Overall: Wholesale Granite did a wonderful job. My wife is extremely happy with the everything and says it turned out ?better than she expected.? Work was completed in 16 calendar days from contract signing/initial deposit to work completed. Kitchen was out of use for less than 2 days. Countertops do not have any seams!
In essence, Wholesale Granite provided all material and labor (start to finish), committed to "no seams," and provided a minimal downtime for our kitchen, all for a reasonable cost and schedule.
Details: We began our look at upgrading the kitchen countertops and replacing the tile in the spring of 2012 by visiting several firms listed in Angies List (only ?A? recommendations). We obtained several estimates in order to scope the cost and to decide on the specifics of the upgrade. We also consulted Consumer Reports. By 2013, the wife had decided upon CeasarStone Quartz ?buttermilk? for the countertop material. By April 2013, the wife had decided upon the exact tile (including grout type/color), sink, and faucet. Armed with these decisions, pictures of our kitchen, and drawings (with dimensions), we then sought estimates from several Angies List ?A? recommended companies with 2012 Angies List Super Service Awards. These firms were also ?certified CeasarStone fabricator? in accordance with the CeasarStone warranty provisions.
We obtained estimates from 3 firms. Two of these firms (Whole Granite and one other) came to our house to understand what we wanted, take measurements, and provide estimates. The third specialized in countertop fabrication and referred us to a remodeling contractor for all work except for the countertop fabrication/installation with sink. From this firm, we had to get two estimates which totaled the work we needed.
We selected Wholesale Granite because they committed to ?no seams? prior to signing the contract and our paying the initial deposit. The other two firms would not commit to ?no seams? until template construction, which well after a signed contract and paying the non-refundable deposit. We also selected Wholesale Granite because they contracted to do the complete job, including removal of the original countertop and tile, fabrication and installation of the new quartz countertop, provide and install the sink and faucet (including plumbing changes from a dual sink to a single sink) and provide the new tile/grout. Wholesale Granite also indicated the removal of the original countertop through installation should only take one day. Cost wise, Wholesale Granite was in the middle of the three firms.
One week after we signed the contract and paid the initial deposit, Wholesale Granite came to our house to create the countertop templates and reconfirm the total scope of work. Installation was then scheduled for one week after that. Work began as scheduled with workers arriving in the morning to remove the existing countertops and tile. Prior to beginning work, they put down drop cloths and moved our stove out of the kitchen to prevent damage from the work. Work went quickly and about an hour later, a second group arrived with the quartz countertops. Wife says a total of 5 workers were there during the countertop installation (6 if you count Simon coming by to see how things were going). Countertops, sink and faucet were installed and plumbing modified and connected by mid-afternoon (within the one day). Remaining work was the installation of the new tile which took the rest of the day. Prior to ending work the first day, the crew offered to move the stove back so we could use it that evening (We elected to not bother and to go out to dinner). The second day was for applying the grout to the new tile, touch-up of the drywall, final clean-up and replacing the stove. The crew worked very well together, seemingly without supervision, as each
person knew what to do and did it with minimum fuss. Clean-up was above my wife's expectations and very much appreciated.
End result: Everything went smoothly and wife is very happy with her ?new kitchen.?