Just about all manufacturers have a Good, Better, Best line. The Good usually 13-14 SEER, the Better 15-16 SEER, and Best being 17-20 SEER. It looks like the company quoted you the two higher lines for Bryant. Was this your preference based on information you gave to the sales person or did they determine what was best for you? I would definitely recommend the variable speed, two-stage furnace. To truly improve your comfort level and give you control over different parts of your house...PUT IN A ZONE CONTROL SYSTEM! When we were looking, I learned that many companies just want to sell you a "box", but not really do anything about your comfort through your air distribution. The middle range equipment (including variable speed, two-stage furnace) along with a Zone Control System will give you the ultimate in control & efficiency. ProTech Heating & Air put in our Zone System and really educated us on the importance of the air distribution and the equipment. Couldn't be happier that I can now keep Master bedroom at a temp different than my kids' rooms.

Judy - those cupcakes look yummy! I'm in your camp. The kitchen we are remodeling had a old vented hood. In the 7 years I have lived here, I think I turned it on maybe 2 or 3 times & that usually involved a toaster incident lol... I also cook plenty but like you, don't deep fry or sear/broil very often & use just small amounts of olive oil or butter when needed and not at high heat. I never had a problem with any grease build up or other gunk & I don't really find food smells offensive (well except when I was pregnant, but those days are over). This time around, I'm going with an OTR micro, b/c my counter space is limited & I hated that the big clunker was taking up so much of my precious counter space. (I'm now trying to figure out where I can hide my toaster oven for the same reason). I'm guessing I won't use the vent much this time around either - When we sell in 10-15 yrs - our kitchen will probably be getting to that "outdated" state anyway & will be redone again - the venting to outside is in place if they want to change back to a hood - but for me, this is just fine...

The manual for the Bluestar says the gas line should be sized 1/4" larger than the 3/4" inlet of the stove....the 2 plumbers both came to my house and looked at the stove and the existing gas lines. The pressure of the gas cannot be increased...residential gas usually runs at very low pressure...in my area its .25psi. I determined that I need a bigger gas meter by calculating the total BTU load I will have and the cubic feet per hour of gas that will be used...the range, furnace and hot water heater consume 288k btu's per hr or 288CFH....my residential gas meter supplies 250CFH...a bit less than I need. I did find that thread before I posted this....just wondering if anyone else with a high btu range has run into this. Another problem that I have run into with a neighbor is that he had a tankless on demand hot water heater installed that runs @ 299k btu's...well above the flow of the gas meter and has had nothing but problems with service calls. Finally the plumber determined that he was using almost double what his residential gas meter could provide !!

1) Regarding the screws.... For the drawer faces: Pocket holes should be drilled into the face frames if they must be attached permanently vs using the hardware to keep them on. The pocket holes should have covers attached (either the plastic or wood options). I personally prefer if they are removable via removal of the hardware so they can be changed out or refaced in the future & since you're going the custom route I'd defiantly want it! Inside the cabinets: A pilot hole should be drilled prior to screw if the wood hardness requires it & the screw counter sunk (slightly below the side walls) with or without plastic caps (depending on the company). Cabinet/Wall Brace:Are all the cabinets secured to the wall with simple screws?? I was really surprised to see this! How are they making sure the bases are secured to studs & not just drilled through into the gypsum board? In the past I've seen cabinet makers use a base board across the run anchored into wall studs and the bases are then secured to the board. Holes: The hole that will be exposed once the dishwasher is installed needs to be fixed. The fridge cabinet with the double screws and the blank hole is ridiculous...whomever was doing the install rushed and didn't care about screw placement or taking the time to properly aline things before drilling. Again= Custom built should = quality control and care! Yes there are MUCH better ways of finding the studs...even just using your knuckles to knock on the wall can get you close enough that a max of 2 holes might need drilled if you miss it the first time....again, sloppy work installing. The range microwave: Did they know that cabinet was going to support a microwave/hood? I'd ask about the install and max weight support. I don't believe 2 screws is enough to hold it (especially if they only screwed it into the wall & not a support board!) but don't know...I'd just hate to have it come crashing down a year from now! *You need to make sure the cabinet makers know that screw placement & finish result is important to you and you expect no screws will be felt or seen once the install is complete. 2) Shims: Yes, it's totally normal for wood shims to be left under the cabinets. Floors aren't completely level and in a new build the house will settle over time and the floor will change so it's important that the cabinets can be leveled. This is why RTA cabinets like IKEA have adjustable feet on the base that's hidden with a toe kick. Custom cabinet makers use wood shims to level on site during install and those can then be removed or added to as time goes on and any changes are required to keep the cabinets level. 3) Fixture & Outlet Holes: Yes, it's common to have large square pre-cut from the backs before install as plumbing is different for every job & since fixtures change depending on the choices made in faucet, garbage disposal, dishwasher lines, etc they can't make exact cuts. Again, this is why a lot of RTA cabinets are backless and if the backing is ordered it must be cut by the installer to fit the existing fixture spaces. HOWEVER- I totally agree with your being upset about the range plug placement and their solution to cut another hole into the side of the custom cabinet boxes. Although- I'm not entirely sure I understand correctly if it had to go through another base to reach the outlet or just the base of that unit vs the back side where a hole was already cut? I don't know what another solution would have been.... 4) Cabinet Face Gaps: Are you doing a full overlay with the new build as well? I completely agree that the gap's should be consistent and you definitely shouldn't be able to see the contents of the drawers! If the cabinets are full overlay why is the frame not hiding the contents? If they are custom inset then I'd be very picky about how it all lines up since this is a fine craft that requires skill & time to get right (hence the excessive cost)...plus wood swells & contracts so they need to fit properly with a slight consistent gap after install.