What protection laws would those be???

You have a contract I assume ? If, so they may be in breach of that contract , so the first thing to do is start a discussion with them about what you want .

Maybe the changes are better ? Maybe they had to change because your room got smaller , or bigger, or shorter or ??? and there wasn't much choice.

Why were the changes made? What's the impact on how you will use the kitchen or how it looks?

It is a little late to be raising issues with the cabinet size after the install is almost done (counters/backsplash/lighting installed). If it was major I would have stopped work as soon as I saw the issue and had the designer reorder the correct cabinets. If it is minor I probably wouldn't do anything.

How about you have a conversation with the designer and ask him/her why.

We had a problem with the size of a cabinet, I asked them what happened, they told me, we came to a resolution and I was happy. There certainly were no consumer protection laws involved.

Xedos,. Consumer protection laws say plans can not be changed without all parties approval. The change was not obvious until job was 95 percent done. I would say it is not a "major" problem just should not have been done and it does change the overall finished look. It was not done because of a change in the amount of space. It was done to correct a mistake the designer initially made.

you need to discuss this with the manufacturer or designer or both. Find out why the change was made....there may be a very good reason. there are many factors related to production/materials/sizing in cabinet building that you may not be aware of. The designer may have actually saved you money. The more significant thing is why this was a "rocky " renovation. Perhaps the people who were there to help you and provide products and service to you have some comments as well. Try to get to your end goal which is a completed project that you are satisfied with...are you hopefully close to that?? Look at the good points.

What would "I" do? Point out the issue to the designer and point blank ask them how THEY are going to fix this. Know what you're willing to accept beforehand. A discount? The original specification?

This isn't about what we'd do; what do YOU want?

I wouldn't go into the discussion asking them how they're going to fix it. I would take the approach of asking why the change was made. If there's a good reason, and it isn't major, I'd live with it. If it's major, or there wasn't a good reason, I'd probably ask for some compensation. (P.S. I agree with the others, consumer protection laws are not the issue here, not to mention that I know of no such laws. Your issue is you had a contract, and a design you presumably signed off on, and it was changed for some unknown reason).

The state I live in has very strong consumer protection laws. The change was made to cover an ordering error the designer made. It does impact the overall look and to a slight degree the function as well. It did not save me money. It did save the designer a phone call to explain the change. Even though I would like what was in the original plan I just want this job completed.

I don't understand how the installation actually progressed with the discrepancy you describe. I think someone at the design shop where you went through your planning, like the owner or job supervisor should make right for you...and they very well might...but how in the heck did it all get installed in the first place.

I'd also begin the conversation with WHY.

It's possible that your figures didn't add up somehow, or the cabinets weren't available in the sizes you want ... but, still, you should've been notified and given a chance to express your opinions. I think most of us here are reasonable and can accept, "This isn't possible because___", but we don't want someone else to second guess a non-standard decision over which we've already pondered.

Of course there is always more to the story. The designer misread a number on the original plans and instead of telling me went ahead and adjusted the cabinet order to compensate for the original mistake. There was never a problem with space or cabinet size that led to this issue. It was an error and instead of addressing it up front....it would have been an easy fix. It was covered up and it didn't become obvious until install was complete. I feel like it is a lesson for others to double ...triple check what is planned, ordered, and then actually gets delivered.

What else has made this a rocky reno? It sounds like this is just another event in a series...

the mistake was the designers', from the way you describe this.....they should have no problem redoing it to your liking. Why is this not happening.? What is holding you back from getting it the way you specified...are they blaming you in some way?? It sounds clearly as though it was their error. How large is the company that made your cabinets......the big guys make a lot on cabinets.....they should have a local rep come out and look and talk to you....they should un-install and give you what you want...one kitchen is small potatoes.

Hi Kerry! I answered your question yesterday, but must not have pressed submit, sorry! Since you asked what I would do, I'll tell you. I'm of the opinion that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. When I need to confront someone, I always start with the assumption that they're a good person and want a resolution as much as I do. So I speak in a pleasant, calm voice and smile while I'm talking. So I would first ask him what happened that led him to make this change. Hopefully he'll admit to his mistake or that of the designer. Then I would ask why he didn't call, email, text, whatever, to get your input and permission before proceeding with the changes. The whole thing could have been solved right there with a simple call to you. Then I would tell him that I'm unhappy with the way my kitchen looks and functions now and that we need to come up with a solution. Know what you want that solution to be before you start talking to him! If it's ripping it out and starting over, or whatever. And here's the really important thing: GET IT IN WRITING!!! You need something in writing, signed by him and anyone else involved, like the designer, that specifies what they will do and that it will be free. I hope you have asked him to stop until you can talk! Don't let him proceed until you have come to a resolution! And I really hope you haven't paid him in full yet, because that's really your only leverage. DO NOT PAY HIM until YOU are satisfied with the job!!

I agree you may be protected under consumer protection laws, but you don't want to spend the next three years in litigation, you want your kitchen. So, that's how I would handle it.

Hope this helps! :-)

I'd like to see a photo of the cabinets that were changed, plus a photo of more of the kitchen to see the change in context of the rest of the kitchen, or at least that wall. I am curious as to the magnitude of the change, which the OP has been vague about, which makes me uneasy. It is impossible to advise the OP properly without seeing the change's impact on the function and/or appearance of the kitchen.

friedajune:

A thoughtful and nuanced response such as yours has no place here on Houzz. Consumers post their problem with their contractor, sub-contractor, designer, architect, laborer, supplier, manufacturer, or whatever, and that contractor, sub-contractor, designer, architect, laborer, supplier, manufacturer, or whatever is guilty. There is no other side of the story.

Ready, fire, aim.

Joe, I agree there is a lot of hit and run around here, but if Kerry's cabinet seller changed the order without informing her - for whatever reason - that is just plain unacceptable.

Agreed. The OP is obviously quite upset with the situation and it's not OK to make a change without talking it over with the customer. It may turn out that the change was absolutely necessary and that the contractor isn't at fault. However, the OP stated that someone misread some measurements which led to the change needing to be made, and I think she probably has some basis for stating that. But that's why they need to talk. Nothing will be resolved until they can talk it over. Nevertheless, I agree with friedajune that some pictures would be helpful. Kerry, are you able to snap a few pics and post here? You should have pics anyway, in case this goes to litigation.

I'm very glad I posted because now someone else has posted with a very similar issue. My cabinets are also 3 inches bigger than planned. It makes the space too tight and visually out of proportion. According to the designer it was a "mistake". They did not offer any solution to this problem. Unlike the other poster I do not have the energy to redo this unless I find that it really negatively impacts the function. This project was to be done in 8 weeks and it has gone on for 13. At every turn there have been issues.

We had a similar problem too. Our island was designed 2 inches too wide. We noticed it on the plans and emailed our contractor. The message never went to cabinet maker (who we were not able to speak with after initial meeting due to contractor relationship) and it was built. I repeatedly asked for an updated plan and never got one. We already had narrow isles due to our unique configuration (180 year old house and 7 doors off of kitchen). We had so many communication issues. I started to come home daily and caught other mistakes but this we let go. For the record, our contractor had done extensive work for us in the past 10 years (this is the proverbial money pit) but he was different on this project. In hindsight we should have absolutely stopped the line until we had a corrected plan in hand.

Yes, Kerry, it's interesting that currently there are two different threads from two different people who both had their cabinets "super sized" and now have a squished looking kitchen! Have you looked at the pictures dum7117 posted in her thread? Are your issues better or worse than hers? I would still like to see some pics of your kitchen, if at all possible? I think the first step is for you to decide what you want. The designer has admitted it is their mistake. But then you said basically that you're too worn out by the whole thing to want it done over unless it's really bad. I don't really think you have time to sit with it for a few weeks or months. It will be too late to go back to them. If your kitchen looks out of proportion now, it's only going to irritate you more and more as you live with it, imho. But it's your kitchen and really only you can decide whether or not you want them to do anything about this error. Good luck! :-)