Out of curiosity, did you ask to have adjustable shelves after the cabinet guy started work? I’m wondering if those gouges might be where he was going to put in supports for fixed shelves.

^^^^ those aren’t gouges they are the pocket screws that hold the face frame on. Everything you’ve shown looks perfectly normal.

Colleenoz, no change in anything after signing the contract and I do think they are screw holes. You just can't see the screws in them. It's weird that they aren't in all the cabinets, just some. But I'm not a cabinet maker.

Hallett & Co., the chipped veneer and cracked corner are normal? They weren't cheap cabinets.

Yes. You have handmade cabinets built from wood. Sometimes wood cracks. Sometimes it peels. None of this is in area that shows or will affect the life of the cabinet.

I’d put an asterisk next to saying the pocket screws are normal. They’re great and “a” way to attach face frames, but when used they’re typically left as hidden as possible. On the end of a run or on protruding cabinets such as over the fridge perhaps, they’d need to be done from inside, preferably such that shelves can cover them. Elsewhere I’d do them from the outside. For those exceptions, and possibly for the whole job, I’d have opted for biscuits. What’s shown would annoy me but not ruin my joy over the new kitchen.

As for the crack, I’m no expert here but I’d be more comfortable seeing it secured so it doesn’t expand. I’d throw epoxy and a screw at it.

The chips they should be able to address such that they won’t get caught with a cleaning cloth. As long as they’re not visible I wouldn’t make too much of a fuss.

Overall I think you’re good but let them fix stuff.

Hallett & co., actually, the peeling will show even after the counter is placed and if it peels completely off it will look bad. The cabinet maker just called me and he is putting a piece of wood around the upper edge to cover them and prevent further peeling of the veneer. He also appologized for not catching it on his last inspection. He said the guy doing it actually used the machinery wrong, causing the damage to the veneer. He's going to put the wood strip, he called it a scribe, around the entire top part of the island so it's uniform.

Foodonastump, the pocket screws do look bad. My fridge isn't tall enough to cover the ones on that cabinet. I may have to put something up there to hide them. I'll try and ignore the ones inside the cabinets. Otherwise the cabinets are beautiful.