I am glad for you that you got out now and not later on. Our gcs screwed up near the end and it made other previous things look differently, knowing what we know now. I had to print up all the correspondence we had with them to show the lawyer, and after reading through it all, I realized just how many mistakes were made at every step. They'd fix them, until I made too high a second-to-last payment. If your guy had been paid further, you may not have seen him again. If he did this many screw ups and your project is not even done, then you can only imagine what else would have come.... Sometimes you want your choice to have been the right one and so you view things out of denial (and out of inexperience). It is good to realize this was not working....seems like he made it so obvious that it almost made your decision for you.

I'm sorry you two had to break up, but I'm glad the divorce is finalized so you can move on.

My cab maker is also a one man operation. I used to worry about him having an accident or getting sick somehow to the point where my cabs couldn't get finished. Fortunately, my situation seems to have worked out. Stories like yours scare me.

What's your plan at this point to finish? Have you found another cab maker? I'll send good cab vibes your way.

I am a one man operation and have never been "divorced"! Not even a 'seperation'.
Always make sure I know what the customer wants and expects and then deliver same. No complaints so far!
It's not really that difficult if you care about what you are doing and who you are doing it for.
Guess that's why I am stunned at all the bad experiences that are related on these forums.

I agree with you, Patriot. If you care about what you're doing and have pride in your work, incidences like Babushka's wouldn't happen. I think the same applies to everyone, no matter what occupation.

I agree with Patriot. I am astonished at the number of bad experiences here too...and especially surprised at how LONG some of these kitchens take to completion. However, it is a national site. I still would hope that the good experiences outweigh the bad.

I am not a cabinet maker but own a kitchen dealership. I have had little mistakes over the years, but only one major mess up that I fixed on my dime. I can think of only one major one in 28 yrs I've been doing this. When your reputation and paycheck are on the line....you care...and you take care...you double check and document everything. If you do make a mistake, you own it...and take care of it.

It's scary and difficult for the homeowner to know who to trust sometimes. Some think there is safety in a big corp. like HD or Lowes...but there are no guarantees there either. For the most part, they lack experience! My suggestion is a dealer or cabinet maker that accepts credit cards or offers bank financing. I prefer my customers use cash or checks because I pay 1-2% on each transaction...on a $30K project...that's $300 to $600 I am giving to VISA. But I understand why most now use cards.

Thanks for your replies and for the prompting. Silly me - I should have included what I am doing to get the train back on the tracks!

I held the old cab makers feet to the fire to fix all the basic stuff like mismeasured shelves, wrong cab size and replacing drawers with correct thickness of bottom. That was all required to finalize our divorce agreement. I had my GC do the cab install. It was orginally out of scope for them and I paid more to have them do it vs the old cab maker but was worth it to ensure the job got done right. Then I was referred to another cab maker who is finishing the job by re-ordering all new door and drawer fronts, will drill the hinge holes and ensure everything fits. I then signed a change order for the GC to prime and paint the first coats of paint and I will paint the last coat by hand to get the brush strokes I want.

Ultimately I am paying more than I would have (+$3,000) and I incured a 3 week delay but given how problematic this guy was, it became clear I needed to just cut my losses and move on. I am a single professional so while it is a PITA it is manageable. I would rather live another month in the construction zone and get the kitchen done right. My cats have settled into the construction zone and have come to love lounging on the microwave that sits on the folding table in the diningroom! They like all the boxes in the livingroom- it is like a big fun park!

Patriot I love your perspective and sure wish I had that experience. My theory was that he was under great financial duress which was causing him to make poor decisions but the errors kept mounting so at a certain point it did not matter what his problem was, he just had to go.

"Thankfully the project scope was spelled out in detail in the agreement "

This is the MOST IMPORTANT THING anyone can take away from this.

Have a specific plan - in writing ! Then there is no room for disagreement.

".that's $300 to $600 I am giving to VISA"

Kompy - you are not "giving" them anything! That's a fee for services rendered that you then pass on to your clients in the form of overhead just like your sales literature and cell phone bill. You can choose to offer that service and expense, or not, based on the nature of your marketplace.

babushka,
Glad to hear things are on the right track! Sounds like you got off relativily easy financially and time wise. Some have not been so fortunate.
As long as you end up with a kitchen you are happy with the rest will soon be forgotten.
Sounds like the cats may be disappointed when all is done, they probably enjoy the change of pace the construction brings. Gives them new things to explore.
Hope to see pics when it's done.

Thanks all for the words of encouragement. I do agree it could have been much worse and I am thankful for that. I look forward to posting the finished kitchen when complete - will need another month or two at this rate!

Would you mind sharing what State the bad cab maker lived in? And who your using now?