I'm ready to slay the granite fabricator (update, post #8)

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

We have about 60 square feet of counter space in our kitchen. After getting advice from all my dear DIS buddies, I located a granite fabricator and purchased slabs for him to cut and install.

The price was cheap: $4000 and an extra 40 square feet of slab left...compared to Home Depot's quote of $5800 for the same project.

The granite fabricator seemed to have it pretty well organized, and I was really pleased with him in the beginning. He told me 3-4 weeks from purchase to install.

In the meantime, my husband took out and rebuilt the kitchen island to accomodate the new wine cooler I purchased. After 3 weeks without a cooktop, we finally broke down and re-installed the one we had. The new gas cooktop is sitting in my garage waiting.

We're now at 6 full weeks since giving these guys our money, and they're telling us it's going to be at least another two weeks. I'm FURIOUS. If I knew of another fabricator, I would have pulled the job from this guy. I hurried thru my decision-making process and have jumped through a thousand hurdles, and now this.

How long did it take you guys to get through a granite install? Am I being a spoiled brat about this? I just think if someone promises 4 weeks, they should keep the promise.

 

[dg39]

We just had our granite installed around 2 weeks ago. One 11ft. island and one 5 ft.countertop. We go to this place in North Jersey who does it in 3 days. Thats not ordinary, though. Its a very big outfit with tons of workers who cut the slabs 24hrs. a day. We picked it out on a Saturday and it was installed on Tuesday. Friends of ours went to other places and had to wait 3-4 wks. I know it frustrating to be waiting and waiting, but, just remember how beautiful its going to look when all is said and done...

 

[golfgal]

Is he still in business? I had a friend that was waiting for a special finish of some sort to be put on the trim for her shower. She waited and waited and waited. After about a month past the promised time she finally called and it turned out the guy was put in jail for something. I thought that was pretty funny but it wasn't my shower.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Not sure if I should answer, or run and hide.

Ours was in one month after we purchased it.

I'm running now....

 

[amid chaos]

We did switch companies at the last moment. The guy was telling us 2 weeks from the time of template to installation. I can't tell you how many times he said that. Then the day he was to come and template he said 6 weeks. Well after not having a kitchen for 9 months and being SO close to finishing, our builder found another company who templated and in less than a week installed. it was beneficial to the new company because the builder began to use him instead.

I know it is so frustrating being so close to finish and then waiting.

 

[LAinSEA]

This is a post I was afraid to read and now, well, I'm beginning to think I should get references from any installer I get bids from just to make sure jobs are finished in a timely manner.

My father worked in general contracting for over 30 years. I did two summers on a construction job site scheduling all the subs, doing payroll, and writing up punch lists. He still will tell me that the lowest bid isn't always the best choice for the job. Time is money in the long run.

-Laurie

 

[BunsenH]

Our (first) countertops took about 2 weeks after the templates were measured.

I say (first) because there was a problem. The very last operation they had to perform was to drill two blind holes under the counter to fasten the dishwasher. The first hole was made without a problem. With the second hole, the material was either defective or the driller too forceful, but the procedure blew a 5 inch hole in the top of the granite. The crew supervisor's jaw hit the floor. He composed himself and left.

When they returned with a replacemnt piece (60% of the total countertop), they literally smashed up the original piece with a sledgehammer and carried it out in small bits. They didn't make any money on that job and gave us both sink cut-outs as compensation. I must have disconnected and re-connected our new gas stove and sink faucets 6 times due to their problems.

However, the countertops look great!

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

Well, the granite is in, mostly.

At the end of this week, we'll be at 8 weeks' time.

Three weeks ago, my husband picked up the sink we ordered from a local plumbing company and brought it to the granite guy. He didn't open the sink at that time.

Two weeks ago, the plumbing company called me in a fever saying they had given me the wrong sink. Well, I hadn't seen it, and quite frankly I couldn't remember which one I got. Thankfully, the fabricator hadn't cut the sink hole yet.

Well, they shipped a new sink and brought it to my granite guy who noticed when he was cutting the hole that the sink had a dent in it. They put off installing for three days because of it. The new one should have been delivered yesterday, but again, the plumbing company failed us.

The sink finally came in today, and when the guys went to install it, IT WAS THE WRONG SIZE!!! UGH!

I've been without the kitchen sink for 6 days now. It's just not fair!!!!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Ahhh, one of the reasons we got our sink through our fabricator. That, and it saved us money.

Sorry you're having all of these problems! It HAS to go your way soon! Look at it that way!

 

[graygables]

Sorry you are having so many problems! We did our kitchen remodel ourselves and opted for granite tiles (the ones I wanted someone else had special ordered and rejected, so I got them CHEAP! ) No waiting on anyone but us to get it done (and done right the first time). DH is a masonry contractor and we live with daily frustrations from other trades NOT following through on promised schedules. My dad is going through a similar problem with his library addition. Drives me crazy. I hope they are able to get it all sorted out for you and I would insist on some kind of compensation for the mistakes/delays. You might not get anything, but you never know until you ask!