Erika, thanks so much. I will definitely post the layout. I can already tell this board is filled with experts!

We feel a bit foolish for not asking this question in advance. We've already signed a contract with the contractor and he's gotten as far as pouring the new foundation and framing (we're enlarging the kitchen to make it an eat-in.) So we're very nervous about terminating a contract. BUT, if he's trying to charge us $13k on work he doesn't even do, we wonder where else is he overcharging us?

sorry for the little vent! :-)

Just FYI -

We are in the same situation but our GC had NO problem with it. He asked us to allow him to at least price cabs through his suppliers and we did. Our final decision was to have cabinets custom built through a cabinetmaker who has no affiliation with the contractor.

Perhaps there is something in your contract to fall back on. My contract certainly doesn't stipulate that my GC can charge ME for things I buy.

Hopefully your guy has an explanation that doesn't sound as bad as it sounds now.

Is that 13K for installing the cabinets or in addition to it? Since you signed a contract, what exactly does it say about cabinets and what's included in the contract. Does you current contract include a charge for cabinets or is that an extra or do you get an allowance. 13K is an outrageous upcharge for something you're purchasing on your own.

Have you asked him point-blank why he adds over 27%? That's outrageous. If you pay the cabinet company directly, how will the he even know how much you paid?

We are almost done (I hope) with a first floor reno/addition/kitchen renovation. We purchased our cabinets on our own but ended up having our contractors install them. The installation charge was not included in the contract so it was an extra charge but by no means was it anywhere near $13,000. If I understand your post correctly, it seems like he is charging you 13k for installing cabinets. Which as weissman stated, is outrageous. We were prepared to use someone different for the kitchen if our contractor's price was too high. I would look closely at the contract that you signed and see what, if anything, it says about cabinetry. We had certain items that we were buying ourselves and they were installing and it was spelled out in the contract. There were also items that were listed in the contract that we ended up not doing (for example, a fake doggie dormer)that our contractor deducted money from the contract. This was after we had signed it and work had started. You are at the start of what will most likely be a very stressful project - no matter how smoothly it goes. Look over your contract, talk to your contractor and hopefully he will work with you. This will be a good indication of how he will deal with future situations. Good luck and keep us posted.

Your contract will spell out exactly what you agreed he is to charge for. If he is expected to supervise and coordinate the install of the cabinets as part of a larger project, then it is the usual practice to charge markup on the cabinets for the service. If all he is being asked to do is to coordinate the construction of the addition, and you do not expect him to time manage everything in coordination with the cabinet installers, countertop installers, electrician, etc. then your contract should reflect that. Some contracts specifically exclude contractor markup on some specifically named products used in the renovation, but still include a fee for the supervisory aspect of the installation.

What does your contract read?

One thing I did learn from this board in reading the nightmare stories is that odds are if you are uncomfortable at all with what your KD or GC or whoever is doing, it could get even worse, and might be worth it to cut ties. However, with a contract, that might be a different story.

Someone on here (can't remember who, I am sure someone reading here will know who) ended up in court for something like 2 years and had to pay A TON more money to get the cabinets in and in good condition - fix all the mistakes, peicemeal out every part of the job cause nobody wanted to take on a job that was in litigation, etc. Scary business to pick the wrong guy, and looking back, I would guess that that person would say in retrospect they could see signs pointing to a lack of integrity. Maybe not, and they may not be obvious until after the fact, but I think the best thing would to be on guard for the smaller actions that point to a lack of integrity - like greedy and uncessary upcharges - so that you can be aware before hand instead of having to look back after the fact and wish you had heeded the signs and taken the losses while they were smaller.

Not only that but in real life, I've watched my friend have to change the locks on her house and move out because she felt unsafe in her own home due to a contractor who got really nasty in a dispute.

For me, it's so important to work with a person who has integrity, and is even worth paying more money or taking losses to get to that.

I would ask for his reason for the upcharge - is it in the contract? Does it cost him more for some reason to go with any cabinet line other than the one he uses? If it's not making sense (no good reason or he's evasive), then I personally may look for a way out while you haven't lost even more to him. If you are stuck with him, then hopefully you can stay on his good side!

Regardless of what happens, I think everyone's advice about really reading through your contract is good.

My GC quoted us on cabinets through his supplier also, but we decided not to go with them. He made us feel totally comfortable about choosing someone else. He said "Im YOUR GC, and Im not working for (the supplier) so if you feel comfortable going somewhere else for the cabinets, no worries here." He was only going to charge us $3K to install the cabinets.