skip to main content

Appliances Kitchens

Oven doesn't fit in cabinet

last year

Our contractor installed a base cabinet to house our undercounter wall oven. All appliance specs were provided months in advance to the person who ordered the cabinets. The cabinets and appliances were stored at our house and available to the contractor. We brought up several times that our wall oven looked like it would be too tall to fit under the counter. We were assured it would by the contractor. It was installed and it doesn't fit by about a half inch and is not flush with the other cabinets. We were never notified of a problem and he intended to do a work around of his choosing without discussing options with us. My questions are:
1) did the design center and/or contractor have a duty to "catch" this issue before install and discuss options with us? (We would have simply ordered a different oven that fit better)
2) who would be responsible for any additional costs this issue has now created?

Featured Answer

cupofkindnessgw

last year

Is this a done deal? I'm so sorry. Please do not raise all of your countertops. That throws off more than you can imagine. Buy a smaller oven or see if you can rig a different look and drop the oven down an inch into the toe kick. Your contractor can create simple "feet" or "legs" under theoven toe kick to make it look like it was planned. Please do not alter anything else to accommodate the contractors oversight. For the most part, everything is created for a 36" counter height. Does that make sense?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

palimpsest
last year
Is this a wall oven that is supposed to fit under a counter and it just doesn't fit in the cabinet or is it a wall oven that is not designed to fit under a standard counter?
S W
Original Author
last year
Sorry I wasn't clear. Yes, the oven is approved for installation under a
Related Discussions
Help - Microwave/convection oven doesn't fit!
Q
Comments (4)
I assume that the MW is on a shelf that is the bottom of that cabinet, right? How about putting a fan blowing down and out from the back of the cabinet? I think if you look for a cooling fan in an electronics catalogue, you will find one you can install there. If you draw the air out from behind and below the MW, fresh, cooler air will be drawn in from the smaller spaces around the MW. This could work. They make laptop tables/trays with these fans. Here is a link that might be useful: look at these
...See More
Apron sink doesn't fit in the cabinet base!
Q
Comments (1)
Hi, It's fairly typical to scribe the farm sink cabinets to the sink material. The only way this would be formidable would be if the doors below the sink interfered. They did on my sink install; I had to recut the doors, but since they were unfinished, no prob. Casey
...See More
Help, my range doesn't fit properly
Q
Comments (26)
What kind of cabinets do you have behind the range? Are they regular shelves? It seems like the cutting into them in order to put in the electrical and gas connections would be fairly minor. It shouldn't take much space in the cabinets - a few inches high and a couple of inches deep along part of the 30" of the range. If the range can fit flat against a wall, that probably means just the space for a junction box and for a gas outlet and shut off valve. So you won't be loosing much storage space. In most places, code requires having an accessible shut off valve for the gas. We found the cabinet behind our rangetop to be a convenient location for it. The GC may have intended to put in a spacer instead, but it may be better to not lose floor space to a spacer all along the cabinets and have a little lost space in one cabinet. I don't understand why you would have to cut into the cabinets beside the range - it should be possible just altering the cabinet behind the range. I also don't understand why the range isn't going in all the way now - does part of the range project in back? Normally when a range goes against a wall, the gas and electrical connection are recessed into the wall but the range itself doesn't stick into the wall space at all. So your range without the connections having been put in should be able to slide all the way in. Are you sure that the cabinets are installed square? I wonder if they are a little off so that the space between the cabinets gets narrower as you get to the back.
...See More
new inset cabinets - oven doesn't fit
Q
Comments (29)
Would you be able to measure your rough opening? Because you have inset cabinetry, these ovens will protrude out further when you follow standard installation specs. The Jenn Air specs recommend a 28 1/2” cutout for standard installation, where the doors will be proud of surrounding cabinetry. The doors are about an 1 1/8” thick. With only a 1/2” countertop overhang, your oven door will protrude. Judging from the size of your cooktop, there may be room for your GC or cabinet maker to enlarge the opening to 30 1/4” in the face frame and perhaps remove a section of the back of the cabinet to slide in the oven for a semi flush install. You will likely run into the same problem with another wall oven if you install the same way as the door will still stick out an inch from frame face.
...See More
palimpsest
last year
Then there is something wrong with the height of the opening in your cabinet as built or installed by the contractor. If the oven is approved for installation in a base cabinet. Base cabinets have an overall height of 34-1/2" standard, (36" including counter thickness) and if the oven is approved for undercounter installation, it needs to fit in this dimension.

They don't spec oven cabinets for base cabinet installation and then say "Oh by the way the countertop has to be higher than normal for it to fit".
S W thanked palimpsest
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
last year
"1) did the design center and/or contractor have a duty to "catch" this issue before install and discuss options with us? (We would have simply ordered a different oven that fit better)"

Yes.

"
2) who would be responsible for any additional costs this issue has now created?"

The contractor. His wife is happy; she just got a new under counter wall oven.
S W thanked Joseph Corlett, LLC
S W
Original Author
last year
Maybe this is a better description: I think the cabinet size and oven specs are okay. They installed the oven cabinet in a way that it was flush with the bottoms of all the other cabinets and toe kicks. Because of that, the oven now sticks up above the cabinet tops. Now the tops of all my cabinets need to be altered to be higher. Shouldn't an experienced contractor have known that before it was installed, and didn't he have a duty to inform us so that we could explore what our options were?

He decided for himself how he wanted to add height to the tops of all the cabinet tops. We would have preferred getting a different oven that fit naturally in that space. His fix also leaves us with our counter and island being at two slightly different heights.
wdccruise
last year
Perhaps you could swap the oven for a different one. Here are, for example, three CR-recommended 30" wall ovens that can be installed under a counter and their heights and cutout heights:
- Cafe CTS70DP2NS1 height: 28.625", cutout height: 27.3125"
- KitchenAid KOSE500ESS height: 28.75", cutout height: 28"
- LG Studio WSES4728F height: 29.4375", cutout height: 29.125"
S W thanked wdccruise
lucky998877
last year
Could you just post a picture so people here see what you see?
PRO
HALLETT & Co.
last year
It would seemingly be possible to lower the cabinet floor… I would not want a randomly higher island.
Kendrah
last year
I'd be pissed if I were you. Yes, your contractor should have come to you and said, here is the issue you, would the slight height difference bother you, do you approve of this particular fix, would you like a different oven instead? However, what the contractor should have done is somewhat irrelevant. Now you have to navigate a choppy issue with someone who is in control of your space. How can you peaceably discuss the various options and how to move forward? I have never had a good experience arguing with a contractor. I really feel for you!
S W thanked Kendrah
wdccruise
last year
What is the brand and model number of the oven and how far does it stick up above the cabinet?

Related Stories

UNIVERSAL DESIGN Kitchen Cabinet Fittings With Universal Design in Mind

By Sheridan Interiors, Kitchens and Baths

These ingenious cabinet accessories have a lot on their plate, making accessing dishes, food items and cooking tools easier for all

KITCHEN DESIGN Kitchen of the Week: Red Cabinets Wow in a Midcentury Modern Home

By Becky Harris

Smart storage, extra countertop space and soft lighting make this kitchen a perfect fit for a designer and her husband

KITCHEN MAKEOVERS Kitchen of the Week: Deep Green Cabinets Star in 136 Square Feet

By Jeannie Matteucci

Two designers update a Kentucky kitchen with bold cabinets and a more user-friendly layout fit for entertaining

KITCHEN DESIGN New This Week: 3 Amazing Kitchens With Light-Colored Cabinets

By Mitchell Parker

Color doesn’t always have to be bold. These kitchens have pale palettes that keep things light but lively

KITCHEN CABINETS Get the Look of Wood Cabinets for Less

No need to snub plastic laminate as wood’s inferior cousin. Today’s options are stylish and durable — not to mention money saving

KITCHEN DESIGN How to Lose Some of Your Upper Kitchen Cabinets

By Becky Harris

Lovely views, display-worthy objects and dramatic backsplashes are just some of the reasons to consider getting out the sledgehammer

KITCHEN CABINETS A Kitchen Designer’s Top 10 Cabinet Solutions

By Anne Ellard Design

An expert reveals how her favorite kitchen cabinets on Houzz tackle common storage problems

KITCHEN CABINETS Keeping Cabinet Color on the Down Low

Give just base cabinets a colorful coat for a kitchen sporting character and a spacious look

MOST POPULAR How to Hide the TV, No Cabinet Required

By Toronto Interior Design Group

Minimize the impact of the big black screen with these tricks to make it blend with your decor

KITCHEN CABINETS How to Update Your Kitchen Cabinets With Paint

By Five Star Painting

A pro gives advice on when and how to paint your cabinets. Get the step-by-step

Sponsored

More Discussions

help me choose an induction range, please!

24

looking for 15" built-in wine cooler recommendation

12

Clearance for single door fridge/freezer

0

Mix and Match Vent Hood and inline blowers?

5

trying to clean between the glass and plastic frame in my kitchen aid

3