It would be lovely if the miscreants who did this could be brought to justice, but is it worth the time, trouble, and aggravation of lawyers and lawsuits? Re-shimming the cabinets to level them could probably be done in a day or two and then you'd be done with it. I'd first look to see if there are any shims under the front that could be removed; failing that you need to boost the back sides of the cabinets if I'm interpreting your picture correctly, At worst this will require pulling the countertops, leveling the cabinets and reinstalling. A pain, but not the end of the world. I'd get an opinion from an experienced cabinet installer if it's not something you want to take on yourself. Shimming just the countertops is another option that might be easier.

Leveling just the cooktop-- or is it a slide-in range?, would be a *lot* easier. I'd much rather put up with an uneven gap than a slanting cook surface,

I'm not sure this falls under codes etc?

They came and tried fixing the range top but other than ripping out the counter and leveling things I'm not sure what they could do.

My floor is pretty level. This is in front of the range top

And this is on the range top

The floor bubble is slightly to the left but the range top the bubble is very right.

I'm just tired of the oil pooling in the front of my pans. I cook a lot and this problem is just ... Not ok.

Sorry the pics aren't clear. My counters slope towards the front. My floor has a slight slope to the back. I have a rangetop so I can't adjust feet.

Are you hoping to level the rangetop or everything?

https://www.kitchenaid.com/content/dam/global/documents/202106/installation-instructions-w11508891-reva.pdf

I think if you pull the cooktop, determine if the countertop is the issue or the cooktop installation this can be leveled correctly.

Beverly, the counter is not level and the rangetop is supposed to sit on it. Whether it's the cabinets or the floor, my cooking surface is sloped.

I actually had a KitchenAid tech come and replace the rangetop trays after I forgot barkeeper's friend on them and ended up damaging them. It was just aesthetic but it was brand new at the time so I wanted them replaced. The KitchenAid tech told me there's not much I can do about the slope since it depends on the counter. He had to uninstall and reinstall the rangetop to replace the trays, and it was no better after. So, I think my options are either I have a gap on the side that I'm not supposed to have or I have a slope on my rangetop. Or I try to shim the counter, but I don't know how feasible that is and I definitely don't want to do that if I have to remove the counter. Or there's a way to put varying height feet on my grates and I level it that way. But I'm just bummed about it because it affects my cooking.

KA repair guy came to fix something else. Why not call them out specifically to fix the problem you actually have? Maybe they’ll re-install it for you and have any parts they might need to help level this? This really isn’t a DIY thing, and I’m not sure how helpful we can be, unless perhaps someone else here had a similar issue. Good luck getting it fixed. That must be beyond annoying.

What "I" would do because this would drive me nuts. Remove the stove and see if the left countertop and right countertop are level to each other while also seeing if the stove base cabinet is level. There could be shims on the base cabinets that you do not even know are there. Shims could be on the floor or under the countertop etc. Then have the cabinets and countertops leveled to each other. Do not look for perfection but get as close as possible. Then reinstall everything. Look for a really good cabinet maker installer to do this for you.

It matters not if it is out of square/level front to back, or left to right, or both.

There's only one fix.

Remove the counter top, Get the cabinetry LEVEL , in all directions, once and for all. Reinstall the top and the range top.

You let this "slide" ( pun intended )...for THREE years. " The nothing we can do" was bullshit.

YOU NEED...A good contractor, a good fabricator and maybe not those that installed tops on Cabinetry with NO LEVEL IN THEIR HANDS!?

It's going to cost money, and you aren't going to get a dime from the jack ass builder or his subs.

You "don't build a house on shifting sand" .....You have the kitchen version. Fix it, or be annoyed with every meal you make.

"The KitchenAid tech told me there's not much I can do about the slope since it depends on the counter."

And within fractions? the COUNTER depends level cabinetry. It's why God made shims

Well, shoot. I was hoping there was some way to shim without removing counters. Pretty sure spending that amount of money will be a non-starter (I can just hear DH now ... it's a new house! We just spent all this money, we're not spending more! etc.)

Sigh.

Makes me not ever want to get a cooktop or rangetop again (this is the first one I've ever had - every other home/apartment I've had has had a range). Whatever home I live in next, if I have the choice, I will get a range so it can be leveled independently of anything else.

I might try getting some rubber feet and shim the grates instead, since that seems to be the only thing I can do without spending thousands. It will be janky but it might work.

"It's why God made shims" @JAN MOYER That gave me a Saturday morning smile, thanks!

That is supposed to sit on the counters. You need to figure out what the obstruction is at the back that isn’t letting it do that. Once you do that, I doubt it will be all that out of level. And if it is still tilted, some shims at the front can level it. then the shims are properly cut flush, and you install a small piece of scribe molding to conceal them.

Simple, low cost, and easily DIYed.

KT builders, maybe my pics weren't clear. This pic is the range during on the counter, and it's not level. I also checked the counter and the bubble is in the same spot. In the pic with the gap I lifted the rangetop up to show how much it would need to be raised in the front for it to be level. I don't think there's an obstruction.

@anj_p - my comment was not implying that there is a specific code that covers the leveling of countertops/cooktops, etc.

If the oil in your pan pools at the front of the pan = something was installed incorrectly. I don't know how you lived with this issue for three years.

The point of my comment was that the builder's one year warranty doesn't matter. Someone was negligent when installing the cabinets/countertop. Your builder is the one who hired the subcontractors involved in installing these items. You should have pursued this instead of letting the builder brush you off when you brought it up a few years ago.

Regardless, you still have the right to have the issue remedied by your builder. He is still responsible - I would contact him (in writing - email would be great) and explain that this issue still is causing a problem for you - and you expect for him to address it.

As I offered earlier, if you want me to help you find the applicable statute(s), you can send me a message.

^^

Good luck!

My sister will have to evacuate her lakeside condo this spring, for a month.

The building is sinking.....the units within are on tilt. One neighbor watches her jewelry slide off her dresser. The walls are cracking, it will be a two phase, jack up the building slowly right now to survive winter. Come back and fix all the interior issues.

That means all new windows, fixing the kitchen issue with a pantry falling off the wall, gaps at the ceiling as cabinets literally drop,and all the cracked ceilings and walls.

Where is the builder? NOWHERE. Will they all be assessed? Yes.

There's more. A lot more. I'll spare you: (

I would caution against putting rubber feet under the grates. The grates get very hot while the burners are on. You might be dealing with ruined rangetop trays again from melted rubber.

You need to invest in a 2' long level. Torpedos are OK for some things. Setting cabinets and countertops is not one of those things.

there are no leveling feet, and the thing is supported by the counter anyway.

No, what you think is counter support are 'island trim pieces'. The cooker itself sits on the top of a low cabinet or a fixed shelf in a rangetop cabinet. See Page 7 of the installation instructions: LINK below:

https://www.kitchenaid.com/content/dam/global/documents/202106/installation-instructions-w11508891-reva.pdf

The quick dirty fix would be to remove the rangetop and shim it to level from below. You may be able to elongate the screw holes in the trim piece enough for it to fit/ seal to the unlevel counter top. Of cut tapered shims to fill the gap. Or caulk.

You didn't provide complete enough pictures of the kitchen to determine how big of an ordeal it would be to remove the counters. Or if there is enough room to access the underside of the counters to loose the connection to the cabinets and add shims to level the counters.

It is possible that the cabinets were installed on leg leveling feet. Would need to remove the toe kick to determine. If you're lucky and have leg levelers, the those can be adjusted and the entire run of cabinets can be adjusted. (Suggest a 3-4' level for leveling counters.)

I'd think adding feet to my grates would be fine, as they already have some. Other option would be to file these down but I don't think I have enough height.

My counters around the range probably wouldn't be terribly difficult to remove but still probably not inexpensive? My cabinets are not individual boxes and somehow I doubt they have leveling feet. I could try shimming the rangetop. Not sure if I'd be able to fill the gap.

Shimming that properly would take about 5 minutes.

@ Simon

What should I shim? Cabinets? Counter? Range? Grates?

If it takes 5 minutes I should be able to do it myself, correct?

I think your first call is to a good contractor one of your friends knows WELL.

Don't do it yourself, and pay what needs to be paid.

I doubt you will get a dime from the builder, even if you are willing to sit in small claims court where you may "win" by his NO SHOW!

YOU bear culpability for rolling over on this, three years ago : )

KT already gave you the blueprint, above. Shim the range top. Plastic, not wood shims. Wood shims compress over time. Cover trimmed shim edges with a piece of scribe molding. It will take longer to cut and apply the molding than getting the range top level.

"Cover trimmed shim edges with a piece of scribe molding. It will take longer to cut and apply the molding than getting the range top level."

Put your address here............................

So that Simon can make time to come over for five minutes.

" Someone was negligent when installing the cabinets/countertop."

Not necessarily. Years ago I was called to a Corian countertop leveling repair job. Something about the place seemed familiar. Then it hit me. I had installed the tops years earlier when I worked for the fabricator who had a contract with the tract builder.

I can assure you the tops were dead level when I left that job. The house drying out and shrinking wasn't my fault. I could see this happening within 3 years easily.

anj_p:

Depending upon your layout, it may be possible to shim your countertops inconspicuously. That's where to start anyway. Shim the appliance the rest of the way to level. A well-placed bead of clear silicone and you'll forget about them soon.

"(Suggest a 3-4' level for leveling counters.)"

A 4' level (or a torpedo level on a 4'straightedge) is needed here as well. That's because the level needs to span from opposite corner to opposite corner in an "X" fashion in addition to front to back and side to side.

" My cabinets are not individual boxes and somehow I doubt they have leveling feet. "

That would incorrect, any builder in todays age uses individual boxes guaranteed and there are leveling feet.

There is no way those cabinets have leveling feet. Just sayin........individual boxes or not. Pull a toe kick and bet me! What's the deal with the beverage Hi/lo....and why?

Interesting. I guess that compatibility with problematic floors and/or poor house leveling would lead to needing leveling means built into the cabinets.

When I did my 2008-2012 kitchen reno I started by leveling the kitchen side of the house by adjusting the main house beam relative to the foundation. This required a laser level. After floor reconstruction and finishing the Tedd Wood cabinets were set on the finished floor. They did not come with leveling feet. They were very accurate in height. Level was almost perfect, and any deviation from level and flatness was removed by me by minor sanding on the top edges before any stone was installed. Stone placement did not require shims. A 6-foot level may prove useful for longer spans.

Moral: While it is best to start with an accurately square and level house, renovation can make up for earlier construction 'crimes' if one is sufficiently meticulous.

If this was my kitchen, I’d level the grates by adding the appropriate thickness something under the grate feet. Figure out how much you need to raise the front of the grate - 1/8”? - and go to the hardware store, look through the metal and nylon washers and spacers, see what fits.

Then see if you’re still bothered enough to pursue a real fix.

@Joseph it's possible they were level at the beginning but I don't feel like the oil pooling is new. I do think the range cutout is a bit too low in the front so the range itself may have been out of level but the counters were ok - and now after 3 years the house settling has caused the counters to fall out of level.

@Jan yes I let it go, so I guess my fault. But we built a production home so we didn't really have any leverage other than lawyering up, so when the builder says there's nothing more we can do, I felt like I had to take that. They'd already been paid, and we didn't control the purse strings.

I know more now - a LOT more - so if I ever do this again I would be firmer.

Regarding beverage fridge...again, production home. That particular bit was an upgrade (standard was nothing in that space, which looks unfinished to me). So I chose to continue the backsplash, cabinets and counter. At least I get a nice 4 drawer stack next to it (cut off in the picture).

Regarding pulling the quarter round and toe kick - my cabinets are knotty alder and dent easily, so I would be hesitant to do this myself. Maybe I'll reach out to the cabinet company that did them - their sticker is on the drawers - and see if they can shed some light/help out.

Leveling the grates might be the cheapest/easiest solution.

Fortunately, the front edge of the cabinets is low. Leveling them will be a relatively easy fix because you only need to adjust/raise the leading edge of the cabinets.

I would remove the quarter round moulding (most likely you won't have to touch/ remove the toe kick) and drive composite shims under the gable ends & any partitions that touch the floor. Go slow, checking your new 4' level after every couple of taps. Alternate driving the shims. Don't attempt to get to level working with only one shim at a time.

Then reinstall the quarter round or replace with a taller moulding if unstained toe kick is exposed.

This is entirely DIY-able with only the barest minimum of experience.

ETA: I would unload the cabinets to reduce as much weight as possible. Remove drawers & pop the doors off.

And cut any caulk seams that are at a right angle to the wall.

If this isn't an "easy fix" that can be accomplished in five minutes - or DIY-able with only the barest minimum of experience -

I just wanted to let you know that the one year warranty did not preclude you from contacting the builder about remediating the issue for you. I know everyone is slamming me for adding my comment - however, I just helped a friend, who moved into her new home a little over two years ago, recover money from her builder. Not all builders disappear (many do - but not all) - and all it required was a firm letter on my letterhead - addressing the correct statute - and the builder's attorney contacted me within 48 hours.

Her issue was similar to yours in that it didn't prevent her from using things in her home, but it made using something annoying to her. She decided she would rather have the money they offered vs. having the issue remediated. Within one week, a settlement agreement was signed and she received her check.

It doesn't always go that way - but sometimes it does. The point of my comment was simply to let OP know her rights. That's all.

I don't practice in this area - my practice is focused on commercial real estate development and business law. However, I've helped a few family members/friends - and only one time ran into an issue that the builder no longer existed. However, the longer someone waits to address issues, there is more of a chance that the builder may have closed up shop.

@dani I honestly appreciate your comments and your offer of help, and I'm glad that worked out for your friend. Maybe it would work out for me as well, I just don't know any lawyers that I would feel comfortable asking for help!

@ci_lantro I asked my handy coworker this morning what he would do, and he said what you said - remove the quarter round and try shimming from there. The toe kick looks like it would be a pain to remove so I would rather not do that if I can avoid it.

As I read the diagram on page 7 of the Installation Instructions, the rangetop sits on the cabinet; it's not supported by the countertop. So the solution would be to remove the cooktop, shim the shelf that supports the cooktop so it's level, and then reinstall the rangetop. Downside: there will be a gap between the rangetop and the adjacent countertop and one is instructed on page 5, "Do not seal the cooktop to the side cabinets".

P.S. You could also remove the top drawer and look up to see how the shelf that supports the rangetop is attached. If it rests on cleats, you might be able to detach and then reattach the cleats to level the shelf. Wild speculation.