Hired a contractor to get kitchen countertop installed and I think everything I could possibly think of went wrong. (how much, phone)

[Common GND]

After thinking about getting my kitchen renovated for a while, I finally hired a contractor to do the countertop and the backplash. I got my kitchen countertop installed last Friday and there were multiple issues:

1) It looked like there were some manufacturing defects of the white quartz countertop. I saw a red spot out of nowhere and green marks which I was not able to clean with cleaning solution.

http://i.imgur.com/XIW7Is0.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/XiQPhp5.jpg

2) The main contractor hired another company for handling countertop cutting. A lady from that company came and took measurements for the template a couple weeks ago. We specifically agreed on mitered edge and having just one seam for the countertop. She even asked me which of the two possible seam locations I would like to choose. When everything was installed, I saw that the seams were on both sides. Not just the one side I chose. Also, the edge has a seam all around meaning it was not done with mitered edge.

3) They filled up a gap between the wall and the countertop on one side and it's 0.75 inches of gap. (I was shocked when I first saw this) Which means even if my glass backsplash (0.3 inches thick) is installed, I'd still have that filled area visible on the countertop. When I brought it up to the installer, he said the backsplash guy would add a 0.5 inches of layer to the wall so that it will be invisible once the backsplash is installed.

http://i.imgur.com/O03F96D.jpg

4) One of the edges is more rounded than other edges and they are supposed to be all eased edges.

When I spoke with the contractor regarding these issues, these were his explanations:

The quartz was prefabricated (stated in the contract) and the depth of the prefab material is fixed which happened to be narrower than the length needed for the right side of the countertop. So it's a standard practice to fill it up with caulk and apply a layer to the wall to cover up the spot. He said he's even doing me a favor by having the backsplash guy do the extra work making the wall thicker. Also, since it was prefabricated, they weren't able to make it one seam and have the edge mitered. When I spoke with the countertop cutting lady, she said she remembered all the agreements we had but she had to work with whatever materials and instructions she was given from the GC. I also found out that, when she asked the GC if he would let me know, he said he would. I never found out about these issues until the installation was complete. The GC kept denying that they did anything wrong. When I went to pick out the material at the manufacturer, I do remember a conversation between two employees which one of them asked the other employee why they are only getting one slab for my countertop size. The other employee responded that's what my GC asked for. My guess is that the GC tried to save cost by using one slab and deal with the consequences later.

After talking about the installation issues for a while, I told him about issue #1. He said he would schedule someone from the quartz manufacturer to come out and inspect the defects. I've been calling him everyday since last Saturday to check on the status of the inspection appointment and it seemed like he was having a difficult time getting a hold of the person he usually deals with at the manufacturer. He would put me on speakerphone (so I can hear him talk) and leave them a voicemail stating how he's trying to get a hold of them multiple times a day via phone and emails. Today, day 6 since the countertop was installed, he finally called the supervisor of the person he couldn't get a hold of and talked to him about the issue. After they hung up, I asked him why he was talking to this manufacturer when my countertop's manufacturer is someone else. He then realized he's been contacting the wrong manufacturer for a week and apologized.

I also noticed a ~3 inch damage left on the kitchen entrance wall and poorly patched up with some caulk/paint by the countertop installers.

I'm really getting frustrated here and I don't know how to properly handle this. They've disconnected the drain & faucet prior to the countertop installation and I haven't been able to use the kitchen since last Saturday. (the drain & faucet were going to be done after the countertop and the backsplash were done) I'm spending extra money on food (eating out everyday), plates, utensils, water, etc

Questions:

1. What would be the best way to go about dealing with these issues?
2. What do I do about the inconvenience & damage they caused? Do I ask for a discount? If so, how much?
3. Would it be wise for me to write the contractor an email with all the issues I described here? (so there is a written record) Or should I wait to see what he does first in case they do it properly the second time?

Thanks in advance.

[Coldjensens]

Wait, he did not: Set the house on fire? Break his back? Have a stroke? Put in the wrong type of plumbing? Get in a fight with an axe? Cut through boards that support your roof? Install the wrong product or wrong color? go out of business half way through?

Heck, you had a pretty good contractor experience.


. What would be the best way to go about dealing with these issues?

Hold final payment until you get what you agreed to, including proper repairs to the wall. Look at your contract nd find where they did not meet the agreement. Also you might look up online and see if the written contract meets the requirements for your state's home improvement contractor laws. You may have him over a barrel if you are in a regulated state and he did not comply. Keep this in your back pocket until you find out whether he is going to fight with you.

2. What do I do about the inconvenience & damage they caused? Do I ask for a discount? If so, how much?

Better to make them fix it. Probably need to cut the drywall out and place the piece then feather in the joint. or just do a better patch, but make sure it will last. They should probably use mesh and something a bit harder than spackle. Thinset would likely work.

3. Would it be wise for me to write the contractor an email with all the issues I described here? (so there is a written record) Or should I wait to see what he does first in case they do it properly the second time?

Write to them. I cannot hurt. There is no need to be unpleasant. Write a friendly and respectful letter telling them the problems and that they need to fix these things.

[Barking Spider]

Did they cut off the water to the entire house? Why can't you use paper plates, or wash dishes in bathroom sink or bath tub?
Sounds like a comedy of errors there, but possibly the contractor will get ahold of the correct counter top people, and get it worked out.

[cargoman]

I am sorry for your frustration and hassles. It amazes me how peole can do shoddy work and expect full payment or even repeat business.

[Zippyman]

The gap is most likely caused by the walls of the home not being "true" - it's actually very common & your tile backsplash guy should be able to deal with it without missing a beat. The other issues, I dunno - I'd expect the countertop was prolly several hundred pounds & bulky (and kinda delicate), so I wouldn't raise too much fuss about nicking a wall.. It happens, that's why they sell drywall mud.