Floors require expansion gaps at walls and objects. You can not install it flush to the cabinets. Shoe molding is required here. If you didn't want shoe mold, the subfloor would need to have been leveled, and that means VERY leveled, and the floors installed first.

Thanks all! The floor guy came and explained about expansion gaps. He is going to make the end run lines as flush as possible, allowing for expansion gaps. He also said the better solution would have been to have the plywood under cabinets cut a little short to allow him to run the floors underneath and allow for expansion gaps under the cabinets. All makes 100% sense.

He also had a great solution for the expansion gap between the floor and the toe kick which was to reskin the cabinet toe kicks by 1/4". Since I'm having the cabinets painted, I think I can safely do this and hide the gaps this way, avoiding the base shoe at the toe kick.

Live and learn...

If he’s meticulous in his craft, he should be able to make this work without using shoe molding, or, heaven forbid, quarter-round molding. In fact, it’s entirely possible to achieve a clean, contemporary look without the use of even baseboard. But, based on your photos and brief description, I still stand by my original statement. It takes a real craftsperson/tradesperson with experience at producing the level of detail that I think you were hoping for. And, as such, the project required a detailed, well thought out plan beforehand. IF he can minimize the gap, make it consistent all the way around and the cuts perfectly clean, all he’d have to do is use a filler in those perimeter gaps that maintains its elasticy, because it’s very important that the floor be allowed to expand and contract during the seasons. On a side note, did he at least run the flooring underneath the appliances that sit on the floor, such as the fridge, dishwasher and/or range?

P.S. Do you have photos which show the look you were going for or expecting? If this guy has the tenacity, intelligence and work ethic, he will find a way to make this look exceptional. It might require some research on his part, or maybe even consultation with a specialist, both of which would almost certainly delay the project by a week or so, but, if that’s what it takes!

A 1/4" gap is required. No less. There is no getting away from a big gap, or shoe molding. Anything else will violate any warranty for the floors.

Or uninstall the cabinets and put wood under the island.

Thank you all! I understand so much better the implications here. Wish I had known more before, but nothing to be done now, except, as mentioned, cabinet install or perfecting the installation as best as possible. I really appreciate all the advice and suggestions.

If it makes you feel any better, we did it the other way (flooring under cabinets) some years back specifically because we didn't want the shoe mold, and now the floor is having problems and we're having to entertain the idea of somehow cutting it out around the cabinets (Marmoleum rather than wood fortunately so we could maybe pull that off) or uninstalling and then reinstalling cabinets if we want to fix the damaged sections. I have definitely had moments recently of wishing we'd done the shoe mold instead. So you kind of can't win. :)

Well, my flooring was installed with old cabinets in place. It was NOT replace when we put in the new cabinets. I have no moldings other than the typical 1/4 round at the baseboards, but none on the cabinets. Anyplace there was a slight irregularity, the installer just moved the kick plate and made it work.

Look into screen molding. It’s a lot less obtrusive and youll never notice it once your cabinets are finished. You should be able to get it from your cabinet supplier.

If the flooring went in after the cabinets, can the undercounter appliances (dishwasher, etc) still slide in and out ?