What do the design documents show?

There is nothing in the contract on cabinet trim. I asked the trim carpenter why they were doing it vs the cabinet company and his response was they don’t know the ceiling height difference to build the trim. Trim carpenters install cabinets… this is how the builder does it. Then they have painters come in and paint them.

The cabinet drawings show cabinets and no trim. I wasn’t aware there was even going to be trim but I’m guessing there was mistakes made that caused them to put trim up in some of the rooms. Laundry and pantry have no trim installed. Should this be something I complain to the builder about or the cabinet company (contracted by the builder)… I don’t know if I’m in the wrong or if this is normal. We are building a 1.3m house and spent $22,000+ beyond the budget for the cabinets. I feel like we spent to much to have this be a half a** job.

@Verbo The OP said she spent $22K above the alotted cabinet budget, not $22K as the cabinet budget.

@Melissa Schmitt The drawings don't show trim so there shouldn't be trim. The cabinets you signed off on go up to the ceiling and you have the right to insist that they do. Also, having the cabinets site painted will result in a less durable finish. I don't know what you can do, though. I was never able to get my builder (custom, expensive, not a tract home) to take responsiblility for any of his errors.

I would be most concerned by how the upper cabinets jut past the soffit. I'm sorry you have to deal with this but I would try to fight to get what's in your drawings, especially since they got it right in other rooms. Good luck.

Cabinets typically don't go all the way to the ceiling. Ceilings are not flat and corners are not square. So typically when cabinets are taken to the ceiling it is with molding, flat stock, or soffits. This is especially true with full overlay where the door needs clearance.

Your plans don't show cabinets to the ceiling...they show cabinets without molding, if installed that way they will just not go up to the ceiling and leave a gap.

I don't like the molding detail they are doing but that is personal preference. In my opinion the reveal should be reduced on unskinned sides. So I prefer a 3/4" reveal above doors and about 3/8" or less reveal on sides.

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Site painted cabinets are not necessarily less durable. There is no shop sprayed coating that can't be sprayed in a vacant home. Personally I wouldn't want my cabinets sprayed with true conversion varnish anyway, but that is the only coating that offgasses for an extended time ( 2-3 weeks).

All of the 2 part poly's can be sprayed in a vacant home and will have the same durability of shop sprayed cabinets.