USE YOUR INTELLECT TO
SELECT A FABRICATOR;
USE YOUR HEART TO
SELECT YOUR GRANITE

Prepare a simple sketch of your countertops with approximate dimensions and general location of sinks, cook top, walls and other
details. Visit your stone fabricator (drawing in hand) to discuss options, including edge and stone selections. Ask for suggestions to
minimize costs.

Tour the fabrication area. A clean, safe and busy shop is a positive sign of pride.

Ask to see projects in progress.

Ask if anything is subcontracted or outsourced. Who is responsible for customer satisfaction?

If possible, choose your granite before you choose flooring, backsplash and paint. There are more choices of tile and paint than stone. Polished granite is not the only finish available. If you prefer a matte finish, ask the fabricator to hone a sample.

If you want more choices, ask your fabricator to refer you to preferred stone suppliers.

View the actual slab(s) to be used for your project. This decision is too important to be based only on a sample or a photo.

Insist on a written proposal outlining all inclusions and exclusions. Who will remove old countertops or disconnect plumbing?

Will the fabricator install an under-mounted sink? Many plumbers will not.Have all cabinets installed and all fixtures, sinks and cook tops available when the fabricator prepares templates.

Dollie Martinez, ICM Marble & Granite
“The main reason people choose granite for their countertops is that it’s beautiful. But granite offers another major benefit, and that’s ease of care. It’s stain resistant. It doesn’t scratch. Granite is perceived as a luxurious building material, but advanced mining and manufacturing technologies have made it more affordable, and an increasingly global market has made it available in greater variety. It’s still a premium material, so be especially careful when selecting your fabricator and follow your heart when selecting the stone.

“At ICM Marble & Granite, Ivan and I like our customers to be as informed as possible about the process of installing stone countertops. It is vitally important you get a written proposal spelling out which trades person is going to do which task. Who will disconnect the plumbing? Who will remove the existing countertops and appliances? Who will reconnect the plumbing and appliances?

“We encourage customers to hire a designer for their kitchen or bath remodeling jobs. A good designer will save you time by coordinating the project and scheduling different aspects efficiently. Also, a designer can save you money by avoiding design mistakes and disappointments that precipitate do-overs.”