Factory Builder Stores
About us
Since 1988, builders, remodelers, contractors and the public have relied on Factory Builder Stores to provide top-of-the-line, kitchen appliance packages, cabinetry and Whirlpool bathtubs. We offer more than 40 different brands of top-name appliances including Viking, Sub-Zero, Thermador, Bosch, Whirlpool and more.
Business highlights
Services we offer
Our sales representatives are experienced professionals who know their products thoroughly and can help guide you through the entire building or remodeling process - from product selection through installation.
Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
---|---|---|
60% | ||
0% | ||
0% | ||
40% | ||
0% |
The installers did a beautiful job--fast, efficient, and highly professional. They installed both lower and upper cabinets as well as a new floor to ceiling pantry. The installation included adding the cabinet pulls (purchased from another source). Also, they were kind enough to install floating shelves while they were here and to fix a hinge on another cabinet in my house. I can't begin to describe the difference the new cabinets made in the appearance of the kitchen--best move I made in getting my house ready for sale.
This is such a great company with a wonderful selection of cabinets. I would recommend them to anyone who is considering a change.
If you know *exactly* what appliances you want to buy and have the means to have them properly installed, then you should definitely consider doing business with Factory Builder Stores (FBS). When we were shopping for our new appliances, their prices were moderately lower than all other stores we visited.
However, if you are like my wife and I and have no clue as to how to go about upgrading your 30+ year old kitchen appliances, you may want to consider other, more retail/consumer-oriented companies.
IMHO, FBS is simply not ready for retail. As their name implies, I'm sure they do a great job of dealing with builders and others who know what they want and how to install it!
When the FBS salesman changed our order from the separate Profile microwave/oven units we had originally ordered to a combo unit, he mistakenly ordered a 30" model. While correcting this mistake (which I discovered over the weekend before shipment), he also changed our cooktop and hood order from Profile models to "standard" (more costly) models -- without checking with us first!
Now for the most important part of this review. In spite of all the surprises, mistakes and disappointments we had to deal with up to this point, the primary reason for our low rating of FBS was the installation of our new kitchen appliances -- it was a disaster!!
When enlarging the cut-outs in our custom-built microwave/oven cabinet and countertop, the installer should have cut out half of the needed enlargement on each side of the cut-out. Instead, he enlarged both cut-outs only on the left side. In a hurry, just simply lazy? I don't know -- but I do know that our custom-built microwave/oven cabinet and countertop are now permanently damaged!
Later, we also found that the installer had left piles of debris in the bottom of the microwave/oven cabinet and countertop.
When the installer and his assistant installed our new refrigerator, they didn't level it, align the doors or even bother to remove all the protective plastic. They didn't adjust the leveling feet to keep it from sliding across our tile floor when the doors were opened. When asked, they had no idea where the shelves/compartments were supposed to go. We still don't have an original owner's manual, just a PDF file I downloaded from the GE website.
When I called the salesman to complain about the refrigerator installation, he told me that there were no leveling adjustments on "modern" refrigerators. In fact, nobody in the store, including the manager, knew that our new "modern" refrigerator had levelers that -- at a minimum -- were supposed to be lowered to prevent it from sliding!
After a lot of tenacious, and sometimes aggressive, prodding on my part, the manager of the FBS store in Grapevine, TX, did do his very best to address all of our concerns. He even swapped out our new cooktop for a less expensive model, when my wife decided she was not comfortable cooking on the new ceramic cooktop -- and refunded the cost difference.
This $6,000 upgrade to our 30 year old kitchen was supposed to be a pleasurable experience. Instead, it was extremely upsetting and stressful -- thanks, primarily, to the FBS installer.
Could we have avoided all this stress and disappointment by choosing a slightly more expensive, retail/consumer-oriented company? I don't know for sure, but I think the answer is yes.
Licensing
State Contractor License Requirements
All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our Find Licensing Requirements page.
*Contact business to see additional licenses.