2nd option is always best. Manufacturers reserve the right to change specs without letting you know or publishing them in advance. And sometimes the are just plain wrong. If you proceed based on manufacturer's diagrams alone, and it's wrong, you'd better be prepared to eat the first panel and pay for the second because the cabinet maker won't do it and you'll never get the manufacturer to pick up the costs. They'll just point to their fine print, and the cabinet make will just say I told you so.

As far as the install, it's a team effort. You need both on hand. Yes, that's twice the money, but it beats having to call the cabinet maker in the middle to modify a panel or for the cabinet maker to call the appliance guys for clarification about some bracket.

Delays should be built into your expectations for the remodel. If you are lucky and everything goes as planned with a simple job, a kitchen remodel will only take 3 months. If you have a complicated kitchen, and have built ins and other issues, then 6 months would be closer to a normal time line. It ain't TV!

My DW has a custom panel. I told my cabinetmaker what DW I had purchased and he built the panel offsite without ever having access to the appliance.

I assume he looked at the Miele specifications for the measurements he needed.

He attached the panel when he installed the cabinets - he also set the DW in the cabinet but did not do the hook ups.

The panel fit perfectly.

Doc

Going off the mfg. specs can be risky. If you can wait to have appliances on site, it makes it much less likely there will be proper fit issues. Also, I would trust the installation to my cabinet maker, or a competent finish carpenter before an appliance delivery/install guy. Some dealers don't even do panels, and probably for good reason. Same goes for sink and cooktop templates for slab, if you can have the fixture on site before templating, you're safer.

You want the appliances on site, and you want the panels installed by the cabinet installer. If he's not experienced with panels, it might be helpful to have an experienced appliance installer on hand as well, but if he's experienced at installing panels, it won't be a big deal.

And yes, remodeling is all about "hurry up and wait". I'm twiddling my thumbs right now waiting on a cabinet installer that was supposed to be here an hour ago to install some cabinets in the new showroom. He wants to be one of my "approved installers" yet hasn't called or shown up yet. Grrrrr..... We started in October, aren't doing anything "real" (just "for show") and our grand opening is supposed to be in April....we'll see if we have to revise that...again..

thanks all!. I am feeling more confident about this after your feedback. We just have to deal with the delay I guess.

My cabinet maker waited until the dishwasher (drawer) was installed before measuring and making the panels. We had really tight clearances, but full overlay. I'd REALLY want to wait for inset panels.

Then he installed them because (I assume) he knew the GC wasn't good with details. That required the cabinet guy adjusting the installation of the DW because the GC wasn't good with details...

We had temporary panels on because we purchased the DW before the remodel so we could open it. You can probably use your unpaneled appliances but might need a really good magnet to open them.