheads misaligned.
A 1/16" reveal between is small but not unusual in a better cabinet so that should not be the issue.

adjacent = meaning they are one above the other (?)
If so, then you do need to unscrew the glides on one and rescrew it in parallel to the adjacent one. The glides have several screw holes so you can move the screw over to a new hole.

removing all the drawers you can get your head inside the base cabinet and see if the glides are all parallel to each other.

Adjacent usually means "next to". I would think that the 1/16" gap is the issue. thats pretty darn small. the slides on adjacent cabinets would have to be installed within very tight tolerences in order for a 1/16" gap to be maintained when the drawers are fully extended. even then, there is enough slop in the drawer slides to mess this up. i think the drawer fronts need to be adjusted (planed/trimmed).

That's an odd situation. I have 3 drawers in my den that are about 1/16" apart like you, on full-extension glides. They all open straight out without bumping, and are perfectly parallel. These are frameless Scherr's cabs that I installed myself.

I'm not sure on how exactly it could be a manufacturing error if the cabs are frameless. I also don't see how it could be an installation error if you attached the cabs to each other at both front and back. But obviously it's one of the other. It could be something like a wood chip caught between a glide and the cabinet. Or a piece of debris on the floor caught between the cabs when you were connecting them.

To troubleshoot, try attaching a straightedge perpendicular to the face to see which drawers are not sliding straight out. Then take a closer look at that drawer and cabinet to figure out what's going on.

Is 1/16" enough to accommodate adjacent drawers expanding in humid conditions?

I'd first try switching the drawers around. I had to label mine to be sure I put them in the right slot or some of them would be crooked.

When square boxes are installed in a row, the base cabinets sides are all parallel to each other, and the drawers slides will be parallel to each other too.

This is why I asked if the parts that touched were the drawers one above and below each other.

to clarify:
when base cabinets are perfectly square,
then their sides are all perfectly parallel, all in a row...

The cabinets are frameless but not done using the 32 mm system, unfrotunately. The guy put rails between the drawers and used them as guides for the slides.

There are differences in the measurements from the drawer boxes and the drawer front edges. When fully extended the boxes are in a straight vertical line, however the drawer fronts deviate as much as an 1/8" within the same cabinet. They should all be the same if the boxes are the same, correct? When they are delivered, I noticed the jagged vertical lines but assumed I could correct for it with the hardware.

Also, I think my 1/16" estimate may be generous. In some places I can't slide the smooth section of credit card without forcing it through the gap. I believe the thickness of a credit card is around 1/33".

DAvid_V, it is not clear to me yet. Can you use my own words and terms to answer my questions? Above/below, or side-to-side. Horizontal, vertical view.

2 red flags in your post. Frameless and Ikea.

The cabinets bump into the drawers next to it, so if I open one on the left and one on the right in the same row they will hit each other.

There might be issues vertically, too. But honestly, I wouldn't care too much since I don't think I'd ever open them simultaneously unlike those side by side.

I should add that where this happens the cabinets are in a peninsula so it was easy to make sure the adjacent cabinets lined up properly when I screwed them together.

Can you explain why those are red flags?

Picture of an example of the issue. Try to ignore that the drawer boxes are different heights, I know I am.

it is possible to wonder whether the 1/2" cabinet sides are sufficient to keep the drawer fronts apart. But, one might just figure that they don't bump into each other when they are closed; they must be real real close. I do wonder if the drawer fronts were designed for cabinets with slightly thicker sides.

In any case, more photos are needed.
And it is also good to know who specified this kit.
Was this sold by a mega company as a kit, or was this setup put together by someone who bought separate parts and screwed them together?

i think it is called trolling when Jumpilotmdm says next to nothing and misquotes you.
The drawers you show are not Ikea drawers.
The cabinets are also not Ikea.
You did write that previously in other kitchens, Ikea drawers gave you no problem.

Wow.

That picture says a lot.
I also suggest checking to make certain they're in the right cabinet. The drawer box height might be a giveaway. They might match each other in the same cabinet.
I can't see the far right or far left of the cabinets to see the allowance there, but to me it looks like the drawer faces/fronts are too big!

Cabinet sides are 3/4". If my measuring is accurate, the cabinet box on the right is 23 7/8"wide and the drawer fronts are just about that as well, at between 23 7/8" and 23 13/16". The drawer fronts should be 23 5/8" to facilitate a 1/4" reveal and this is the standard practice for full overlay, correct?

Unfortunately, I am absolutely positive that the taller drawer is the correct drawer for the cabinet. I asked the guy about it and he said he ordered them the same and really had no explanation as to how it could happen.

The glides have a little bit of adjustability where they connect to the cabinet frame. Your height difference with the boxes is impressive - the one on the right shouldn't be that close to the shelf above. Still, you might be able to adjust the vertical difference to get them even. Are the two drawer boxes actually the same size?

Is this a cabinetmaker who usually does framed cabinets? It's my understanding that most cabinet shops do either framed or frameless but not both. Is it possible that this person usually does framed cabinets but thought he would take a crack at frameless? If the cabinet had a frame, there probably wouldn't be an issue. If your cabinet is 23 7/8" and your drawer is 23 7/8", that just isn't right. Look at this photo - see how the drawer is slightly smaller.

Here is a link that might be useful: innermost

Your cabinetmaker sounds like an idiot who is trying to rook you.

Now that you see what is wrong, you need to identify how it is wrong.

Are the drawer fronts all the exact same width as the cabinet boxes? Then that's what's wrong, and he needs to fix it.

Look at that tall drawer. Why is it tall? Are the drawer glides in different positions? Is the actual box taller?

All of these things need to be traced back to the source.

All in all we're all guessing. At the very least the cabinet maker should make a visit to the site, that is just basic service even if it turns out to be an install issue. I go to jobs all the time to point out installation issues, and while there fix what I can that is easy since I made the trip. That is just part of the deal when supplying cabinets IMO.

The only reason that drawer box should be high in the back like that is that it is not seated properly on the glide. Check it. If not then that is simply wrong.

The box is simply wrong, unfortunately. The one on the left is a 10" box and the one on the right is 11". The taller one rubs the rail unless it is loaded down with dishes.

So, is there some sort of practical minimal reveal? Seems like 1/8" would be pushing it, though I read above that someone has 1/16" without issue.

I think the cabinet maker needs to inspect it personally before blaming the installation.

David, ignore Jumpilot--she's just being a troll.

If the box is wrong, then it's game, set, match--the cabinetmaker is at fault there. And needs to fix it. Have you paid in full?

And of course he needs to come out. Blaming the installation reflexively is the mark of a larcenous cretin.

'larcenous cretin'.

I see a lot of them around here in DC.

I went back and looked at the production notes. It looks like he specified either 1/8" or 1/16" reveals for the cabinets.

The image is for the cabinet to the right with the tall drawer box. I measured both the drawer front and the cabinet at 23 7/8" (the front was a hair less).

Using a tape measure, measure the 23 5/8" w drawer front to see if it is too wide in reality. When the drawers are open, measure the 23 3/4"w base cabinet to see if it is too small in reality.

It you have two of this same size next to each other, add both numbers together and repeat the tape measure. Do you get 47 1/4" and 47 1/2" or something else?

If you have three of them, of this same size next to each other, add again and repeat. Report back.

I measured and the cabinet itself was 23 7/8". The drawer front was the same.

The cabinet next to it is not exactly the same.

To clarify, the adjacent cabinet is not the same size as the one measured.

The drawing you posted shows that the drawer front is to be 23 5/8". Yet you posted a few minutes ago that you measured it at 23 7/8" which is not the same as 23 5/8". You know what to do next.

It's obvious that the cabinetmaker screwed up. You need to call him and tell him to rectify his error. His numbers are clearly off and the drawer fronts need to be re-done. He probably thinks he followed his drawing, but he didn't. No amount of adjustment will make those drawers work - they need to be the correct size.

Thanks, everyone. It's reassuring to know that my install isn't the source of the issue.

I'll pass this information along to his attorney, as the cabinet maker refuses to deal with me. If you look at the date of the plans and the substandard attention to detail exhibited, you can probably guess that this isn't the first issue we've experienced with the cabinet maker.

I just want a functional kitchen. . . .