If this sounds familiar
"Measured, then silence." They templated the kitchen, said you'd have a number in a couple of days, and never called back. A quick "no" would have been better, so you could move on.
"I was excited until I saw the seam." Right in the middle of the island, wide and the wrong color. Nobody asked you where it should go.
"Cracked around the sink in the first year." That narrow strip in front of the sink is the weak spot, and the crack showed up months after install.
What people worry about most, and what to do
"I still haven't heard back"
Ask at the template visit when you'll get the written price and an install date, and get both in writing before you pay a deposit. A fabricator who can't send a quote on time is unlikely to hit an install date.
Call (786) 627-5048"The seam is noticeable from across the room"
Ask to see the seam layout before cutting. Ask how the seam will be colored and filled. One forum reply explained that beige seams usually mean the installer "used a buff-colored (very common) adhesive and didn't bother to add any color." Invisible seams aren't common, but a tight, color-matched one should be the goal.
Call (786) 627-5048"It developed a crack in front of the sink"
That thin piece of stone around a sink cutout takes the most stress. Ask how it'll be supported and reinforced, and who pays if it cracks from installation. A forum reply put it bluntly: if nothing happened to the counter, "it's an installation error and the granite shop must replace."
Call (786) 627-5048What to hold any countertop installer to
- The quote and install date arrive when promised.
- You approve the seam placement and color before cutting.
- They stand behind cracks caused by installation.
- They tell you up front how long you'll be without a kitchen.
- Edge profile, sink, faucet holes and cutouts are written into the order.
- You know who's coming on install day.
What moves the price of new counters
One homeowner in southeast coastal Florida broke down their granite job: "$1.7k for a 62 sqft slab," "$1.5k fabrication cost for ~44 sqft counters," "$500 for disposal of old concrete counters and $150 for sink cut-out," a total of $3.9k. Your number moves with:
- Material and slab grade. Quartz, granite and marble price very differently.
- Square footage and slab count. A big island may need its own slab.
- Edge profile and cutouts. Each sink, cooktop and faucet hole adds labor.
- Removing the old tops. Tile, concrete or stone tear-out is its own line.
- Plumbing reconnection. Ask whether it's included.
What's different here
A lot of Miami counters go into condos, where a long slab has to make it through a lobby, an elevator and a hallway. Ask the installer how they'll get it into your unit, whether it needs a seam because of that, and whether your building needs anything from them first.
Plenty of Miami homeowners need a chip or a seam fixed rather than new tops. Ask whether the remodeler takes repair work too, or only installs.
What happens after you call
- You call (786) 627-5048, press 1, then choose kitchen or bathroom, then enter your ZIP code.
- We connect you with a remodeler who works in your part of Miami.
- They template the counters and talk through material and seams.
- You get a written price, an install date and the seam layout.
- Install day: old tops out, new tops in, sink and faucet reconnected.
Other things people ask about
Hating the stone once it's in. "The sample was nice but now it looks too busy." Look at the actual slab, or a big piece of it, in your own light before it's cut.
Weeks without a kitchen. Big-box installs in the research ran "10 weeks vs 6 weeks." Ask for the realistic gap between tear-out and install, and plan for it.
Wrong details. "I asked for square edges and when I came home the other day, I saw that they did bull nose edges." Put it in writing.
Countertop work across Miami, including Brickell, Miami Beach, Coconut Grove, Little Havana, North Miami, Miami Shores and Princeton. See all service areas.
Questions people ask
Should the seams where the pieces were put together be visible?
They shouldn't jump out. A good seam is tight, flat and color-matched. Ask to see the seam layout and color before cutting.
I hate my countertops. What will be most cost effective but still look acceptable?
If the cabinets are solid, new tops alone change a kitchen a lot. Compare material options on the same written quote so you can see the difference.
Who installs countertops?
Fabricators and remodelers. If counters are part of a kitchen remodel, ask whether the remodeler uses their own installers or a fabricator, and who stands behind the result.
Do you do countertop repair?
Ask when you call. Some remodelers repair chips and seams; others only do new installs.
See the seam layout and the price before the stone is cut
Call (786) 627-5048 and we'll connect you with a remodeler who works in Miami. Press 1, then choose kitchen or bathroom and enter your ZIP code. Or get a written price online.