Ask HD the price to remove and replace, including the cost of the counter, present that to the contractor with the option for him to accomplish the work, at no additional charge to you.

It's called, "marjet value."

Are you sure the contractor damaged the counter you provided? Was the counter a pre-made post form counter pulled from the racks? If it's on the side edge there are pre-cut pieces you can get to repair it. Things can be confusing when the homeowner buys the materials....

yes, it was a premade post form counter. I met him at HD and paid for the pallet of material. The damage is just a few inches away from a sink so it may not be repairable but I will ask him what he can do.
Thanks all for your input! very helpful.

"yes, it was a premade post form counter "

Home Depot "pre-made" formica counters the are "pre-formed" with a bullnose, back-cove and a 4" backsplash, and end caps that install with an Iron. They are also available with 45's on one or both ends.

They also sell particle board, formica, adhesive and a variety of wood and metal which can be applied to the front edge, when the counter is "post-formed," IE, the particle board and formica are cut and fitted, glued and assembled.

Those countertop pieces are inexpensive, and often most of them are damaged on the store shelf. The times I've installed them, I spend as much time picking one without damage to an edge. Also, I think your install cost was very reasonable. (Just my two cents.)

It sounds like the end of the counter surface, not the edge, being you say a 2" by 4" area. If it were damaged on the shelf they would have easily seen it, and should be checking the material for damage and defects, before installing.

Did they tell you they had damaged it?

For a garage, I don't think a discount is necessary. If it bothers you to look at or you think it will not hold up well over time, then replacement is in order if it is the top surface that is damaged, not edges of a type that can be replaced. I guess if you find you were overcharged for the install, a discount would serve some purpose since they didn't deliver a top notch result..

This post was edited by snookums2 on Tue, Apr 1, 14 at 23:44

The amt you paid comes out to $29/hr per worker ($1400 / 3 days / 2 workers / 8hr-day).

How many cabinets? Was this really a 3 day or a 1 day job?

This post was edited by snookums2 on Thu, Apr 3, 14 at 23:05

" mdln (My Page)
The amt you paid comes out to $29/hr per worker ($1400 / 3 days / 2 workers / 8hr-day)."

At what hourly rate?

And what about the 5.3% net, net, that the contractor needs to keep the doors open?