Wow, that sounds like a brutal contractor experience. Are your countertops sealed with some type of finish or just oiled? I am not sure that there are a lot of good options with respect to some of these issues like the sink.

Licensed? Bonded? Insured? Did you go see other work by this person before hiring?

I think the sink is too big for that cabinet... Being installed the way it is, can you put the drawer back into the cabinet next to it? It doesn't look like it's going to fit.

Pictures might be worth a 1000 words but when checking someones work only yhe real thing will do. This unfortunately is a live and learn deal as for suing him save the money chances are he has none himself. you will need to get a new piece of butcher block forr this area and have it reinstalled as for where it sticks up above the cabinets that is caused by your cabinets not being level with each other not really his problem

keako-I'm so sorry that you are having such a bad experience. By law, a contractor cannot accept more than 10% deposit or $2000 as a deposit. Unfortunately since this is not a licensed contractor there is no use in contacting the contractor's board to complain.

Our firm was recently hired to "correct" the work on a 3 million dollar home that the homeowners hired a "handyman" that was unlicensed to do. It is not our first time at having to fix mistakes made by unlicensed folks. Being a licensed professional does not always mean you are getting reputable help, but calling the contractors board to check the status of their license and talking to at least 3 references and actually visiting the work is best. The temptation to hire the "low bidder" in these situations does not always work out.

A licensed contractor pays literally 10's of thousands of dollars a year to carry errors and ommissions (defect) insurance (up to 2 million dollars of coverage) to cover potentially expensive problems that can occur. That is why we are rarely "low bidder".

Once again, so sorry for the nightmare you are going through, just hope it can be a cautionary tale for others.

Not all localities require licensing, and/or bonding, and/or insurance. My area requires none of the above, nor is licensing even available through any local government agency. Insurance is up to the individual business, (stupid if they don't have it, but many don't). There are a lot of guys running around with a pickup truck, saw, and hammer, but no screwdriver, because they aren't sure which end to use. Unfortunately, the guy you hired, is one of these.

I'm sorry for your experience. It's so hard to find someone who you can trust to do good work. We try to find contractors by personal recommendation from someone we know, or even better someone who has some reputation in the 'game' (real estate agent, designer, trades).

I have found that the most reliable contractors are rarely freely available, and they are worth the wait. They are also expensive (relatively), but for the quality and peace of mind, it's totally worth the value you get.

Asking about insurance and warranty is important, too.

I'd say cut your losses and get someone in who can salvage this mess for you. You might be able to take him to small claims court -- do you have a contract?

The placement of the sink has nothing to do with old or new cabinets--he simply mis-measured where to cut the hole and did not want to eat the cost of the counter. Did he come recommended based on a similar job? Perhaps invite your source over for a coffee and reality check to put an end to the recommendations. Sadly, this is a small claims matter (weigh the cost of pursuit against simply starting over).

Warning...longish...

Anyone--PROs too--may experience the awesome (and sometimes awful) range of competencies. I support Design Intervention's comments, also agreeing that a license is no guarantee. (I've seen a property fall 40k in value under "licensed" management by an well known name firm with the owner investing 150k to render it sell-able/livable again.)

I find that licensing is most effective where the practice and procedures are well-defined. Then, it is likely that the individual has been tested against the same type of job. Where the service is more general and expected to deliver creativity and the advantages of learning over time, I do not look for license so much as experience, resourcefulness and transparency in (documented) communications.

You may have hit all the right points in interviewing this person. Questions should include foreseeable challenges with the specific project. E.g. the sink cabinet is a tight fit for a centre under the window--will the sink purchased fit into the cabinet as we want it to? How do you propose to handle this and do you have any concerns to raise? (If that is a 24" sink cabinet, the sink does appear to be on the large side and from the photo it appears the centre panel in the cabinet has been removed to accommodate--and screw up--the end result.) I may be mis-reading the images, but have seen a similar problem.

Sometimes owners try to economize or simplify by using one person to do it all. The alternative is to be your own project manager (or use someone like me) to manage a project and bring in specialized trades. The role is known as General Contractor, but that terminology is imprecise, in my experience and is more useful for marketing a GC service than in assessing one.

E.g., I like to purchase counters from an outfit that (among other criteria) has good products, will install and stand behind that installation. In one project, the counter came with a faucet hole pre-drilled in the wrong place. We had agreed on drilling to be done on-site to ensure best placement. Floform in Victoria BC replaced the entire stone counter proactively with absolutely no problem and only one day of delay. I've used them on three projects as a result and have recommended Floform to others who are equally satisfied. Point is, they had a specific role to play and are excellent in performing that role. Cabinet selection and install and tiling were separately undertaken by people skilled and experienced in that work. It is more work for me as project manager to align schedules and ensure cooperation among trades who may or may not have a history--but I find the outcome preferable to the (rarely less expensive) one person does it all approach.

Be aware that even so, things do go awry. E.g. electricians seem to have an uncanny knack for placing controls where the owner's favourite painting is expected to go--despite explicit plans. Licensed--but not designers by any means and very rarely are they knowledgeable about the effect of light on art, fabrics and artifacts (equation: level of illumination times the hours per day = lux hours per day) so the selection of fixtures and light sources is often detrimental to collectibles. People trained in this regard are archivists...how many people are lucky enough to have an archivist with this specialization advising on a construction project (as I do)?

Ultimately, it is the owner who must be diligent. It sounds like you've made the effort but are facing repeated problems. It may be helpful to write out your several experiences and see what the benefit of hindsight brings out. Then, perhaps, write up a "cheat sheet" for yourself so that future hires hit on the points that can make a difference. Drawing from lessons learned is huge;y beneficial--and are easily lost in the desire to escape frustration!

Sorry for such a long post--I hope things improve!

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I'm thinking there will be framing around the window that will totally hide the short tiles? If not, expect him to say "You won't even notice it when the grout in in"

The sink should have been centered with the window and the cabinet. I think it's more important to be right with the window but it doesn't look like he did either! Can he explain why he didn't pay any attention to these details?

Ahhh..Keako. Welcome to the zany world of contractors-both licensed and unlicensed. My theory is that 90% of contractors helped roof a shed one summer in high school, and when they were unable to keep a job due to character and drug issues, they became a contractor! The other 10% are amazing craftsmen whose work will be admired for centuries, but finding one is on par with finding an original copy of the Constitution at the Goodwill. You seem to have solved your problem, and I completely understand your desire to vent!

When leveling cabinets, the shimming should be done from the bottom, where the gaps will be covered by the toekick material. Then you won't have gaps at the top.

I'm not sure what the criteria is for all states as we predominantly work in California. But we are also required by law (in California) to warranty all work for 10 years.

That should be possible, Keako--make it an expectation. It may be that the row against the counter may suffer damage, but this should be easily replaced. Good luck!

Unfortunately, too many men are more interested in how things "work" than how they "look." I hope you are able to find the right contractor to correct these mistakes.

Sandy C is correct. The price that our design build firm gets is significantly less than what the lay public pays.....on most of everything. The stuff you are describing about 'getting skimmed" and ripped off is so foreign to the way that business is done in a reputable firm that all I can do is shake my head!

As she pointed out you get what you pay for. What I was pointing out in my earlier post, is that with a reputable license bonded and insured firm you are getting the better tradesman, the warranty, the security of an insured and licensed contractor. Meaning you have several avenues to resolve any problem via the contractor's license board, and the insurance that the contractor carries. John O'Brien also weighed in about many things that we experience from the professional side of the issue. Your situation is very unfortunate, but not all professionals out there should be painted with the same broad brush.

keako-Truly I wish only the best of luck going forward. Please make sure that you actually go see some of the work done by whomever you hire. I hope to hear a great result when all is said and done. Hope that the few pro's that weighed in will help you see at least some of us in a different light.