| Hi,
We are planning a complete kitchen remodel to begin in April/May 2010 (I know that is a while away, but I was under the impression I may have to start placing orders for some items as early as February). A GC (good rep, BBB A+ rating, member of the right assns) came out 4 weeks ago for initial site visit to get the scope of the project. He came back 2 weeks ago with the kitchen designer/cabinet maker he usually works with (appears to be a very small, essentially one-man operation--he has his own company and is not an employee of the GC's construction company). They spent almost 2 hours here hashing out ideas and taking measurements and I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing. They left saying that I would be receiving a "cabinetry estimate"--not a bid or even a completed design, just 'can I make your cabinets for what you want to spend'--as the next step and then we would proceed with fleshing out the details.
Two days later, I came up with a list of 5 -6 questions to ask the cabinetmaker, and I faxed them to him (he knew the fax was coming). No answer.
One week after the visit, I called the GC to see where things stood with the estimate. He sort of chuckled and said it was way too soon for me to have an answer from the cabinetmaker. (Another custom cabinet maker who came out had an itemized estimate and preliminary design drawings for me in 6 days.) I followed up with him in an email explaining I wanted references from both of them, answers to my questions, pictures of the CM's work, and to see the CM's work in person. I received an email in reply from the GC saying he had forwarded my message to the CM and he would get me the references and photos. That was last Friday and still I have heard nothing from either of them.
Is this normal? Am I just too impatient? I admit I am one of those people who likes to have big projects organized and set up well in advance, but I can't imagine why, in 2 weeks, the CM has not been able to find 5 minutes to tell me what his boxes are made of and what hours I can come by his workshop to see his work! The GC swears that the CM has a 6 week turnaround on cabinets, but how am I supposed to believe that if it takes the CM 2 weeks (and counting) to answer a simple question?
I am meeting with a custom home builder who also does kitchen remodels tomorrow as another option--should I tell the GC this to try to light a fire under him? Should I call the CM directly? Do they just not want this job?
I like the GC and I don't know what arrangement he and the CM have. I asked the GC if he would be amenable to installing cabinets made by someone else, and he said he would "most likely" still take the job, which sounded like a weird answer to me... | 
