The contractor ordered and installed the wrong sized (much to small) windows. His fault, had to reorder and remove and reinstall.

Addition roof had a very shallow pitch. Asked GC and roofer if we were using the correct roofing product. We were assured it was the right product. Installed it. It leaked. Repaired it. It leaked. Tore part of it out and reinstalled. It leaked. Contractor gave up. Left us holding the bag. Had to get another roofer. Ripped out new roof. Installed metal roofing. It no longer leaks. Second roofer looks like a hero. Paid for two roofs. First roofer refused to warrant work. Said sue us. It would have cost more to sue than the price of the roof. They knew it. Left reviews on websites telling everyone that they were dirtbags. I hate having to pay for something twice.

I regret nothing. :)

However, it was DIY and any design/planning issues that were discovered were able to be corrected in process.

I Wished we went with tile in the kitchen. We have wood right now. I cringe every time something raw drips into the wood crevices. My children and I enjoy cooking messy foods. C'est la vie :)

Oh my....too many things to count. A funny thing happens when you get done and all those mishaps are far in the past, you kind of tend to forget about them. That said, I think it's really important to take care of the mistakes now rather than convincing yourself that "maybe it's not that bad". I think if you do that you will have that "mistake" glaring at you every day instead of putting it behind you.

I got worn down by the end but I think it's important to project happiness in the end to get things right. Thank goodness for my hubby because when I didn't feel up to fighting another battle I could pass it to him.

Ok I remember a couple:
1) Also had an uncentered window. Fixed it.
2) Counter guys put in side splashes on my 30" wall to wall bath vanity when I did not want/ask for them. Only asked for a backsplash. I hated they way it looked because it boxed it in too much. Called the next day in my sweetest voice requested they be removed. It required re cutting the vanity top since they had cut the prior one with side splashes in mind so it didn't fit right without them. Long story but I'm soooo glad I fixed it instead of settling.
3) It's hard to describe, but the drawers to the right of my range (just perpendicular to it) would not have been able to open because they bumped into the handle on the range. The cabinet guys forgot to take that into account. So they took them away and brought them back fixed. It was custom and they didn't bat an eyelash. Just apologized of the error.
4) Thank goodness I was home before my hardwood floors got laid THE WRONG WAY!!!. I just happened to be around that day to stop them as they were just starting. Close one :)

" I will say that our project manager and craftsmen are superb. They are on time, professional and they want to get it right."

Don't panic. These guys are used to an occasional a$$-whuppin' or two. Just be the client that make the beatings worth it.

Buying the house in the first place, followed by a long list of incompetent 'craftsmen'. Seriously, there will never be a way to get those agonizing months back. :(

Hi Viennamommy,
I'm pre-reno so I can't contribute, but I would like to hear more about your hardwood floor issue. What was the reason they couldn't be patched? Had the GC expected to be able to patch them, but then something went wrong?

I'm hoping to change the footprint of my kitchen, but it will require patching the hardwood, which makes me very nervous. I would be so appreciative if you could share your situation.

Thank you!

Hi AineLane!
We had two floor companies in and neither could find a perfect match for our floors. The previous owners put them in and we think it was a special Home Depot run or something like that. We actually have wood floors throughout the house but they weren't completed at the same time. You would never be able to tell with the naked eye but the hardwood guy walked me around the house and showed me how some rooms had a shine and others were more matte. Some rooms the floors had major variation and others had less.

From room to room it's not at all noticeable but if we weaved a new flooring in with the old in the kitchen space, it would be very noticeable. So, we decided to rip out the whole floor. It's going to be an extra $1k.

If I were you, I'd take a sample of your current wood around and see if they can identify the brand and color and if it's available. If it is, you are in good shape I'd assume.

Thank you so much Viennamommy, I really apreciate hearing about your situation. It seems very difficult to find any flooring experts who are interested in weaving/patching hardwood. Sounds like you had some knowledable people. Very good advice to try to find out the brand/ stain color etc. I only know the species and nothing else! It's easy to feel lost when I'm missing so much knowledge.

Thanks again and I hope your snags get cleared up soon!

Our reno was all DIY except the complete electrical overhall to the kitchen...new panel, all new wiring, new outlets, new lighting...everything. The first thing that happened was the electrician installed the outlets in the raised bar too high. If not fixed our bar would have had to be about 3 inches taller than we planned. I had already compromised with my giant husband and put the bar higher than I would like so 3 more inches was too much. He had to redo them.

Floor - ceiling pantry is in the back corner of the kitchen and the garage door is at a right angle to and very close to the pantry. It worked out fine until we put the doors on the cabinets and the left pantry door bangcabied into the door knob of the garage door. Spent way too much money on a low profile lever-style door knob to correct that problem.

One of the full-height cabinet panels for around the fridge came in about 7" too deep. Easy fix...we just cut it down and installed the cut edge against the wall.

There were more I'm sure but as someone else said, we did the DIY thing and just adjusted to things as we went. It all worked out and the kitchen is beautiful and none of the "oops" negatively affected the outcome.

Oh my, what hasn't gone wrong. Two issues fractured our relationship with the GC, and even though they were resolved the bitterness has remained.

1 - GC changed a construction element - rebuilt part of a wall with a cinder block core and brick on the outside instead of all brick as called for on the plans. GC did not notify us or the architect of the change; DH happened to notice when we got back from a weekend trip and he went to the site (downstairs in our 3-floor house). He saw a guy hauling cinder blocks, thought, "what in our job calls for cinder blocks?", questioned the site manager and got a "oh yeah, we decided to...." explanation. He said, no, you have to run this by the architect, but by the end of the next day the wall was rebuilt and the architect had not been notified. We were upset, the architect was furious (he is self-certifying the job so his license is on the line if there are material changes in the job that are not in the filed plans), and the GC got offended and said we were questioning their integrity. It was a mess.

2 - Shortly after that, there was a huge problem with the misplacement of our back opening, central to the job. We removed two narrow windows and a narrow doorway to get a wall of French doors along the back of the house, and the GC placed the beam (ie defined the opening) without getting an OK from us or the architect. It was off-center, we fought to have them move it, they claimed they were acting on our instruction...another huge mess. Eventually resolved but that was the end of a good working relationship.

A couple of problems with vendors too:

- First countertop company was a joke; they had two failed attempts at installation before we parted ways. Stone was badly cut and didn't fit, overhangs were grossly inconsistent, a crappy seam, the works. Had a better experience with the second company, but the screwups by the first set us back a month on the timeline.

- Kitchen cabinets came with patches of inconsistent finish and lots of adhesive residue on them. The company's repair guy had to come out twice to get off the glue and correct the finish where it was damaged.

My list is too long to possibly write.

Just this morning . . .

1) The guy who is tiling the surround for the guest bath discovered that the thin set and tape he used for the cement board seams . . . simply didn't adhere and so fell right off over night. Glad no tiles were up yet. I had my doubts about the thin set selection . . . New thin set and new tape being used today, per advice of the tile expert.

2) The 48" kitchen desk nook was apparently framed at 44". That discovery comes after the very expensive custom cabinets are already delivered based on the 48" measurement . . . and the walls, trim, floors, etc are already all in. Of course, there are SIX light switches on this little wall. They are demo-ing that little wall as I type. Fortunately, that mismeasurement doesn't impact much else, so it's "just" a matter of moving one short (3 foot long) wall over 4" and then cleaning up the mess of floor and wiring and trim, etc.

I think today, we actually went backwards. I might cry but I am too tired for that.

#1. We had a wall moved and when the cabinet guy came in, he pointed out that the refrigerator wouldn't fit because we didn't move it enough. My husband had measured it correctly, but the KD came in and measured it incorrectly not taking into account the thickness of the wall. Luckily, it had only been framed with the electrical so they were able to unscrew the 2x4s and move it the 4 inches. It only took about an hour to move. Would have been a mess if it was already finished with drywall.

#2. The granite was installed while my husband was home and he noticed the clearance between the drawer and the granite was very tight. He insisted they add 1/4 plywood to raise it up for more clearance which they did. However, I realized the mistake was that the thickness of the granite edge was 2" and not 1 3/4" like I had asked for. By this time it was too late as it was installed. It doesn't seem like much but it gives the granite a more bulky look. Oh well, at least I had insisted on mitered edge and the fabricator did an excellent job on that. We were also impressed with the seams and how well he matched up the granite.

Everything!!!! Too much to list now as I'm still dealing with it but it really feels like there have been issues with every single part of the reno. Walls, windows, cabinets, plumbing, electric, bathroom floor tiles, appliance installations, countertops...........

I'm G.C. for our kitchen. My policy was mostly to keep things simple if I was unsure or if task required high skills from contractor. I think this saved me from too many disasters. But.. I do have one screwup that I'm still working on. I didn't do homework on hood vent over stove. Turns out that there had to be a re-design after cabinets were in. Not good. Still working on this. Won't be impossible to fix but vent will have more bends than I wanted - this can impact the effectivenes of the vent but since we have induction stove, I'm not too worried. But I will be happy when I make final decision on this. My advice is to put vent in before cabinets.

We had a major remodel where appliances were moved and there was a complete demo before start. I think in cases like ours, there is a high risk of screwups - I'm so glad ours has turned out as well as it has. I think we were very lucky. Given what I know now, I don't think I would attempt a remodel that was so major. Competent contractors is the most important factor that determines job success. My main advice is to "keep it simple" if possible. I wanted more "wow factor" but I knew it was just too risky. I plan to add accessories that will give some glamour but our basic kitchen has very basic layout with basic Ikea cabinets. We like it but would have liked more details as many discussed on this forum. Good luck.

Thanks to everyone who responded. Makes me feel a little bit better!

As for our window issue, we are "fixing" it by adding an 18" floor to ceiling cabinet on the one side to even it out with the other side. I'm pleased with the solution.

I've got another one to add though... appliances were delivered today and the double oven cutout isn't big enough- height and width. They will have to shave an inch off either side which should be ok but the top is going to be an issue as it's going to be almost touching the upper cabinet. So lovely.

The cooktop cutout is too large and they will have to use some filler.

I feel like I've been run over a bus.

We were DIY and had only one "ooops" and didn't use a spacer in a corner so there is a drawer without a handle because it wouldn't clear the opposite drawer. When I planned and ordered the cabinets I accounted for the spacer so we did have it, but for whatever reason when we installed we forgot about it until we were doing the pulls. I attribute it to me being very pregnant at the time and us stressing trying to get the kitchen done before the baby came. It's a drawer right next to the sink base (which also doesn't have pulls on the false front drawers) so no one notices it.

Hang in there Viennamommy. Our reno/addition took 7 months and I held my breath every day wondering what new issue would come up. Some may breeze through this process but I think our experience is more typical.

A couple things that helped me get through this:
1) I tried to remain civil at all times to keep the workers "one my side". I rolled my eyes and complained to friends and family but I figured if I was going to see these people every day for such a long time and their work was going to impact my home forever I better keep on their good side.

2) I did not set any mental deadlines or have too much faith in those given to me by the GC. I'd heard too many stories of projects that took way longer than expected and I didn't want to set my expectations up only to be disappointed. People asked me all the time "How much longer" and I'd just shrug and say it would take as long as it takes. I also did not want the GC to feel a lot of pressure. The slower things go the more chance you can fix mistakes before it gets too late.

3) I reminded myself frequently how luck I was to be able to do the project at all and that in the end I "asked for it"

It will end. Your house will be beautiful again. The dust will be swept away and you'll have your life back. Just not anytime soon :)

DIY here. Squeaks are my bane, it seems. I installed the back door but took the hinges off to paint it and now it squeaks. Someday I will fix it except I'm waiting to see if I have to replace the whole door anyway when I redo the kitchen.

I also laid floating flooring in the upstairs bedrooms over very old and squeaky fir flooring. The first room went okay and is quiet and solid. The second room now has two squeaks that were missed. I will have to wait until I open up the ceiling in the living room to run some screws from underneath to fix it. I've now decided that I will rip out the flooring in the rest of the house and lay plywood. I already know the downstairs floor is in terrible shape and probably could not be saved anyway.

The only project I hired out so far is the roof. I was present on the ground the whole time and kept an eye on things, but the roofer screwed up the flashing on the chimney and now it gets damp into the attic when it rains for more than a day. I know where the leak is and will fix it some day. It's not a drip or anything; the chimney just gets damp on one side.

I totally agree with the person that said the slower it goes, the more time you have to see problems and fix if they come up. I'm so glad I've been slow with our remodel though my friends think I have "completion issues", LOL.

We've had some things go wrong in our reno too, but fortunately almost all were caught before they became hard to fix or became a disaster. The layout of the kitchen was done using specs from a french door fridge. We have a single door fridge and I thought the space between the island the fridge looked tight. It was. We needed another 2" of clearance for the door to even open, and really another couple of inches so someone's hand didn't bang against the island. But we had space to move the island over towards the other wall without affecting the overall flow and look of the kitchen, or changing the size of the island. Phew! Also despite my repeated saying I was putting in a 42" hood over my 36" range, and giving the list of appliances we were getting, in my perusal of the specs for the upper cabinets I noticed they had left space for a 36" hood. The casework hadn't been ordered so no harm done long term. During our walkthrough for electrical, I noticed one light switch had been placed behind a door. This was before drywall so it was easy to fix. We still have quite a bit left before our reno is done, and I'm hoping that all goes smoothly.

A few hiccups on our supposed "refresh" of our kitchen:

1 Removed a cabinet and added a few. Cabinet maker made cabinet a little wider than the space it was to fit in (not installed level/plumb/square). DH had to pull it out, fix and re-install.

2. Cabinet refinisher did job worthy of chimpanzees with sponges and a can of minwax. DH had to take all cabinets out, sand them down, and re-install for new refinish contractor to work on.

3. Cabinet maker bailed on installing doors/drawers. Decided DH was going to be too picky about alignment, so decided to let us do it ourselves and settle for $$$ already paid. DH installed doors, drawers, and hardware.

4. Backsplash tile completely broken in first shipment, 1/2 broken in second shipment, finally got enough in third.

5. Bought Wolf hood on Ebay. They sell the blower motors separately. Buy recommended motor and it doesn't fit. Contact manufacturer. They send out replacement motor (different part number). That doesn't fit either. Third time's the charm with the next one (still a different part number). Amazingly, they sent out the replacements at no charge.

Lots of other little irritating things too. Hang in there, it will get done.

AineLane, we had our hardwood extended into the kitchen. It was site-finished topnailed oak planks. The contractor had to install subfloor and get everything level as well. It looks amazing! You could never ever tell that that they weren't installed at the same time. They interlaced the planks, and sanded and refinished all of the adjoining floors all at once. Look for "hardwood floor restoration" to find contractors like this. I wouldn't try this with prefinished hardwood, only site-finished.

Hi feisty68,
Thanks, that's really great to hear! I love my hardwood floors (they are site-finished) and I get nightmares at the thought of a bad patch job. It makes me feel better to know it really can look seamless at the end.