Maybe it's time to find another manufacture and/or retailer.

There are other custom hood manuf. out there, and VAH is nothing special.

It turned out to be an issue with the distributor, and I received a quote today. In my area, with these types of hoods it is either VAH or Modernaire (or full custom via a smaller shop), and Modernaire has very limited distribution,

How does Modernaire have limited distribution? If you look on their website, you can find a distributor for your area. If there isn't one listed, you get to deal directly with the company, which actually is a less expensive route to go. Either way, you can get one wherever you live.

If I could afford a Modernaire, I'd choose that over a VAH without question. I would not enjoy the VAH noise or cleaning of a grease trap. Baffles are so much easier. Pop into the DW and you're done.

The MA distributor for Northern California does not service a wide dealer network, at least in my area. (They are not carried by the usual dealers) I may contact them directly, but the clock is ticking.

(I didn't mention this, but someone saw my post and I was contacted directly by the VAH distributor and they issued a quote right away. It was not my intent with the original post. With everything virtually at URMP, I was wondering why it was so difficult to get a quote)

This post was edited by gooster on Sun, Mar 17, 13 at 1:43

As a postscript, I drove to a Modern Aire dealer about 50 miles from the install location. They had numerous models on display, including some paired with my range). The finish quality on the trim banding appears to be higher, leadtimes better, and the color options more flexible. I was able to get a quote turned around within 24 hours, at a price that was >20% less than a similar VAH I had to struggle to get quoted out. Thanks for pushing me to reconsider MA, it appears to be well worth it.