What's the actual space between the wall and the cabinet?

I'm curious why this would require a cabinet replacement. Did you take a level to your wall to see if it is level? If the wall isn't straight, I don't think the cabinet can be straight.

Oh, and is this one large cabinet that is fitting in this space?

jpmon it's 2 cabinets. I'm in agreement with you but DH isn't happy, it should have been scribed to the wall. He would have done it that way but he's got his hands full with other parts of the build.

OMG! The wall is bowed. The ENTIRE WALL needs to be removed and replaced to be PERFECTLY straight! Nothing else is acceptable!

Or he can be realistic and accept that when the wall is finished, caulked and painted the gap will not be visible.

Really, it's fine. And remind him that if they make the whole cabinet over, it may not match up with what was done already because of it being a different dye lot.

I'm a perfectionist, and I wouldn't be bothered by that.

Is it too late to scribe as DH suggests? If it requires new cabs then I would let it go because to me it's one of those things only someone who is closely examine would notice. I would pick bigger battles.

I would put a level on it because to me it looks like it is not level and that is what is causing the gap. Lift the bottom up a little bit. I would do nothing more than that and caulk.

I would check the wall and fix it if it really bothers him.

It's level, my photography isn't!

It is too late to scribe at this point.

Honestly I just needed to hear if other people thought it needed a do over. I don't. It will never bother me. It will bother him every day. And that's an excellent point about the color not matching. That may be my best argument to let it go.

There are scads of flaws in every remodel or build. I keep discovering them in my house. If they're small and don't affect function or draw my eye unduly, I talk myself into letting them go. When I discovered them during the build, if it was something that I knew would prey on my mind, I had it fixed. It's not always a rational process.

Honestly I couldn't tell what the problem was

I don't see it as a problem. The wall isn't entirely straight. That's well within acceptable limits. You couldn't scribe this the way the cabinet is designed. Once the trim is on the doorways, you won't be able to get a flat view. It will become less noticeable.

caulk the gap and paint...

Homechef that's a great point. DH is doing that trim right now. I'll go look.

I don't want to make him out to be a bad guy, he's a perfectionist to the extreme. Sometimes that nets an incredible finished product. Sometimes that nets ulcers! We've had more than our share (it seems) of less than great work that he's had to go in and fix so he's touchy to say the least.

It's fine - I would not stress about it. This is a case of "good enough" rather than almost impossible perfection everywhere.

I'm somewhat of a perfectionist as well and I would be fine with it.

There's an old saying... "a little caulk, and a little paint, makes a carpenter what he ain't"

A tiny line of caulking will solve this problem. Of course we want every detail to be perfect, but this one is an easy fix. Save your strength for bigger issues. :)

C A U L K

If you have some of the cabinet paint there's all sorts of trim boards at Home Depot or Lowes. That would be a easy fix.....

Ha! Homechef my DH is a pilot. And an engineer. 'nuff said ;-)

Thank you all for your input. Honestly I don't know why this is a big deal to him but it is not a hill I'm going to die on. I've been in charge of certain aspects of this build, kitchen is one, therefore he thinks it falls to me to 'deal' with the installer. Frankly, I think the installer is doing a great job and I don't want to pi** him off over a non issue.

Well that would bother me too. However some small trim to cover the gap, would make it acceptable to me. Actually that is very common to do so it would not look out of place either.

Here's my new mantra. When you are putting in cabinets - that is your ONLY focus. You have laser focus on the cabinets and worry about every flaw. Prior to that, it was the flooring, or the sheetrock, or the window installation, or the trim. You are focusing on the PARTS of the home - and no one else EVER will - they will focus on the whole.

It's WAY too easy to blow any item out of proportion during the building process because that is the "only" thing you are looking at.

The whole is definitely greater than the sum of the parts - try to look at this imperfection in the scale of the HOME and not as a huge error in the single cabinet installation.

Trim would seem random since it would not be anywhere else and not a fix DH would go for - that I know. Of course he doesn't like caulk, either but IF there has to be anything, that's my vote. The gap isn't even 1/4". What I think bothers him most is that it's not consistent top to bottom. But I left a few hours ago so maybe he's moved on to real issues !!

janni - amen.

Just fix the drywall with screen coat then so it doesn't look like a gap

I really think if you start messing with caulk or trim pieces, it will serve to emphasize the gap line. Come winter, the caulk will expand and contract and break eventually. You will have a messy caulk line.

It is possible a screw in the side of the cabinet into a stud would pull the drywall out towards the cabinet and close the gap. Ask the cabinet installer. If the answer is no, I wouldn't caulk. DH will move on. There are so many other things that need greater attention. If it doesn't bother you, he'll be happy to move on.

Now I have the whole story, or at least more of it. Installer is fully aware of the issue and has already spoken to the KD - the extended stiles were not wide enough to get scribed to the walls. Not sure if KD measured wrong (that appears to be the issue) or something else, but the plans clearly show blocking to the sides of the cabinets that DH installed specifically so cabinets would be attached on back AND side walls. DH seems to think they will re-order both units based on his conversation today. It won't slow down anything else, fortunately if that's what they do, they'd just get swapped out at a future date. It's still a non-issue to me.

Jannicone said it best.

Ummm....I work for NASA!

Is this where scribe molding is used? Personally I would not use caulk.

Since the extended stiles are over an inch get filler overlays (aka filler cap) to put on top. If available made to size then with a reveal on both sides. If not to size then scribe that to the wall.

Full overlay cabinets should have overlays on fillers once 1-1/4" to 1-1/2" wide anyway, should be SOP.

If cabinets were inset I'd get color matched caulk since it is paint. Several sources on Web, 3 tube minimum about $65.

Only use scribe molding as a last resort (stained cabinets at that).

FWIW- is it possible the side blocking on the surface of the wall? thick enough to keep the from meeting the wall? On the rare occasions I would have that (24" deep or a micro cabinet only) it is called out "short" requiring shims or a delicate hand when attaching AND leave it to the cabinet installer.

I have ocd and this would drive me crazy but this is not about me!!! I have had a couple of houses built and nothing was perfect in them. Over time a house shifts and settles, my concern would not be the now but the future. I would never accept this.

buehl......I can not stop laughing!

This is the part where I look up to the sky and give thanks that this guy is not my customer. Blocking the walls for cabinets to be screwed at the sides? Who does that? Excellent way to rack a cabinet.

I wrote the below on the BAH Forum last night, but it applies to Remodels as well. There is a Big Reason that engineers are on Joe's ''Double Secret Probation'' status when he initially gives them a quote. Everyone in the building industry does the same. They usually get the PITA tax too.

Point him at another problem. (Quick! Look at the big steaming pile here! OMG! You HAVE to solve thisBIG problem.) And unless you intend to keep all 57 pieces of your cast iron collection in that cabinet, blocking at the side is counterproductive and to be avoided.

__________________________________________

Enginerds are genetically unsuited to building a home. They think they know all there is to know about something that is a lot more art than science, and then they think they know all about the science too. And they're never happy with the details that anyone either discusses or creates. Engineers should tell their spouse 3 things that they want that are non negotiable, and then let the spouse deal with the rest of the entire transaction by hiring a Pro.

And yeah, I have 73 years of personal experience dealing with them. One irascible worse know it all than me shares the other half of the king sized bed and is on my last nerve tonight. They are also the biggest whiny know it all babies in the world when they are sick.

Buehl, It's a compliment. NASA standards are much higher than the standards of us earthly types.

Joe, Be glad you aren't married to one of these types. It can get exhausting being the voice of reason.

How big is your door trim?

RKCsinks I'm not at the site but I believe it's 3.5 or 4". It went up in that pantry after I took pics.

MarkJames this is such a small area I can't see any type of overlay filler - it probably looks out of proportion in the photo.

Sophie I get it, I really do. But along with being an enginerd (love that) he's also been in construction for 30 years, and is GC and chief hammer swinger on our build so distracting him is not an option. He is the pro that customers hire over and over partly because he has an eye for the artistic aspect of the business and the craftsmanship to execute. (btw - yours gets sick?? mine would never acknowledge that personal weakness!)

@Joseph Corlett that guy? is my husband.

Can you take a pic with the door trim in place? My thinking is this is something that you will concern yourself with in time.

Didn't get more pics as there was too much going on this morning with trim installation, counter template and continued cabinet install. But the KD came by and we decided the best option is an overlay filler. Once I got the gist of how this would work and look, I'm on board. Because this is in a walk through area that has a cased openings on both ends, treating it differently than the kitchen is not a visual design issue. Thank you all for your input.

I've learned something new. I didn't know there was any such thing. This looks like a good solution DLM.