following. I agree with the ones that said the seam is awful. this project is just circling the drain and getting worse.

Maybe it's just the angle (but I don't think so), but the drawer panel looks to be hanging below the flat panel behind it or at the very least, the distance between the top of that drawer and the counter does not have the same reveal as the other drawers.

I don't like the small drawer in the middle either BUT that small drawer
is exactly what the OP signed off on as seen in the drawings up thread.

I don't see a drawer present in the middle section in the drawing posted by the OP above. And I thought the OP said the GC was going to fix that ... ? Shouldn't that have been done prior to placing the countertops? I agree with the others that the seam is unattractive.

Yes, I wouldn't have let them top it until the drawer issue was resolved. At this point, I'd eliminate the vanity drawer and install a properly sized matching fixed panel or two. I think the hardware should match the chrome or brushed fixtures. Mirroring the entire wall is a great option given the layout. The seam could be worked on for an improved look.

If you ignore the seam itself the flow of the stone is not bad. You’re never not going to see a seam in a wild stone unless you pay to upgrade to bookmatched slabs and use two slabs where one would do.

The seam is just poor, and shouts. It needs a better color match. And there looks like a chip underneath it? Hard to tell without a better picture.

"I hesitate to even ask this, but do you think the seam of the marble is OK smack dab in the middle?"

While I don't know the dimensions of the cabinets and the slab, I doubt you're getting that top in one piece. The seam could be better; the location could not.

I don't see a drawer present in the middle section in the drawing posted by the OP

No, you really can't see the drawer but the cabinet # is UCD 3621 which I interpret to mean '21" Under Counter Drawer in an overall 36" wide cabinet'.

ETA: What I would do is order two smaller drawers or one wider drawer, build a simple face frame cabinet to fit, color match the paint for the face frame (which will be mostly covered up with the new drawers). That location, a presumed make-up vanity, really needs all the drawer space you can wring out it.

While I don't know the dimensions of the cabinets and the slab, I doubt you're getting that top in one piece.

Somewhere around 13' long. Agreed. Length of the vanity vs available lengths of countertops should have been a consideration in the design phase. Longest available length of even laminate is 12' AFAIK.

I interpret UCD 3621 to mean that the cabinet width is 36 inches and the depth is 21 inches.

I have a similar set up for the sit down vanity area. A shallow long drawer under the vanity area and drawers down both sides. I really don't use the center drawer much because once I'm sitting there, pushed in close to my makeup mirror, I can't access the drawer.

You're right, jellytoast. Width & depth. Not drawer size.

At the link, there is a drawing of something similar that they are calling a 'vanity knee drawer'. 36 x 21. #VKD3621. Can be trimmed down to 24.75".

I still think UCD is another cab brand's nomenclature for 'under counter drawer'.

http://homecabinets4u.com/store-2/?model_number=VKD-36SW

I could be wrong, but I thought "UCD" to indicate "under counter drawer" was pretty much universal for cabinet manufactures. In any case, the OP's drawing does show UCD3621 and the visual height of the center drawer in the drawing is shorter than the adjacent drawers, so it would seem that the OP's drawing supports something other than what was installed. I would not be happy with that center drawer as is. If using a counter-height stool at the vanity, it seems your knees would be knocking against the bottom of it.

Honestly?! I would remove the entire drawer and ask for a trimmed panel to replace it It is screaming cheap. As to the seam? May not be perfection , but doubt you'd have gotten a single run INTO the bath without a darn sky hook.

Paint the walls something else?. Too brown.... at least on this screen.

The countertop itself is a beautiful stone. I agree with Jan Moyer that the paint on the walls is way too brown (on my monitor too).

The wall color is Sherwin Williams Perfect Greige. When paired with espresso stained cabinetry, it looks classy and subtle. Now it looks brown. I am sending an email to GC tonight with itemized list of corrections needed.

Sure does, Jellytoast. The drawing shows a more shallow drawer than the adjacent top drawers.

I would use a rolling adjustable height stool in that spot. Easy to access the drawers, roll in underneath when not in use We have one that we found at a rummage sale that we use out in the shop. Handy little thing.

As others suggested above, fixing the middle section. Get 2 drawer fronts.

If the decorative drawer fronts not possible for whatever reason, then remove drawer, make a less tall filler. It would give more leg room, too.

Btw, I don't if it's the photo or the paint, but the lighting looks yellowish.

Change light bulbs to daylight bulbs could help.

Before example

After with daylight bulbs, yellow gone.

OP - "we ordered ESPRESSO" + "neither color is specified in writing".

You ordered nothing.

It appears in your drawing that the two cabinets on the very left (and the two right cabinets) have one long drawer above them, and your cabinets do not

Gargamel - you are right! I missed that. While I think the one long drawer is nicer, I am exhausted to think of adding ONE MORE thing to our list of complaints. :(

artistsharonva - the more I consider your suggestion of two smaller drawers, the more I realize that it actually minimizes the seam. Thanks!

UPDATE: GC came over yesterday for a 10am mtg.
with fabricator to discuss counter. He refused to talk about
anything else when I asked to discuss other issues (cabinet issues),
absolutely WILL NOT commit to any deadlines and stormed out after ten
minutes when I pressed him about due dates since "Sept. 6th will be SIX
months without our master bathroom. Shortly after, he texted that he will
not talk to us unless we promise not to ”berate” him. He did move forward
with the fabricator’s inspection and promised to fix the seam but sent his assistant
to manage it.

Maximizing our meeting with GC was important
as we rarely meet in person. While his preferred method of
communication is text, we do not think it is adequate or effective when making
project-related decisions.

If he won’t commit to any deadlines, we plan
to treat his exit and resistance to accountability as abandonment. It
seems as if our only option is to hire somebody else to complete the job and seek
reimbursement for defective construction per our contract.

What would you do?

I don't think you have what would be considered "defective" construction. Given your contract does not specify the color of the cabinet, I don't think you have grounds for any compensation either. While the seam or the drawer does not look great, aren't both in the original plan? Since he has met with you and responded to texts, I don't think you can consider abandonment as well. He could counter back to you that you are abusive (the berate comment). I am only pointing out these to you before you consider seriousl legal action. And I will tell you as married to someone who used to be a GC, there is no way my husband would want to come into this job and finish it.

It also appears that the cabinet is the only issue you've had (aside from personality conflicts), so what about offering to pay half the cost of a new cabinet in the colour you wanted.

Colleen Bear30041 , Truly frustrated that you are going through this. It is just wrong on all aspects. His angry behaviour is a sign of guilt at being held accountable. This is not someone who wants to work with you to have a fair and equitable resolution. He is really a terrible GC, unable to keep his cool to complete the job before him.

So I think back to what artistsharonva wrote.

Whoa! Put a halt on everything now. Man, this got me upset for you. I can't stand unprofessional bullies.

I find it suspicious he installed the white when you weren't home. Good timing for him,so he can try to charge you labor for the wrong color installed & hoped you just take it as is. Horrible thing to do..... Just because he's your neighbor,does not mean you should be treated less than. In fact a good neighbor would do more for their neighbors.

Put this jerk back in his place. Get your home, your project back in control now.

Do not pay him 1 more penny until you & your husband have a talk & discuss what you want, when it should be done by, ,,,,

If you scroll up and read her post she was accurate. Take control of your home.

How do you do this? Do you finish with him via text? Or do you find another GC who will overcharge to deal with the past errors and any unknowns. I know many GCs who would not take this on because they would want to avoid drama or charge more to deal with potential drama. And if you do hire someone else, will the old GC pay you for a defective product or try to blame the new Project manager?

You want your bathroom back! I do not think this current terrible GC is going to get you there. You could start over and file in small claims to get your money back from him but without a good contract this may be a judge judy episode. Meeting with an attorney to find out is not going to be cheap either. Your best bet if money is not object to redo your bathroom with a new GC the way you want to.

Reach out to friends, family, neighbors (not him) church, co workers etc to find a reliable, honest, hardworking GC and pay whatever he charges. If you have many people saying he is great, he probably is. I have a GC that is not cheap but I trust him with my house and all its contents. He is that great a human that I know he will not rob me and will be fair. My wish is that you find someone like that to finish your bathroom in a way that is wonderful.

Please read well, and listen to what Boxerpal has to say in her post above. It is time to part company, and not spend another dollar for something else that is not what you want. I would not put up with a contractor who just does what they please and is also a bully. Its your bathroom, and its your hard earned money.

The last two posts are right on. Also, a bathroom remodel should not take 5-6 months.

Colleen Bear30041,

I'm so sorry your GC has made your bathroom remodel such an inconvenience. I'm all for giving people chances to come up with solutions. I have no problem firing a Pro when a Pro refuses to be professional. I think you have given this GC enough chances. Whether he's your neighbor or not, in this situation, you're the client & should be respected as such. You should be able to be have open communication on what you think, want, etc. & a real Pro will do what within reason to make your remodel come out the way you want it, in a timely manner.

Since you asked what we do, this is what I would do.

I would politely fire him. He deserves it & you deserve to be free of him. I would send him a certified letter with an itenized list of what was done correctly & pay him what he did correctly. I would deduct what you think is fair. I would not pay him for what he did incorrectly or did not finish. If there's a balance due, I would send him a check. in the memo of check write pay in full. I would state in the letter that by cashing the check all parties involved agree the total bill for services have been paid in full & the working contract is released & null &; void the date it is cashed. Chances are he'll cash the check & run. I have used this before & it worked & never had a problem later. of course, paying a lawyer for his advice could be $ well spent to sever this business relationship within the laws of your state.

I personally try to treat others fairly with respect. So, pay him fairly for what he did correctly. That is all. Kindness with firmness & directness is very effective. It's ok to fire a Pro when they are not being a Pro.

Once he's gone, hire a Pro that respects you, listens, has a great reputation, valid licensures & by all means get an itemized list of what's to be done, prices for each, materials you want, & an appropriate deadline. I usually put in my contracts, if the job is done ahead of schedule a bonus of $____ will be given. Ironically, my jobs get done ahead of schedule. I like rewarding Pros who go beyond what's expected. I hope you find 1 who will exceed your expectations, once you get this negative GC thorn off the project.

It's your home, protect it by hiring well & accepting nothing less.

Of course, I don't know the whole situation, so I would get advice locally, too.

Hope it resolves promptly & many success to your remodel. It will work out.

In case anyone still cares (LOL), here's what we decided to do - before we hire someone else or seek legal counsel. It's not that I don't think its justified, it's just too much stress, time and money.

We decided to "reset" since our last meeting ended on such a poor note. Even though GC is still the same emotional, over-reactive bully (which I hate!), we do need to allow him to vent & stroke hi ego (even though it will kill me to do it) to diffuse the situation. He is very ill which complicates things so we are choosing to allow that to account for him being so irrational. We not paying another cent until all is resolved. We owe about $3000 for about $5000 worth of work (I think).

We will communicate expectations via email since talking has been so ineffective and ask him to finish the job. We will ask him to agree to what he thinks are reasonable fixes and deadlines (even though it has been SIX MONTHS) and get them in writing. And we will hope for the best. Our advice to him will be to take care of his health (so many issues I don't know what to believe) and let us finish the job with his subs directly.

If still no commitment to deadlines, we'll have to escalate to next level but NO ONE wants that! As a last resort, we will hire somebody else to complete the job and then seek reimbursement for unreasonable delays, not fulfilling contract and poor construction. I PRAY it will not come to this.

Good plan !

I think your next steps sound reasonable and fair. Good luck!

Sounds like a reasonable plan, but you're not dealing with a reasonable person. I'm not sure he will let you work directly with the subs. GCs are usually very protective that way.

suzyq53 - you are right BUT something's got to give. sigh

You contractor might want out of this arrangement as badly as you do. Why not just ask him if he is willing to part ways amicably and then negotiate as to how to do that in a fair manner.

I agree with Jellytoast.

Maybe he wants out due to his own reasons. Maybe offer an open door & see which direction he wants. If he wants to continue, fine. If he wants out, fine. Find someone who would appreciate having work & will be grateful to complete it.

Color aside the fact that the cabinet drawings show 1 drawer across the vanity and he installed a chopped up tiny drawer means he did not install cabinet per your contract and drawings. Technically he only has to replace that one piece at his own cost since color wasn't put down on paper, but make him cover that part for sure.

Painted brown, "espresso" will look bad. that tone has to be stained if you don't want it to look cheap.

Best bet, list the two separate vanities on line for sale to recoup some $. Tell the contractor you will not be paying out any more and moving forward he will not be completing any more work. It takes 6 months from excavation to completion to build a new house, there is NO reason for that kind of time frame on a bathroom.

Technically he only has to replace that one piece at his own cost since color wasn't put down on paper

I'm wondering what gives the contractor the right to just order whatever color he wants without specifying it in writing? Has white somehow been designated the default color?

Serious health issues and who knows what all medications to treat them probably goes a long, long way explaining why the contractor forgets things and may be affecting his personality.

I agree with Jelly.

UPDATE:

The good news: GC did come through on re-finishing marble counter and installing sink and faucets. Were feeling hopeful and wanted to see how much progress (based on $$$ already spent) that we could make before termination of contract.

The bad news: Progress and communication once again stalled.

So, on 9/17/18, we finally pulled the trigger and sent an email to the GC asking him to either confirm by 9/18 at noon ET in writing a completion date of September 29, 2018 (again, master bath was demoed on MARCH 6, 2018) and agree to what work is to be completed as of that time or we would end the contract. Instead, he ignored the email and told us electrician would arrive between 8 AM and 9 AM ET on 9/19. And surprise, surprise: the electrician did not show up as promised and no explanation or communication from GC.

As of THIS MINUTE, we are ending our business agreement with him, to include cancelling the contract, stopping any additional construction and any outstanding payments. We are sending an email as well as a certified letter. Weary but feeling free....

We still owe $2800. Not paying it - of course - but would like your thoughts! We have a few more outstanding projects/services owed per our contract.

Anyone want to guess the approximate expense for the following:

1. 8' x 1' Butler's Pantry. Solid wood fronts with plywood sides and dovetail drawers; undermount slides and crown; 2 pullouts, LED lights, soft close doors and drawers - installation included. Cabinets will be painted . Builder will provide pulls for all cabinets. Client provides granite and Builder will install.
2. Build and install cabinet tower (approx. 36" W x 10" deep x 50" H) with adjustable open glass shelves and crown molding.
3. Install exhaust fan, 2 light fixtures & 2 outlets

Following....

1. ? 8'x1' butlers pantry? 8' wide and 1' deep or 1' wide and 8' tall but standard 2' deep?

2. $790 installed is what my place of work would charge

3. Probably around $500 fan, $750 electrical

prices vary based on location, I am in Washington state and cost are high

1. for an 8' wide, 1' deep and 3' tall base w/ 1 ROT per door my work would charge $1,750 install. But a 1' deep cabinet will be useless with roll outs as you lose 3" to the hardware and end up with a 9" deep box with interior space of under 8".

Good for you Colleen. That must have been a difficult decision. All the time, energy and money you invested into this. You are doing the right thing. You are free. The weariness will fade. Sometimes what speaks loudest is ending a business partnership.

I can not speak for the specific cost of the punch list. I imagine he owes you money, if you only had to pay him $2800 for all that still needs to be done. Perhaps some contracts or designers can chime in on what those last items would cost. I know my tower including marble, electrical, lighting in and under is about $6000. So I can only guess what a butlers pantry would cost.

Thinking of you and hoping you find another more worthy person to finish the job.

Sativa McGee Designs

Butler pantry Specs: 8' wide, 1' deep and approx 48" H for upper cabinets and 36" H for lower cabinets. (Vision pics below.) I expected the roll outs to be shallow but wide. is that a dumb move? I don't know what ROT means?

So the pantry having glass would probably increase cost to around $2,400.

Personally I would never put a Roll-Out (ROT) in a cabinet shallower than 21" deep because it makes the box so small.

One foot deep seems almost unusable. Can it be deeper? I would want drawers not shelves below.