Tl;dr AVOID MKD AND HOME DEPOT COUNTER INSTALLATION/CUSTOM ORDERS AT ALL COSTS! YOU WILL THANK ME LATER. LEARN FROM MY NIGHTMARE!
Full review is over 2300 words. Can't post it all here but feel free to reach out.
Where do I even begin? Here's a long story long: on 11/21/22 I paid Home Depot on Alexis in Toledo $1,073 for a "custom made" laminate countertop due to my specs exceeding their in-store inventory of 7-10ft. I needed 12 ft their DIY counters stop at 10.5 feet. I asked if I could get the counter made but install it myself, HD said "no, you have to use our contractors and install is included in the price." Reluctantly, I agreed because I had already been without counters since September 2022 due to a kitchen remodel gone awry.
On 11/22/22 MKD (Michigan Kitchen Distributors) the company HD uses for their counter installs in Ohio and Michigan sent out an employee named Tom Berger. Tom came to my house and measured my counters with a tape measure. No big deal, right? (Remember this part...) After measuring, Tom stated that I would have to pay some upcharges for extra material and a few specs that needed to be covered for a seamless install. I figured he was the pro, so I didn't question it. Tom leaves and later that evening at 1810 I get the following text "Hey J, This is Tom the countertop guy. I didn't write down a measurement. Can you get that for me. Behind the sink from the left wall to right wall. Corner to Corner?" I didn't reply. Why? Because not only did I see Tom write down the measurements, I'm also PAYING for a professional service which means I should be getting a professional service rendered. Why would I measure? Also, what if I'm wrong? It wasn't a risk I was willing to take. The next day 11-23-22 at 0815 I got the same text from Tom. Annoyed, I didn't respond. I figured "Ah, they'll come back and get the measurements. They have to, right?" Wrong. On 12-5-22 I called Home Depot to explain the situation and that I didn't feel comfortable sending the measurement because I didn't want them to be wrong. HD told me "It's just one measurement, that's all he needs." Irritated, I measured, corner to corner, 3 times JUST TO BE SURE. Even took a picture of the measurement for reference in case it was wrong. On 12/7/22 MKD sent me an email "status notification" that stated "12.5 store called me, said customer has not gotten resched. I emailed Tom-RRS" Notes: Need to return to get missing dimensions. 12/6 Contacted Melissa- she will follow up with Tom. Well, Tom never came back out to measure so on 12/7/22 at 1322 I sent Tom the needed measurements with a picture of the tape measure placed in the exact area he needed. It measured 146 7/8.
Fast Forward to 1-12-2023. The counters are FINALLY made and ready to be installed! I take 4 hours off of work for the MKD installers to come install my long awaited counters. Before work I told my coworker "I guarantee this does not go as planned." Well, I absolutely ATE my words. We meet, introduce ourselves and then they get straight to work. Do you think the installation went according to plan? NOPE. They brought the counter in and were absolutely dumbfounded as to how they were going to get it installed. Why? Oh, because it was not only TOO LONG, but also the edges weren't long enough and sat directly on the cabinet top edges...It looked ridiculous. In addition, remember when I was charged for extra materials by Tom? I paid $392 to HD on 12/14/22 for the added costs. Well, the installers said that I never should have been charged because "Tom's measurements are completely wrong. We don't even know HOW he came up with this." They asked me how the measurements were taken and I explained that Tom had used a tape measure. They both looked very surprised and said "That's not how we are supposed to measure here..." I asked how they usually do measurements and they said it is standard practice to use a Laser Measure for the most precise measurements...Makes Sense! Oh, and better yet? Tom had either quit or been fired a few days prior to them coming out. I guess I'm not the only one he screwed in his last few months at MKD. The countertop that was made was nowhere near the right size for my kitchen. (See pics posted, it's the one propped against the wall.) The installers contemplated for a bit on how to make it work but there was no way of making anything work without completely redoing the counters. They made some calls back and forth to their boss and ultimately decided that it would be best to REMAKE THEM. They cut me a slab so I could have a sink and then went on their way. While I was grateful for that, there are a few issues I would like to bring up. When removing the sink for the counter, they had spilled my soap dispenser ALL over in the bottom of my cabinet. That was a mess. It was also found after they left, they had pocketed my dishwasher hose clamp, albeit accidentally I'm sure. However, this was not a fun discovery when I turned on my dish read more