Kitchen Countertops Purchase Process

During the purchase of granite in St. Louis we are approached with many questions such as:  “How do I purchase granite?” or “I am beginning the granite purchase process and where do I start?”, ” I am a first time Granite buyer and I need more information about Granite”.

Below you will find the answers to these questions along with many other helpful tips.

Granite Approval and Paperwork

You can either visit us or email a rough drawing of your countertop design. However, we prefer if you come in with the drawings because then you will be able to actually see which slab will be going into your home. This will allow you to make an informed comparison between us and other estimates. We will then give you an estimate from these drawings.

In the case that you are not able to measure, even for estimation purposes, because of things such as complex designs or islands shapes, we are happy to come to your home and give you a no-obligation estimate.

If you are happy with the stone and the estimate, then we will do the paperwork with all of the details of the project and you are expected to give us a 50% deposit with a personal check. We will then schedule the date for measurement and installation. You can also read:  How to Measure the Square Footage for Estimation Purpose?

Measuring Visit

The measuring visit usually takes 1 to 2 hours depending on the complexity of your kitchen. Our measuring professional will come to your home during the scheduled window of time, and if your schedule with work or the kids is tight, you can ask us to call you when he is on the way to your home.

In order to make the ideal custom countertops, all of the appliances need to be at the location including, the stove or cooktop, dishwasher, and fridge. If there is no space restriction for the fridge, the fridge need not be in place.

If you are supplying the sink, it also needs to be on location so that we can take it back to the shop to use it as a template for the sink cutout.

The location of seams and extension of overhangs should be discussed at this time.  Feel free to share your ideas and different shapes and corners you were thinking about with our measuring person.

You can also request the final drawing of the kitchen countertops be sent to you for approval before the granite is cut and fabricated.

Because granite is generally 1 1/8” to 1 ¼” thick and the existing laminate or Corian countertop is usually thicker, there is a gap of uncovered area.

There are a couple different ways to fix this problem.  You can increase the height of the granite backsplash if you chose one, wooden board can be installed over the top of the cabinets to increase its height, or you can install a piece of trim to cover that gap. These options have to be discussed in detail at the time of template.

This is why the decision-making person, preferably the person who signed the contract or completely aware of the details of the project, needs to be on location during the time of templating.  This will help ensure that the process goes smoothly without any unpleasant surprises.

What is expected of you on the day of template (measuring)?

We ask that you remove all of the items from your countertop so that the space is clear for measuring.  If the cabinets are new, they need to be completely installed, anchored, and leveled.

Arch City Granite & Marble, Inc. is not responsible for any cabinet work, including leveling, building supports, or installation of steel braces on the cabinets.  However, we are glad to advise you and your contractor on what steps need to be taken and how they can be completed.  Any of these required improvements must be decided on and completed before the installation.

We can do the measure with the countertops on, but in the case of more complex kitchens we ask that you remove the countertops before the measurement, that way we can have a more precise measurement to work with.

If any of the cabinets are moved after measurement, please inform us, as we will need to measure again.

Layout of Your Granite Countertops

A layout is when you come to the fabrication shop to choose which area of your granite slabs will be used for which parts of your countertops.  With granites such as Tan Brown, Venetian Gold, Santa Cecilia, and Black Pearl, that have a uniform general pattern, it is not necessary for you to come in to do this.

However, with granites like Typhoon Bordeaux, White Spring, or Titanium or any granite colors that have a lot of movement and veining, we will need you to come in and make these decisions.

Installation of Your Countertops

This visit generally takes a little bit longer than the previous one.  Depending on the complexity of the installation it can take between 3 and 6 hours.  Please make sure that the cabinets that will hold the sink and cook top are empty.  Also the top drawers of the base cabinets need to be emptied as well.

If you have a cook top or a drop in sink, the cutout has to be done at your home after the countertops are placed on the cabinets.  This is because granite cannot be safely transported with precut holes of that size in it. This can create a lot of dust. Our installers will take all the possible measures to contain the dust by using a heavy duty shop vacuum cleaner.

In spite of all our diligent efforts, there is a possibility of some  dust escaping.We advise our customers to cover all the valuable belongings like furniture, paintings etc.  Our installation team will clean all of the debris created during the install.  However, sometimes you may still require a more thorough cleaning after the granite is installed.

After the installation is complete, the installation team will go over the final checklist with you, including details such as the correct size for the faucet holes, the dishwasher being anchored, the cook top fits perfectly fit, and everything being cleaned up, to assure you complete and total satisfaction.

Our install team will take your signature of approval before leaving your premises.

You are always welcome to call our office with any questions about newly installed granite.