I went to the builders design center and saw the options in person. These are the base cabinet doors/colors(not a fan of any of these, will use them for the vanities instead of upgrading). http://i.imgur.com/ZoNe4ud.jpg This is the white cabinet that I liked (3300): http://i.imgur.com/dYwxEGF.jpg These are the rest of the cabinet styles available (anything but the left 3 is an upgrade of some level): http://i.imgur.com/wMrUNak.jpg Base cabinets(are any of these better than the white): http://i.imgur.com/44dsNvY.jpg This is the tile that we like for our MBR: http://i.imgur.com/q4ex42Y.jpg The glossy for shower wall (I hate small tile on the walls, pain to clean), the small tile for shower floor and non glossy for bathrooom floor) The shower will also have a row (I believe 4 inches) for something from here(leaning towards gray) http://i.imgur.com/VXtBXty.jpg Jack and jill will have this: http://i.imgur.com/X7bfd9n.jpg (is it bad to have too much white/marble looking tile for bathrooms)? Have not narrowed down choices for the other 2 baths. Here are the rest of the tile choices (which ones do you guys think look nice for the remaining baths) My favorite is from the techmarble series (priciest) http://imgur.com/a/HVcfT http://imgur.com/a/VVKzk I like this wood look like for the laundry/mudroom area(http://imgur.com/a/sNRjV): http://i.imgur.com/baZPRsI.jpg Do you think that will work or should be go with something else? Rest of the house will be hardwood in time. These are the stanard brick, I am torn with which one to chose: http://i.imgur.com/i7Ddanu.jpg Standard siding,again torn: http://i.imgur.com/netMQG5.jpg Almost all of our upgrades will be in the kitchen/bath and perhaps some recessed lighting.

OP - to be fair to the pros here, your explanations of your contract, and of your builder's behavior, are very unclear, at least to this non-pro homeowner. I have great difficulty myself following statements such as: "the builder received some $$ as % of what I purchased. Lets say I paid $95 on a retail price of $100, then builder will get 10% of $95 or something like that. In some cases, I pay retail price but builder gets a significantly lower price. For ex, I pay $100, and he “charges” $100 but actually the cost is $70. " Are you saying, first, that you are personally paying the vendor directly for these items, and that the vendor is then paying the builder 10% of the value of your purchase? That would be a kickback, but is that what's really happening? Or are you saying that the builder is buying the items and charging you more than the invoice price for them? Has the builder actually provided you with the invoices from the vendor? If not, and assuming you have a cost-plus contract, I'd certainly insist on seeing the invoices. Presumably, if the builder is adding a mark up, it's covered under the terms of your contract. Obviously, the builder's time has value, and if he has to order, collect and store the goods, it would seem reasonable to me that he would charge you more than the base invoice price for the service he's rendering. But the contract is king, so what does it actually say?

Here is a thought....since the layout and electrical isn't changing in your vision, could you use the builder basic boxes and get custom doors made for the cupboards? Would that work at all? I hear you about spotty granite (ugh). If you are planning to remove whatever they put in, is there a formica or laminate option? I think I'd choose the least option from a price point of view and then if you can use it again elsewhere in the house, formica is relatively easy to take out and cut to size etc - and more DIY than if it is a stone of some sort. But I think you'd want your flooring to run under the cabinets, so if they install and you want to change the flooring out, you'll be tearing all of it out. Do you have specific cabinets in mind? Have you talked to that company for a price quote? I think I'd start there and that will give you a good idea of price difference between what the builder wants and the other quote. Counters - well that can be quite a price range so you'd better get a quote on that too. I guess you really need to do some comparison shopping for what you want to get good ideas for pricing. It might be worth booking an appointment with a kitchen designer who can help you sort through the options available from the builder and other options available. You don't want to spend money twice if you can avoid it so I think some professional help (not some paid salesperson from the builder) might be a good idea to give you some feedback and options. Look at some posts on Houzz from "The Cooks kitchen". She has some really good kitchen ideas and is willing to share her knowledge generously. The layout you've shown above from the builder doesn't look bad at all, but maybe a professional can find a way to make the most of the choices available to you and limit some expenses and waste if possible.

Since it should be obvious that nail-fin windows cannot be replaced after brick cladding has been installed over the fins, the only issue here is whether to accept the white windows or wait for the almond windows, therefore the subject of this thread has always been whether almond is worth the wait so it has always been about color preference. If you had shown us the design and actual colors we could have had a reasonable discussion but you didn't do that preferring to discuss who was at fault and the hardships this has caused you. In the end it appears you are dong beige on beige but no one will ever know for sure. Thank all of the members who responded and let it go.