I live in Georgia. There is no way she can go after them. It's not possible. They don't have any money and live from job to job and are feeding their families and if you took money from them or got a judgment they could end up in prison if not able to pay and unable to provide for their family. It would not be satisfying. In the end it really just can't be done by us who feel sorry for them and understand these economic times. They usually work for less than a big company. They are not bad people just unfortunate people. There have been times when I have had to adjust my thinking to it being more or less a "donation" not that I can afford it but I can certainly afford it more than they can and have had in the past a better life. When you know the people and have used them before and had no problems with them it's not easy to haul them into court. I am happy that OP is not going that route even though she has been terribly wronged and certainly justified. Sometimes we get our reward in other ways. It's part of life and I am so very sorry this happened and hope that it will come out with some of the remedies presented. If not, I so feel your pain having had similar things happen to me on several occasions. It's no fun being the brunt of carelessness but sometimes the protracted route of going after people just make our stress level even worse and will end up the same anyway with you resolving it yourself. Here's to hoping it will all work out and that the paint will come out or be able to be covered up. I am sick about this for you.

Unfortunately we have already closed on the house. We closed on the 30th of September. The seller's had already given the restoration the insurance check. I think that because they had already moved they didn't really care too much about what was going on with the house. They didn't ever really get involved. Before, we closed the restoration company wasn't quite finished with everything but claimed that they would finish and it would be perfect and up to our standards. At that time we had them sign paperwork stating that they would finish up/ fix the work on the wood floors and cabinets. A new crew of wood floor guys came in today and were astonished at the condition of the wood floors. They are supposed to be coming back on Monday to repair the floors. They said the only thing that they could really do was replace the trim pieces and cut out the pieces that were buckling and inject them with glue. As for the spaces and scratches they said that they can repair that with wood putty and stain. Thoughts? The contractor right below the general contractor is supposed to come by today to re-assess the damage and see what can be done. Although they already did this last week before the touch up crew came in this week and it is basically in the same condition. The only thing they did was lightly sand and re-paint the cabinets. Based on your responses the whole cabinets need to be replaced. What should I tell the GC? He hasn't even came to walk the place himself, I guess I should send him a link to the photos as well? They claim I am being too picky and that I am wrong in expecting perfection from a raw product (wood). Maybe I should contact the insurance company as well?

This has evolved into quite the interesting thread to say the least! I manage and perform all the work on my own kitchen remodel for many of the reasons mentioned here. Finding quality tradesmen is just too hard these days in my opinion, I have high standards and small details will bother me. My project includes the complete tear down of an old 1960s kitchen my home came with, about 250 SF, down to the foundation. New structurally improved floor framing to meet stone tile deflection standards, two new load bearing walls to account for a row of new windows along the sink, and steel stud framing behind the range wall to allow for flush range installation without ugly trim. The total project is only about 50% done and I started this project in April. That's about 8 months working 2 hours a day after work, and 8 to 10 hours per day on the weekend. Not to mention the hundreds of hours spent having to research and learn each trade I tackle. I am fortunate enough to be a licensed practicing civil engineer in my state, so I can stamp my own drawings submitted to the city. Everything else has been self taught however, and the process has been incredibly slow. Is this what it takes to get exactly what you want out of a major renno? I hope not, but it sure seems that way from what I've seen.

I am sorry you are having these problems. While sanding is important, I used a "no sanding necessary" primer (Zinsser) about 20 years ago on old kitchen cabinets that I put in my laundry room and one bathroom vanity. Over all, it has held up very well - though I admit neither room gets the wear and tear of a kitchen. Also, the original cabinet surface, while finished, was not glossy. The primer did take several days to cure and was initially easy to chip, but eventually hardened up. This does not help your issues with brush marks etc, but lack of sanding does not necessarily mean the paint will chip off totally. Even well done painted over finished wood cabinets experience the need for touch ups which is why I consider painting over previously finished wood cabinets to be a stop gap measure while saving for new cabinets to replace worn cabinets. With touch ups the cabinets can be presentable for many years as it can take some time for many to save up for new cabinets. I do have two friends with new white custom kitchen cabinets - both have chips on the pull out trash - so even expensive painted kitchens can need occasional touch ups. Even when the paint job comes out wonderfully, I usually caution against expensive counters / backsplash on painted over previously finished wood cabinets. Often, the paint job does not hold up over the long haul (> 5 years) and new cabinets become necessary - then the new counters and backsplash are wasted. If you plan on continuing improvements - keep them sensible and low cost - laminate counters rather than stone. You can have a sweet and functional kitchen without spending a fortune. If your layout is good, and your cabinet boxes in excellent condition, you could consider refacing in several years. it is great your cabinets are so tall. I hope you are able to get a discount and or repairs to your present paint job - but the kitchen is looking pretty:)