[LazyPup]

A common stud measures 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 96 inches.

A stud wall has both a footer and header which adds an additional 3 inches to the stud length, thus a common rough height is 96 + 3 = 99"

Allow a 1/2 drop down for sheetrock on the ceiling and you end up with 98 1/2inches.

In order to end up with a 94 inch finish wall one of four possibilites had to occur:

1. there was a floor upon floor buildup.
2. there was an additional drop on the ceiling
3. all the studs had to be cut down 3 1/2 inches.
4. The material supplier supplied non-standard studs.

I can not imagine a GC going to the expense and bother of cutting down all the studs unless there was a specific reason listed on the plans.

I dont recall ever seeing a non-standard stud that was 3 1/2 inches short.

Did the original plan call for a raised floor or drop ceiling? If so, was that info provided to the cabinet designer?

Did this problem result from a cost plus field change, and if so was it approved by the architect?

Doesn't anyone on that job have a tape measure?

I suspect the last line of the post is the answer. The tile isn't laid yet. No doubt they used the stud wall dimension to compute the cabinets and faied to note the cement board buildup for tile underlayment. In that case the problem rests either with the cabinet designer or the individual who gave him/her the rough elevation for the layout.

No doubt the 42 inch cabinets will allow 18 inches in your friends house,,as you stated, they have 9 foot walls. With walls a foot higher there should be no problem getting an additional 2 inches countertop to cabinet clarance.