What kind of countertops are you getting? The problem is that the cutout will not be the same size for both sinks. So you could get a smaller stainless sink, and later cut the hole larger for the Silgranite, but then you are looking at more than $300.

Can you get them to cut the hole for the Silgranite sink but not install it?

They are granite countertops. There is probably not a stainless sink with the exact measurements of the 1 3/4 silgranite sink?? I wonder if that would even work?

No, you are not going to be able to uninstall the stainless sink in granite, cut the new hole, and then mount the new sink. It's not a DIY job. It's a professional granite fabricator's job. And it's one that costs around $200-$500. It depends on whether or not your KD has put the right size sink in the design to even be able to access the sink after the install without doing a bunch of carpentry work on the base, and whether or not you can do the plumbing disconnect and hookup yourself.

If you want the sink, do it now. Or skip it entirely and spend the money on something else. But, I'd spend it on the sink. It's worth every bit of $300.

I was hoping that wouldn't be the answer! And Angie....I highly doubt they would cut the holes and not install the sink. They seem very particular about everything. Which I guess is good in the long run.

You want to know what my husband says about a $600 sink? "It does nothing more than the free stainless steel sink does!" So I'm on my own trying to talk him into it. And myself for that matter. I know how much everyone loves them, but the cost is so much. Thanks for your help though!

Honestly, I would stand up to the builder and insist on him allowing you to do some small things to save money. How in the world can he justify pocketing another $300 on your sink for little to no effort?

How much money are you spending with him any way....I would get a little mean!!! You are paying him, he should be working with you not against you.

I so completely agree with haggs00.

If you furnish a sink, then the builder gets to keep his 'free' stainless sink, so just how the heck is he losing on that kind of deal?

Just make sure that you allow plenty of time for the sink to be shipped AND extra time to receive a replacement sink should the first one be damaged in shipment. AND that you personally get it to the fabricator.

There are reasons that builders insist on furnishing the parts. Let's say you provide the sink, he shows up and goes to install it. As he is putting it in, it cracks. Was it his fault? Or was the sink damaged in shipping? Or was it just defective from the manufacturer? Who is responsible for sending the sink back? If the manufacturer balks, who is going to eat the cost of a new sink? If it was the manufacturer's fault and they provide a new sink, do you reimburse the builder for having to install the sink twice?

None of these questions arise if the builder provides the materials.

Absolutely, but all of those issues can be worked around with good planning. Pocketing $300 for no effort is not even within the realm of reasonable and when people start pushing back, he will stop ripping people off.

How could my hypothetical situation be avoided by good planning?

If it's not written into the contract that the customer can provide their own materials, then there is zero "push back" available. Most builder do not allow homeowners to supply any materials unless it is specifically written into the contract for a very good reason. It causes delays and problems. In the scheme of things in building a house, $300 is very little money on an item that gets used every single day. Cut something else if you have to, but do the silgranite.

I can't imagine why you can't get the silgranite sink you want, provide the builder with the template that comes with the sink so he can get it to the granite people, and have the granite people cut the granite for your sink. I have a 1 3/4 silgranite sink that I bought off the internet 5 years ago. We did our kitchen over last year, took the silgranite sink out (because I love it so much) and had it re-installed with our new granite countertops. I can't understand what the difference is if you provide your own sink. The granite installers installed the sink at the time they installed it. It wasn't installed in their shop. It looks like your builder is just trying to rip you off for $300. Tell him you don't want the stainless steel sink and will provide him with the one you want. As far as a problem with installing the sink, if you provide it to him and there is nothing wrong with it, he just needs to be careful installing it. As I said, my silgranite sink was the older style and they were supposed to not be as strong as the new ones and it came out of my old countertop and was installed in my new one with no problem whatsoever.

I've built one house and remodeled a dozen and have never hired a contractor who will not work with me.

Prior planning means ordering ahead of time, inspecting upon arrival and taking the responsibility for the things you ordered. If I order the sink, and there is something wrong with it, it cracks, etc, it is my issue to resolve.

I did exactly this on the my new kitchen I am still finishing up. My KD's silgranite price was more than $100 more than I could get it online. I ordered it, I opened the box, pulled it out, made sure it was good, had it onsite weeks before counter install and his stone fabricators installed it into my Cambria.

It is obvious from the beautiful kitchens that you produce, that the $300's here and there are no issue many of the people on the board. But I know there is a whole another category of people on here (that includes me) who are pinching pennies to get the fun things we want in our kitchens too. And yes, the $300's do add up and do matter in the grand scheme of pulling off our projects.

If you're not in the situation where you wrote it into the contract, then you are SOL and at the mercy of what IS in the contract. Which usually favors the builder.

If you are working with a fairly mass market subdivision builder, you don't get many choices to personalize the space to begin with. You get a cabinet choice from a group of 4, a granite choice from a group of 6, and a sink choice of A or B. If you want to "upgrade" you play by the builder's rules, which usually involve a change order fee, full retail price for the product, and his 20% on top of that. It's done that way to keep things streamlined and the workflow on schedule. If you want to buy into that subdivision, then you don't have any choice.

Now, if you are doing a fully custom house, then of course you write your choices into the contract from the beginning. And you also write into the contract the change order procedure, which can also be a bit more equitable on the upcharges to change things. But all of this has to be negotiated on the front end, and be in writing and signed by both parties.