Do any of your appliances have adjustable legs? This is the most common (albeit annoying) ways to adjust height of appliance. Many have legs that can be screwed up or down in small increments. It will take some effort (one person holding up the applaince and another on hands and knees adjusting the feet) but it can be done.

Is there any way they can replace the wall cabinet over the fridge to a shorter one? I know it may be a little late given that the crown molding, pantry and end panel are already installed. If you have a little breathing room over fridge, maybe the flooring under there doesn't need to be touched.

Cabingirl- yes, the issue is the backside of the fridge and oven are too high and cannot be lowered any further. The fridge does not have adjustable feet on the back. The stove does but they are already in the lowest position. It seems the easiest solution is to shave down the wood floor underneath. I'm just really mad about it cause even though we will never see that floor, I told our contractor I was concerned about the unlevel floor the day it was installed. I could also tell a lack of diligence with the floor installers. I have wondered about raising the cabinet above the fridge but I know that will be somewhat costly and I'm not sure our contractor will pay for that or make us pay.

If you had a licensed contractor in charge of the whole remodel, he has to remedy it. If you bought the cabinets, flooring, counters from different vendors and had separate subs install them, it's on you.

That said, stove is the easiest- remove the back legs. I realize that all the weight of the stove can't rest on the counters lip, just remove the back two legs completely and slide it back in. Then measure the space between the frame and the floor. I've used felt sliders here, as well as Teflon sliders, to adjust the height.

Your only option for the fridge is to have him order a shorter fridge cabinet and re install. Crown will be removed and saved, then the cabinet, then the process is reversed. I see it was designed to align with the adjacent cabinet- sucks but you will stop seeing it eventually.

For the fridge to fit it seems like they will have to shave down the floor almost entirely for it to fit. I am concerned about not enough air flow around the fridge as well.

I see. Thank you Deborah, for your input! Your explanation makes sense. I think part of our difficulty has been lack of explanation or disclosure from our contractor-- about several issues. I know some of his reluctance to fully disclose info to us has been that he doesn't want to have to charge us more. The problem is that we are left in the dark and confused.

Not unusual in remodeling. Some contractors are just not good communicators. It's hard to know how much needs to be discussed. Also, we forget that what we know and deal with every day is not normal for everyone else. Good luck on the rest of your project.

Ellsworth- this morning our project manager mentioned shaving down the floor to accommodate the fridge. I know the contractor doesn't want to have to pay to fix the cabinet-- though it won't align with the adjacent cabinet like you said, I think I might prefer changing the cabinet versus damaging the floor. Because there is such a difference in the floor I'm not even sure completely removing the wood behind the fridge would leave enough space on top.
Thanks for the tip on the stove!! I'll look into that

Ellsworth-- Meant to say our contractor is licensed and has been in charge of the whole job. We have had several issues come up (some of which are other Houzz advice queries). I'm concerned that he (or more likely the project manager) will have a brain hemorrhage if we ask them to fix the cabinet. They have called us their most detailed customers. The contractor has also at times mentioned extra costs he has incurred for our project. (For example, he had to pay more than expected for the install of our skylight). He forgets that we have paid at least $8,000 more than planned- mostly to fix a structural issue in a way we liked. They actually JUST fixed an uneven ceiling and crown issue this week- so removing the crown might make double work again. Anyway, like I said before we need to see if there will even be enough clearance for the fridge with the floor shaved or removed. If you have any additional thoughts please let me know. Thanks so much for your time! It stinks, too, cause we actually like our contractor personally. Just have had lots of challenges.

As a flooring person, my concern (not to say the appliances are not concerning...they are) is the flooring warranty/proper installation. Most floating flooring (assuming this is a floating and not a glue/nail down...correct me if I'm the install is glue/nail/staple) requires a very flat substrate. They require a MAXIMUM floor height deflection of 3mm over 3meters (1/8" over 10ft). It looks like your flooring, if anything goes wrong, will be considered "improper installation" because of the low spot in the floor in the center of the room.

A professional flooring installer worth his/her salt would have POINTED THIS OUT to the contractor/homeowner (depends on who hired him/her)...and should have STOPPED the install to find out what was going to be done (by the GC) to level the subfloor.

As Deborah points out, the remedy can be very expensive which is why most people IGNORE this situation and hope for the best (most people includes homeowners and workmen/women). You did ask many times...which is a shame that no one sat you down to discuss the thousands of extra it would cost to level the floor. You would have at least had the ability to say "No" to it. It sounds like you weren't given the chance to say "yes" to it.

I worry about the floor itself over the long term. If it was glued/nailed/stapled you have a better chance of this surviving for a longer period of time. If it was floated you may have a problem.

You have a handsome kitchen with some minor issues (you will learn to ignore them). Enjoy it.

Just my 2 cents.

Thanks, Cancork. Our flooring is engineered wood nailed into the subfloor, raised foundation. As I mentioned in the beginning of this thread, the installers did not seem to want to be very diligent in their work. They did not have that moisture barrier black paper with them the day of the install (they thought our GC was providing it; they were hired by GC) and began to install the wood without the paper at all. They had also been grumpy towards my husband when he asked them to replace some previously damaged pieces at the edge of the install area. (We installed the same wood throughout the common areas last year, and expanded it to the kitchen in this remodel). Anyway, the installers gave us reason to be concerned. Fortunately, our GC arrived that morning and freaked at them for trying to install without the moisture barrier. Sorry, I'm being long winded. Point is, I never saw them check the level of the subfloor and I doubt they did.
You are exactly right about no one explaining the added costs of fixing the subfloor. Even since this appliance issue has come up, no one has clarified why we couldn't have fixed the subfloor. We were not given an opportunity to say yes or no-- and that is something we've dealt with in more than one area of our remodel.

Different wood companies have different specifications. Most companies have a tolerance of 3/16" over a span of 6' to 10' --- 1/8" is within warranty. To better understand, it may be wise to google the manufacturer's product warranties, installation etc.
If the product is not installed correctly it could void all manufacturer warranties if an issue arises at a later time. Payment in full, in the courts eyes, is acceptance of workmanship.

Consider finding different shorter legs for the fridge and stove. In my non pro experience, they have common thread sizes and vary in height.

I'm with Cinar on this one. With a nail-in-place floor, you have a good chance this will be OK. The manufacturer's specifications (installation instructions can be googled for just about any flooring product) will trump any "industry standard"...but many engineered hardwood floors that are nail-in-place have a healthy allowance like 3/16" over 10 ft.

Best check the manufacturer's requirements and then get yourself a 10ft strait edge (many people use a piece of 2"x4" for this) and do some ad hoc measuring on your own...so you have a leg to stand on should this thing go south on you (sounds like it already has).

I'm a little confused CInar and Cancork-- when you say "a tolerance of 3/16" over a span of 6' to 10' ", you're talking about height change in the floor? Or something else? It definitely seems there is a height difference much greater than 3/16" from the wall to the center of the floor. (That axis of the room is about 10 ft).
Now since the floor, cabinets, and everything else is already installed, it seems like the floor warranty is a thing of the past and that we're screwed if something happens in the future. Seems like if I got a straight edge now (which I've actually wanted to) it'd be sorta pointless cause all it would do is get me more angry at the contractor and there's nothing we can do about it at this point.
And since it's already been established that most older homes have uneven floors, wouldn't that mean that any new floor would be out of warranty (if it exceeds 3/16")?

No slab is perfect, whether it be a house from the early 1900's to present time. Doesn't matter if it's a straight glue down or on screeds. Your subfloor needs to be addressed. Most wood companies allow up to 3/16" tolerance, up to a 6' - 10' area. Anything greater, either a hump or dip in the subfloor, than that measurement must be addressed. It's very simple once you know what you're looking for and an experienced installer would check this on every job and address or "prep" this area prior to any installation.

lfblair768 If you need more specific details I would recommend googling warranty specifics and installation specifics for your wood.

An 1/8th inch may be within industry standards if you are on a cement slab. If you are on floor joists then the crew building the house should have leveled each joist as they went.

I suspect you are on a slab and the cement crews have simply lost the ability or desire to do their job right. We went from carpet to laminate flooring and found that the slab was not only not level, it had dips throughout. A quality installer is going to stop and explain things to you and give you choices. Obtaining a truly level subsurface when dealing with slab imperfections can be expensive. One of our rooms took 20 bags of leveling cement to fill the dips and produce a level surface across all aspects of the slab.

As for your cabinet question. If you can live with the floor not being level (biggest issue is tables and chairs may be enough out of level it bothers you) the cabinet installers will do as they always do. They will simply shim the cabinets and then the shoe molding will hide the shimming.

If your refrigerator legs are not adjustable or not sufficiently adjustable you can place a piece of linoleum tile under the legs that need adjustment. Not an ideal solution, but cheap.

Having just completed a kitchen remodel of a house originally built in the '30s as a weekend retreat, I am definitely empathetic to the challenges and frustrations that un-level floors and out-of-plumb walls present, especially when all the construction work is done and the new counter-depth refrigerator arrives and It is slid into the refrigerator cabinet opening.

One thing we experienced that has not yet been mentioned here, is whether all the leveling and adjustments that can be made to your refrigerator have been tried. We assumed our installers knew all the tricks in the book, but they did not. While refrigerators are pretty similar, there are differences from manufacturer to manufacturer and model to model that can impact the installation. As it turned out, our installers were not knowledgeable about leveling and adjusting our particular model of refrigerator. If you haven't done so already, check the owner's manual and installation instructions to see if there are other ways to adjust the refrigerator body or the refrigerator doors that have not yet been tried. For example, on some refrigerators you can adjust the height of the doors a bit, which might give you the clearance you need to open the upper cabinet door. The manufacturer might have some other suggestions as well.

We are still left with an unparallel gap between the sides of the refrigerator and the refrigerator cabinet side-facing, but after a week or so I truly no longer noticed it.

You are also correct in being concerned if you have enough space for air circulation around your refrigerator. The minimum requirements will be listed in the owner's manual or installation instructions. You'll be surprised at how little space you actually need for the top and sides while the space in the back can range from 1" to 2" or so.

First, don't use a torpedo level to see if the floor is level, it isn't going to be accurate. Get your contractor to shoot it with a Lazer to see how level or out of level things are.
Secondly, an 1/8" will probably not matter and more importantly this 1/8 is probably not caused by the floor installers installation. The floors not being level is deeper, and yes they could be fixed but the real question is, are you willing to pay for the additional expense?

Supervision of other trades is important, but hovering actually slows work and is less productive in the long run in getting your home finished. Yes it's a good thing your contractor set the installer straight, as the installer was just purely being lazy.

I hope your remodel ends up the way you envisioned it and you have no more hiccups along the way.

in response to the floor being on slab. No concrete slab is perfectly level in homes and there are imperfections through out.
Can it be done to be perfectly level? Yes, however the cost of manpower and the machinery is cost prohibitive to where people won't purchase it. This is only done in buildings where scientific industry work will be preformed and then there to there are margins of error which can be accounted for.

In my remodle the floor was off by more than 3/4 ", as soon as my guys found the problem, incorrectly installed strong back, they jacked the house up to just under 1/8 " level. Kitchen completed and no one can see the difference except me. and yes shims can be used to level all the cabinetry, but if they have to use lots of shims try to get something other than pine, pine will compress over time.

There is an exactly zero percent chance of having to deal with this problem if you hire a reputable builder/remodeler. First off, there is no such thing as a "level" floor (less than 1/4" in 10 feet) whether concrete or wood, old or new. Second, a datum line needs to be set for counter top height based on the high point of the floor and then cabinets, and appliances, set accordingly (with shims or leveling legs/pedestals). The toe kick(s) should be scribed to the finished floor. Done correctly floor descrepancies up to an inch out of level will be virtually unnoticeable.

Your floor installer is at the bottom of the blame list here. Your contractor is at fault first and the cabinet installer is a close second. They should've known better. I'm sorry you had to go through this but at this point the easiest fix is to shave down, or remove, the flooring as necessary under the range and refrigerator.

We had the flooring subcontractor level our kitchen floor during our recent remodel, which didn't cost too much extra, but also wasn't a great long-term fix. When we eventually pull up the adjacent carpet we'll have to deal with wood floor that has been leveled and wood floor that hasn't. Fixing it at the source would have been a better way to go. We'll probably resort to smoke and mirrors instead :) Best of luck to you! It sounds so stressful. It doesn't sound like you're crazy detail people - you're certainly not being unreasonable! Hopefully your contractor pulls it together. Good luck.

Dumb question - if you can remove the rear legs of the stove, can't you remove the rear legs of the fridge? Can the legs themselves be trimmed down so that they are the tiny bit lower you need for the stove and 1/2" for the fridge? It's a thought (who cares what the back legs look like!).

Has anyone hired an online landscape designer? We live in Texas and spoke with a landscape designer in NJ. Do you think that would be a good idea?

Jillybean-- As far as I know the back legs on the fridge are not removable or adjustable. I've heard that most new refrigerators simply have rollers/wheels on the back. I'd want to have some kind of foot or wheel there anyway for any time we have to move the fridge out of it's cabinet. I don't know if the feet can be removed from the stove, but two issues are that, again, I'd want feet to be in place for any time it needs to be moved and the back feet are supposed to be utilized with an anti-tip device.

Personally, I think your cabinet installer is partially to blame. When he was installing the cabinets he should have checked the clearance again before starting on the uppers, especially if you mentioned your concern about the floor. If your cabinets don't go all the way to the ceiling he could have installed them all up a little higher.

Thanks, Suzie. I don't think I specifically told the cabinet guys about the floor. But I did tell our contractor about the floors well before the cabinets were installed. The contractor has a close relationship with the cabinet company, and had he thought of the potential issue he could have said something. The cabinets do go to the ceiling.

Added Dimensions, you are SO RIGHT! Selecting the right GC, the one who is the most knowledgeable, NOT the cheapest, will save you so much angst and aggravation. The worst are the DIYers who think they know it all, and then have to call in a contractor to fix their mistakes.

We recently remodeled our kitchen and had a super GC who took the time to explain all the issues involved. Lots of unseen structural, plumbing and electrical problems which were addressed and corrected. We probably spent 8-10% over the contracted amount but it was well worth it.

I had my 1940 house support beams reinforced and raised the
Floors to level before attempting new floors and cabinets.
The cost was not bad considering the problems we would of had with shimming and unbalanced appliances. Shoes were not necessary on floor trim.

Added Dimensions 100% correct. Responsibility - GC 1st - Cabinet installer 2nd

Should always take the highest spot on floor before setting the Cabinets. If they knew they wanted to have 70 1/2" for the refrigerator height and they currently have 70" that's there mistake. Cabinet installer should have been striking lines on the wall to make sure all cabinets and appliances will fit before installing. Not sure what the GC is telling you dancing around the issue or trying to tell you there's nothing he could have done because the floor was not level. In my opinion, the easy solution is the Contractor should order a smaller cabinet above the Refrigerator, I wouldn't mess with floors.

Ifblair768 - I want to thank you for starting this discussion. It has been a real eyeopener for me. We bought our house 5 years ago this month and I have been toying with the idea of replacing the downstairs wall to wall carpet with hardwood flooring ever since. The carpet is in excellent condition and the color is fine...but it's on a concrete slab. I never considered that could pose such a problem. If/when I go into that project it will be with eyes wide open because of you. I also now understand why the previous owners had the kitchen hardwood installed the way they did. It's odd and too much to bother you with explaining but at least I know now. I sincerely hope all your remodel issues get resolved and you love your new kitchen soon!

61612- If you don't mind saying, what was the cost of leveling your floor? Square footage of the area that was adjusted? And what state are you in? I'm just curious if the cost is something like $3,000 or $10,000. The area of our kitchen is only about 120 square feet, and that's the only area that needed to be fixed. I'm in California. Thanks.

Thank you all, for your feedback. Even though we can't fix the floors now it is reassuring to know I'm not crazy for being upset about this. And it's also reassuring to see what you all think as far as where the blame goes with the appliance leveling issues.
This has been an exasperating experience for a number of reasons other than this floor issue. If anything I'm getting a better handle on what to ask when interviewing contractors in the future. I think I might pose a couple questions like "what would you do in this scenario?" Just to get a better idea of how they handle stuff. Also, rely more on word of mouth referrals.

rljoy-- Thank you for your kind words! I'm glad reading about my situation has been helpful for you. I have been extremely grateful to all the advice I've gotten on Houzz.
For what it's worth, my subfloor is a raised foundation, not slab, so it might work differently for you.
I am thankful that our kitchen is actually looking awesome. It'll be much better when all the work is actually done and the dust is gone. Been three months since I've seen the floors in the adjacent/open concept family and dining rooms. All our kitchen stuff is in our other bedrooms. I'm going crazy!!! But like I said, the kitchen does actually look nice so I'm excited about that.

Ifblair, the cost of things also vary from area to area within California due to the cost of living and location of the project. There are a lot of factors that are taken into account.

Rljoy - good for you educating yourself on the potential issues prior to jumping in head first. Another option to traditional hardwood is laminate flooring, though personally I don't care for the sound nor the feel of walking on it. I must say though, manufacturing of the laminate flooring has come a long way within a reasonably short period of time, and clients have been very happy with the end product.

Added Dimension hit it dead on the money. If the cabinet installer had the specs for the fridge, he should have set the height of the upper cabinets based on the clearances needed for it to fit properly. When we do a cabinet installation we make sure to have all the appliance specifications and make sure they fit into their specific locations before anything is permanently attached. A bit of due diligence on the part of the cabinet installer goes a long way in a successful installation.

May I ask what floor brand / type / color you installed? I love it and have been looking for something similar. I'm sorry about the issues you have had but I do think the kitchen looks beautiful.

Lafleur is correct,due diligence on the cab. maker goes a long way. On the subject of level floors... that's rare, whenever I install a new kitchen I either supervise the appliance install or we do it ourselves,just to make sure it all goes as planned.If a problem arises we will correct it then. Anyway there is usually a solution to your dilemma, maybe it just needs a different set of eyes to come up with the best solution. Best of luck to you & hope you enjoy your new surroundings.

Thank you, Lafleur and Garner. The contractor's plumbers did the appliance install, but neither the contractor nor manager supervised. The manager has seen the issue since. The fridge and stove were put in almost three weeks ago. No urgency on the company's part to fix the problem but they say they will. Our contractor was out of the country for two weeks due to a family emergency and just returned this week, but we have not seen him or spoken to him yet. I am thankful that the kitchen will be beautiful once everything is done. It's just been a frustrating and disappointing experience.

cjh4q- Thank you! I really like our floors too!! They're by Millstone, classic maple burnt ember, #DTMPBE. Lately I've kinda wished it was different-- I've just seen some beautiful lighter browns that I like. Originally I really wanted walnut, but we learned that walnut is a lot more vulnerable to damage.
And thanks for the compliment on the kitchen. I'm excited to reclaim it as my own. 3 months and counting!

I have never seen a thread go on as long as this one. And, so much detail. I almost feel guilty that I feel ambivalent about the entire post. Maybe it's just me!

Yes, Barbara, it's just you.

Uneven floors are common. That's what a toe kick is for! - to hide all the unevenness!! That's why IKEA cabinets are made on plinths that you hide with a toe kick plate of you don't want to see it. It is OK. Give your poor cabinet maker a break.

Ok lets put this to bed people I have been in the home improvement industry for 40 years and old homes have issues. I can understand that you might think that everything will be perfect there is no such thing, how many new homes have I been in that have these same problems, answer lots .I also know that the cost involved to level old floors correctly can be staggering to most budgets and this is where the skills of a contractor and his subs should take over and adjustments made to get to a point where things will work and look right .There are many ways to achieve these goals and Im sure we have all been in houses that have had tweaks that you would never be aware of. All in all a 1/2 inch should have been and easy tweak to deal with and your contractor and subs should have been able to absorb this into the cabinet install seamlessly . Sorry to hear and see all the stress and problems you had but in the big picture you have gotten off easy so to speak and the pics you posted look nice enjoy your home and Im pretty sure in the end you and your contractor will be the only people aware of these issues .Stephanie your right about the IKEA junk and if people in this country think they have unlevel floors ,go to Europe ,you would loose you mind LOL

One last word LOL to cabinet builders like myself never ever ever build cabinets around a non built in refrigerator that tight give yourselves a break, would a 1/2 revel been a problem ,I don't think so .That little bit of room sure would have been nice about now!!!! Hindsight what a gift!!!!

Alrighty, final update for me on this thread. With my original post I was concerned about the obvious level issues when the new floor was installed. I understand no floor/wall/ceiling is perfectly level or straight. I was simply surprised that no one seemed concerned to even look at the floor when I expressed concern to our contractor and project manager. (I figured, since we took everything down to the studs why not fix something if/while we can?)
Anyway, for those who are curious, here is what the floor guys (different people from the installers) did this past Saturday:
Removed all the wood and subfloor from underneath the oven and fridge. Cut out a portion (approx 1/2" I think) from the top of the floor joists. Screwed 2x4s parallel into the joists as added support. Replaced the subfloor, which is now 1/2" lower than the rest of the subfloor in the room. Wood flooring was put on top of the new subfloor pieces and is now level; it lines up well with the wood at the front of the appliances. Now, our stove is able to sit level in it's space, as is the refrigerator.
Someone either on this thread or another thread said how they as contractors deal with these types of things all the time and they can forget that the customers aren't used to rolling with these kinds of surprises. Good communication can go a long way, and a lack of that contributed to my distress here. Overall I am pleased now with how the appliances fit. We were finally able to remove the protective floor and counter coverings and it's starting to feel like a kitchen again. Thank you all for your input.

Post a final picture! Even with the issues before this redo looked awesome! I'm so happy you stuck to your guns though and had the issues remedied!

It is a awesome kitchen. Remodels never come out exactly the way we want, do they? I have been wanting to have a screened in deck and a window and door moved and one window replaced. Our house was built in 1920 and I am afraid of what we might run into.