The existing sink cut-out dictates which replacement sink you get. If you've got a side that exceeds 18 1/2" or so from the cabinet front, as this one does on the left, you've got to use this sink. If you don't have the whoop-dee, you can have an undermount.

Looks great!

Joe,

Wud the owners have any recourse with the original installer?
I can't imagine they're the only ones who have had this trouble with them...

Joe: if undermounting a Kohler apron front Vault or Strive sink, does the sink rest on the cab sides or do you use a harness to secure it?

Amazing! Much better after than before. I bet they are happy!

"Would the owners have any recourse with the original installer?
I can't imagine they're the only ones who have had this trouble with them..."

After speaking to the company and being told that "we never rod", I had a homeowner take the removed rod into their showroom with a video of me removing it once. The company promised a new top after the homeowner spent $700.00 having me fix the old one, but I doubt they offered reimbursement.

I blame the builders for this. As a fabricator, you could have an ongoing relationship with builder for years, then get called into the office and told to lower your prices or you were out; they have someone new. You're going to start looking for things to cut, so you buy cold steel instead stainless for rodding and "save" 50% by buying polyester instead of epoxy for bedding those rods. Strapping sinks takes a bit longer for a more expensive installer than Jimmy drilling inserts at the shop.

And let's not stop at the builders. Homebuyers love that the more cheaply done countertops have freed up budget for those nicer window treatments.

I doubt the lady at this job has much recourse, but she did tell me all the homes in this development, $1,000,000.00 +, probably had the same fabrication sub. Even if the rod doesn't blow, they still have a nasty, gunky, unsanitary, un-cleanable sink flange right where they're prepping family food. Such is the importance of proper sink detailing that I keep ranting about. Good job security for me, but it hurts our industry

If you can slide a knife between the bottom of your top and your sink flange, this is what your flange looks like. You need a remount; topical silicone won't do. Can't get a knife in, but have black mold recurring or existing? You need a remount. Do nothing and blow a rod, $700.00-$2,500.00 to fix; remounts are $300.00. I tell customers whose sinks have fallen they are the lucky ones.

"Joe: if undermounting a Kohler apron front Vault or Strive sink, does the sink rest on the cab sides or do you use a harness to secure it?"

The sink pictured here is essentially a Vault drop-in; the edge of the sink sits over the new cut-out. The sink clips are 10" long, fasten to the female welded to the sink and a tab is cut into the cabinet side to secure it. I have retrofitted apron front Vault undermounts that I've secured with a strap or harness. If I undermounted a Strive, I'd strap it.

Good call on replacing the ugly and poorly installed undermount sink with a Kohler apron sink. Given both the cost of materials and the cost of labor, this sounds like the best solution to permanently fix all of the problems. Congrats on convincing the home owner to do the right thing rather than going for a cheap patch job that is inevitably going to fail again.

Of course, all of this only is an option, if the standard-size Kohler fits. Alternatively, and for a bit of a premium, you can have a custom-built sink made to precisely fit your opening. We haven't received our Rachiele sink yet (only just placed the order), but the manufacturer was extremely responsive and is great to work with. And he'll make a sink exactly to your specs. And his website has a section where he details exactly what you did here; retrofitting a new apron sink into an existing countertop.

Also, from everything I can tell, the Kohler sinks are essentially cheap knock-offs of Rachiele's much more thought-out and detail-oriented designs. So, while you do pay more for having a custom-built sink, you also get the benefit of a better sink design.

Rachiele does some amazing work, no doubt, but comparing custom to production sinks just isn't fair. It's like comparing a hot rod to a family sedan.

Rod repair customers vary. I get folks that use a failed rod as an excuse to buy new countertops and I've got a guy right now trying to make a claim with Home Depot after a decade. If they can afford it, I can't wait to install my first Rachiele.

Oh, not at all comparing. I realize that really isn't fair. Just giving you another tool in your tool chest. As you said, every client is different, and it's good if you can provide options.