Thinking about getting granite countertops?

What you need to know, and the industry standards

How does the process of getting granite countertops installed work?
How much does it cost?
What are the benefits?
What can I expect and what are the industry standards?
What if I have a problem or issue after the fact that my fabricator won't help me with?

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How does the process of getting granite countertops installed work?

Like most people who are considering granite for their kitchen or bathroom, you probably have some questions. Let me try my best to help you if I can, and if there are any questions afterwards feel free to drop me a line

So then: how does it work? Well usually the whole thing starts with sitting down with a salesperson and getting a quote. The salesperson will go over all the preliminary details with you like which color you want and what edge profile you like best. If you have the sales representative come to your house they will often take measurements and create a little drawing. You may or may not receive a price quote immediately.

How much does it cost?

The price can vary on a number of factors. The first is the total square footage of your project. The second is the type of countertop you are considering. There are a number of options ranging from 1cm granite tiles, to 2cm slab granite, 2cm slab with a laminated edge (commonly called 4cm), 3cm slab granite, engineered stones (Cambria, Zodiaq, Silestone, Caesarstone, Hanstone etc), concrete slabs poured right over your existing tops, and the list goes on and on.

The price will be determined by the type of material you choose, and the cost of fabrication and installation. Also bear in mind that there will probably be plumbing that needs to be done afterwards and possibly electrical work. Most fabricators do NOT provide plumbing and electrical services because of liability issues.

Prices vary so much that it is difficult to generalize, but shop around and make sure you get a countertop with a LIFETIME WARRANTY, such as is offered by the Artisan Group.

What are the benefits?

Besides the obvious benefit of beautifying your home, a kitchen remodel with granite countertops can be one of the best things you can do to increase the value of your home. If properly maintained and sealed granite will last a lifetime and you will see (in most cases) a return on your investment of MORE than you spend in the long run.

What can I expect and what are the industry standards?

To make sure your fabricator is reputable ask if they are a member of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) or if they are a member of the Marble Institute of America. The Marble Institute of America, (MIA for short) is a type of governing body for stone fabricators much like the BBB is for businesses in general.

While in most cases your old countertops are going to be removed (and this can be an invasive process) there is likely to be some minor damage (ding in nearby drywall, or small dents) and some dust and noise during this process. It is good to be there while the install is taking place to answer questions and get a good look at the finished product; but try not to get in the way because granite is very heavy (17lbs per square foot for 3cm slab granite) and installers who get “watched over like vultures” tend to be more nervous and accident prone.

How are granite countertops produced?

Most companies employ the use of CNC machines to do the work. These machines have dropped in price significantly over the last few years, leading to lower prices in granite for the end user and myriads of new granite shops arising almost overnight.

After production the tops are usually finish polished and then sent out for install.

Am I REALLY buying granite?

Most stone is called “granite” in general, when in fact there are many different rocks and minerals in most slabs. It would be a nightmare to educate and indeed explain to everyone in the production chain about all of the variances, and for the most part they are insignificant to the end user. Most slabs have a close average weight, strength etc; and once the install is complete there will be few differences.

There are exceptions to this rule, however; especially when it comes to marble and travertine. Marble is easier to scratch and travertine is far more porous than most other stones; since it is a form of ancient coral. For more information on this feel free to ask.

What if I have a problem or issue after the fact that my fabricator won't help me with?

This is where it is important to have a reliable fabricator who is a member of the BBB and preferably the MIA. These two governing bodies can help to mitigate such problems should the situation arise where an agreement cannot be reached with your fabricator.

Other resources are also availible, such as asking the members of a popular online forum, The Stone Advice Forum, located here.

Comments

Rick

Untitled

I have recently spent $8,000.00 on a granite counter top. I was at home to watch install husband was at work. I thought it was unusual that the installer asked me to finish filling in the imperfections with some kind of putty as he had to go, but as i was new to this i said yes. I explained to my husband when he came home and needless to say he was quite shocked. We started to complete a more thourough examination and found more chips, a poor seaming job not pretty and we especially noticed at a seam that it looks like an entirely different color on the other piece. We phoned and enquired and they said that these imperfections should be expected and that is the nature of granite. We are usually easy going people but the more we looked at the job the more imperfections we found. To date several people have advised us that a different piece of granite was used on the run off when we were promised that it would be the sane piece and that none of them had ever seen so many chips on a finished install. My question is are we being to fussy.

Last edited Jul 7, 2009 12:29 PM

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