I've been dealing with a frustrating situation since I hired a small kitchen renovation firm for my project, which included design and cabinet manufacturing. Right from the start, things went wrong. A wrong part was shipped, causing what should have been a week-long installation to drag on for three months. To make matters worse, the installers broke some of our appliances during demo, and the company initially refused to repair them for free, only agreeing to help after multiple disputes. Now, they've finally delivered the correct part to finish the cabinets, but they claim I need to hire an electrician at my own expense to install the under-cabinet lighting, which was sold and manufactured by them. I expected that all parts purchased through them would be fully installed as per the vague estimate we received, which only covered demo through to cabinet installation. Am I missing something here? I'm thinking about taking legal action in small claims court, but I'm unsure if it's the right move.
3 Answers
It sounds tough, but remember that when you agree to a contract, you're bound to their terms. If you can’t prove that electrical installation was part of your agreement, you might struggle in small claims court. Just keep in mind, you need solid paperwork to back your claims!
You really need to check what your contract says about the installation responsibilities. If it doesn’t explicitly include electrical work, taking them to court might not be worth it. Usually, under-cabinet lighting installation requires a separate permit, so that could be a sticking point too.
And a big tip for the future: never pay for an entire project upfront. It puts you in a tough spot if things go south. You should consider paying in stages based on milestones instead.