Is your island half a block long? Geez. If you are using paint, that should take what, 1- 2 gallons MAX? Should be about $100. Just say no. Tell them you will acquire the "custom" paint yourself and they can remove that cost for the island and verify finish (eggshell, satin, etc). Perhaps they are using some paint from a past job and have it on site.

They were going to paint your cabinets anyway, right? Exactly the same amount of work regardless of what color you pick.

This is why I piece out jobs. It takes me longer but I don't get any of this nonsense.

yes, the cost of using their paint color was included so they were painting it regardless. an extra $620 is mind boggling for as they call it "custom" paint.

i haven't sent them an email yet, still haven't cooled off. was hoping to hear some opinions here first.

Just be professional. Remove all emotion (though you feel it!) when dealing in business. Tell them what you will be doing, don't ask. There is no justification for charging you $620 to do the same work in a different color. All paint is "custom" in that it is mixed to order when selected. The business rep specifically stated that color would be determined at a later point, and did not suggest, it sounds, like you would be limited to a couple of colors, so you had no meeting of the minds on that portion of the contract. Tell them that you will provide paint as specified if you get pushback.

Original poster said cabinets were being painted.

If some other process is actually being done, such as factory baking the finish on to the cabinets, that would be different, of course. An extra 2 grand for different color just for a paint job would be unreasonable but some other factory process would be a different story, but like the original poster, I sure would require an explanation for such a price differential.

My apologies if I misunderstood what the poster was saying.

Thank you for your response Kristin. unfortunately, you'd think a higher-end cabinet company would have more than 3 white samples (two of which were tones I already told them i didn't want)

looks like i've wasted 2months of my time and it looks like they won't be making a $33,000 sale...

What “higher end” cabinet line is this? And yes, pretty much all lines that will offer custom colors will have a match and set up charge for custom colors. 10-30% is standard.

No cabinet company ever uses “paint.” It’s unfortunate that the general population thinks of opaque coatings as paint. That’s far from the truth.

It a completely different chemistry for catalyzed conversion varnishes. It takes experts in color matching and chemistry to offer this, and talent to spray it. The guns and lines have to be clean to start, and cleaned afterwards.

It’s not like a production line where 55 gallon drums of coatings materials are piped into the guns directly. It’s a one off special job, and tripled the time needed. That’s why it is always an upcharge.

A BM paint is never IMO a choice for painting cabinets. A real cabinet paint is waht should be used and so I agree with Sophie that you need to pay the extra unless you want to back here next year wanting to know why your cabinets are chipped.

My guess is that any of your "non-custom" paint choices are premixed in large quantities. So I am assuming that anything beyond those limited choices has to be tinted in a seperate batch just for your job. They may have to add more than just tint in order to "warranty" the paint. I will fill you in on a trick I learned though. If you sand the surface of the cabinet (if it's prefabbed to a sealed color), use Automotive Primer, make sure it is smooth, then paint whatever color you like. I did this, sealed it with a clear coat, and my cabinets have not scratched, chipped, or anything with 2 kids under 10 getting in and out of them. It's amazing.

It is probably a case of their "Standard white" selection has been formula converted to catalyzed. You are asking them to convert your selections............pay up or not. "Simply White" if accurately converted is not the least bit yellow. Most cabinet companies have added it to the "White Dove" overload already out there in abundance. It's not gouging.

LRV: 91.7 / Undertones: Yellow / Temperature: Warm Benjamin Moore Simply White the best white paint colour Simply White is a great, slightly fresh, slightly warm...

Not yellow you say?

BM Simply White OC-117

BM Simply White OC-117

nice white cabinets with a yellow undertone. thanks for confirming what BENJAMIN MOORE says about their own paint...

"If you sand the surface of the cabinet (if it's prefabbed to a sealed color), use Automotive Primer, make sure it is smooth, then paint whatever color you like"

You do not purchase new cabinets and then paint them with a home brew.

Did he give you the BM book and tell you he was using BM or give you the book to select a BM color which he was going to have tinted especially for your project?

You were misled if they always said "don't worry about finish, that can be decided at the end”. At that point, they should have provided you with detailed information on the limited choices which would be available to you. It was their responsibility to inform you that anything different from those choices would be an upcharge.

“nice white cabinets with a yellow undertone. thanks for confirming what BENJAMIN MOORE says about their own paint...”

Was this in response to the photos I posted?

I do a fair number of these with two companies and previously with a third. None of them us a BM paint, it is rather a BM color created by their finish supplier.

For one company we have to get a sample door first ($150 credited to the order), followed by an extra 5% added to the standard paint charge of 15%+ 20%, with a minimum charger of $670. That is not credited to the order.

For the (much) higher end brand- we pay $500 for a color sample, not credited but the finish charge remains the same at 5%. When a custom color is likely I always price out both brands to see what works. FWIW both companies offer 5 good whites standard so most often custom colors are something else-but not always. When a client is definitely looking at the higher end company to begin with I include the first "mixing charge" and color control sample (the $500) free since the job will already be pricey enough. If they change their mind they pay for any additional.

When I matched a Fine Paints of Europe they had to buy that paint and then create a custom conversion varnish, and get my approval.

I only saw the one sample that really matched so I am not sure how many attempts there were.

But when we were trying to create another finish there were three to five samples for approval. So I am guessing it's possible that it's not always right the first time. You are taking a color from one company in a paint and turning it into something else.

I had wanted to have two small trim pieces made and finished in conversion varnish and they said it would cost hundreds of dollars, not much less than it would to finish a number of cabinets, because the initial set up is the same and after that the costs for additional cabinets are incremental.

I think you've gotten good input on why the custom colors cost more.

What was the third white the company offered? And what Benjamin Moore white would you prefer? I've looked at BM's whites, and there's not a lot between Simply White and, say, Chantilly Lace or Ultra White, which are BM's whitest white. You could get a less stark white but with a different undertone than yellow (pinkish, bluish, greenish). What is it you are looking for?

Any white paint color will look less yellow if you change to a cooler light bulb temperature in your kitchen. That's often recommended as a fix when people discover the cabinets they ordered are much yellower than expected, but it could be a way for you to save a money at the start if you just planned on changing the lighting from the get-go.

While Simply White has yellow undertones, and you definitely see them when comparing it directly to other BM whites side-by-side, I DON'T see yellow when I look at the images Sammy posted.

1800 -2000 is 5-6% of your $33,000 total? What is your two months of wasted time and starting over worth?

Funny conversation i stumbled upon :) Ironically, I would LOVE to know which company offers the Simply White :) My east facing open floor plan and pocket book woukdnaporeciate the info!

@Sammy Were those SW photos you posted of your own house ? If so, what is the floor? TIA