For clarification...the term design is somewhat misleading because the kitchen is fully installed and this issue with the dishwasher handle was discovered after all the cabinets were installed...

Ask him to pay for an ungraded dishwasher with an integrated handle?

Agree.

In a previous house we had the same issue and we reinstalled the dishwasher to be set back farther, deeper under the countertop. If the does not work, can you take the dear fronts off and reinstall them shifted over a couple of inches? If not can you buy a different dishwasher?

He wants to cut 2" off each drawer? That sounds like a lot more effort than just purchasing and installing a new dishwasher for you. Are you ok with a dishwasher that has an integrated handle?

Sounds like my contractor. Quick fixes (that were never shared and were inappropriate) were discovered after he did them. Ugh, I feel your pain. Good luck with your decision.

If its just the top drawer and you do not want to get a new DW, you could convert the top drawer into a flip down door and the drawer box could be a shelf of sorts for foil and plastic wrap and long skinny things. Its a significant compromise but it could work.

Thank you for all the replies and help.

I think I will go with asking the contractor to replace the dishwasher (I'm assuming everyone meant that the contractor bears the replacement cost and takes my current dishwaser?).

What does everyone think is a fair replacement dishwasher that is integrated? The one I currently have is a Jenn-air Trifecta with the pro-style handle.

BTW - I will post pictures of the remodeled kitchen soon.

Our old kitchen had this same layout. We, stupidly, bought a new KA DW to replace the 30 year old loud existing one and didn't realize that the handle would block the door on the perpendicular drawer. Doh! For a while, we would open the DW in order to open that top drawer. That got old. Then DH notched the top drawer just a bit in the corner that hit the handle. We knew we would remodel someday and didn't care if we destroyed our cabs.

IIWY, I would ask him to pay for an upgraded DW.

BTW, did you ever go to the JA website to check their handle specs to see if GC was lying?

If the DW is new, you should be able to trade it in and get one without a handle. Those tend to be the higher models, so you are likely to have an upgrade cost as well as any restocking fee you might get charged. If it is new but you cannot return it or GC cannot use it in another home, you could sell it. The Chopping down drawers and filling in holes left will be a lot more time and work for a lesser solution.

If the specs truly didn't show a handle, you should try to get the supplier or manuf to swap it out for one that doesn't have a handle. If your GC read the spec for the wrong model or looked at only art of the informaiton availabel and missed it, he should bear the cost.

I'm assuming you can't move (slightly) the DW without moving the sink... Can you swap the drawer base for a smaller one with an extended stile?

For what it's worth, I've never seen an appliance listing on the internet that didn't list every spec a cabinet maker needs right there on the seller's site. My cabinet guy got everything he needed from the specs page for my appliances bought through ABT online!

If they weren't listed there, there's no way he can claim the installation paperwork that arrived w/the dw didn't have ever possible spec needed.

I have a Miele Diamante with the integrated handle that works quite well. KA and Bosch also make full console models that would work for you.

Here is a link that might be useful: AJ Madison full console models