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pinkpants25

Kitchen designer ordered the wrong cabinets - what's reasonable comp?

Jennifer P
5 years ago
My kitchen designer (also project manager of the overall renovation) ordered my cabinets in the wrong color (medium grey instead of white), and the door style of the glass bar cabinet is wrong. It's not what I signed off on and my designer admitted it was her mistake when ordering, not the cabinet company. She gave me the option of keeping the wrong cabinets, but I declined since I chose the white ones purposefully and chose the rest of the materials (counter, flooring, etc) based on white cabinets. She ordered the correct color but I was informed there was no way to expedite the order and it would extend our timeline by an additional 4 weeks, putting the overall project at 8ish weeks vs the original 4. I still don't have a new estimate completion date, so I'm making an assumption based on when the cabinets will be delivered. We were on track until the cabiets came in. In light of all these issues, what is a reasonable expectation for compensation? She has not offered anything, but this has been a giant hassle, especially since our laundry room and powder room are also part of the renovation and they have also not been completed. Should I expect some sort of a discount for this completely avoidable mistake?

Comments (13)

  • homechef59
    5 years ago

    Your KD really screwed up. She will be eating the cost of the error. That's going to hurt.

    I get that you are being hugely inconvenienced, but often we see tradesmen not stepping up to do the right thing. She has. I wouldn't be too hard on her, given her fixing the issue in every way that is reasonably within her power.

    You still have to work with her. Mistakes happen. I would suggest getting as firm a date for cabinet delivery as possible. Then, consult with your GC to make sure they understand the delay, get as far ahead of it as possible and plan full steam ahead once they arrive.

    I would not expect a monetary rebate. This happens. It could be so much worse.

  • tackykat
    5 years ago

    I agree with homechef, though I know it is hard to swallow. I have just gone through the same thing with my bath remodel.

    One cabinet that we discussed at length did not turn out right, and they are making a new one to reflect what we had originally discussed. Though my delay is not nearly the extent of yours, I am accepting that the delay is necessary to get the correct result. Things do happen and yes, in your case that sounds like a major mistake.


  • kidshop
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    I think the only way to get compensation would have been to keep the wrong cabinets. Since you of course want what you ordered, then the time it takes to get them is a normal result of that. she is making it right and it was a very costly mistake on her part.

    They should move quickly to finish everything else they can while you wait, though.


    I kept a wrong cabinet for a discount, but if I wanted them to remake the correct one, I would have had to wait for it.

  • chispa
    5 years ago

    I don't think you will get a discount, but will get the cabinets that you asked for. I also think that the 4 week timeline they gave you was too short! Stuff happens. We found water damage and termites when we gutted the kitchen, so that added 2 weeks. My initial timeline was estimated at 11 weeks for a total kitchen gut with electrical and plumbing work.

  • geoffrey_b
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Unless the contract has a specific completion date, you have no recourse.

    Besides, you're not really harmed, it's just going to take a while longer.

  • PRO
    Filipe Custom Woodwork
    5 years ago

    I agree with the others. She is making right by you. Depending on the cost of the kitchen, the vendor will most likely charge a 25% restock fee which will mean that she will be loosing money on your job if you hired her for that. We being on the other side of the coin can understand how these things happen but I think if the vendor is trying to make things right by you then give them a chance. No one is perfect 100% of the time. Delays come in many ways, from permits, inspections, back orders etc. It is almost given to expect some sort sort of a delay being that in construction there are so many variables.

  • Jennifer P
    Original Author
    5 years ago
    Thanks for all the feedback. That makes sense. I guess I was mostly frustrated because we got all the way through demo, electrical, etc without any issues and it seemed like we were on the home stretch and then this happened. I'll just keep my fingers crossed we don't run into any more issues!
  • tackykat
    5 years ago

    Yep, Jennifer P., it's a marathon, not a sprint, esp. with your time frame (old and new). I felt the same way about our bathroom job. All was humming along -- ahead of schedule! - until the cabinet mistake. And the stress skyrocketed. But it will all be worth it in the end.

    I considered "living" with the incorrect bathroom cabinet for the sake of getting the job done, but I knew I would regret it. So I just pointed it out and my contractor was great about it.

    In the end you will be glad you waited. Down the road, you will forget the extra few weeks (though they are a pain, I know!) when you look at the kitchen as it is done the way YOU wanted it to be done.

  • PRO
    Anglophilia
    5 years ago

    Often, the wrong thing is ordered. And when it is, it usually takes 4-6 weeks to get the correct thing. A good cabinet manufacturer doesn't just have cabinets sitting on the shelf ready to be delivered. They are made when they are ordered. Annoying? Absolutely! But it's just the way things are. Usually, most of the cabinets can be installed in the meantime; not so, when the wrong color is ordered. BIG mistake.

  • Helen
    5 years ago

    As others have written, delays are to be expected and you now have considerable leverage to get it finished as quickly as possible. I have no idea how much the designer had to "eat" in terms of cost but I would suspect that there is no profit for designer at this point because of the mistake.

    My remodel hasn't had anything that has caused quite that much of a delay but there have been actions or communication failures that have caused an aggregate of four weeks at least such as failure to order tiles as quickly as possible - partly my fault as if I had known there would be as much of a lead time for the tiles I would have pushed harder for alternatives to finalize my decision. :-)

    As my friend who has done a few remodels likes to tell me with a chortle - twice as long and three times as expensive or vice versa depending on what I am whining to him about :-)

  • Maika Futbolka
    4 years ago

    we have a similar situation and would love to know how I could go about reselling the wrong cabinets. The manufacturer does not want them back. Any ideas?

  • Helen
    4 years ago

    An upside down house to take advantage of an ocean or other astounding view is desirable and normal.


    An upside down house with a view of backyard is less so. Most people have a "view" of their backyard from the ground floor which is sufficient.