We had a couple of things like happen to us as well. Did we want to spend the money - no. Did we have it to spend - yes.
So we amortized it and decided from there.. So if you are planning on spending 10 years in your house the extra is $100 a year or $9 a month. BUT you still have to love it and decide that it is worth it. Will it make your heart sing when you walk into the kitchen - is that what you are looking for or does it matter. Only you can answer. (Principle of the thing - I don't thing has anything to do with it - at this point it's emotion - I think)
One of our decisions was mid-reno we had the chance to vault our family/eating room ceiling but it was going to be $1500. We're going to be in our house for 15 years - well worth it for us and so glad we did.

Are you sure all the fabricators in your area make you buy the whole slabs? Are you in CT? With our fabricator, you only pay for the square footage you need.

what elba said. my granite in ct was by the sqft.

I think you need to answer how badly you really want THAT granite. Was there another granite there that liked almost as much? Or, was this the ONLY granite you liked.

What does dh think about it? Does he think you should absolutely stick to budget? Or, does he think you should get the new granite?

I will not be able to comment on whether the $20/sqft price jackup is standard; however I can share my 2c with you regarding your budget dilemma.

Looks like you did your homework while creating the budget and therefore managed to stay within at first. You now like an item that's going to give you repeated visual pleasure over a long time; and the price is $1000.00 higher, which you can afford.

If I were you, I'd get the dream slab. I'd try to make sure that the price is not being hiked just because they know you liked it; but getting something that you want will give you years of pleasure and greater enjoyment IMO.

As it is, they advise to budget 15% slush money for any remodel; precisely for such events (change orders etc.). So I'd say go for it!!

Good advice all--thank you! Elba--I will look into that because I was wondering the same thing actually. Very good point.

Redstar--also a great question. We looked and looked and this was the only granite that we loved and was in budget (before the whole 2 slab thing anyway!). Even more expensive granites didn't attract us as much as this one. DH is not getting as upset about this as I am! He emailed the fabricator and asked a few questions, like getting a credit for the sink b/c we didn't take the "free" sink they were going to give us. He was told awhile back that it's valued at $250. Also, when I went to them over the weekend the salesgirl said it would be around $10 more per sq. foot, but she had to do a little more digging to be absolutely sure about that price. Then we got the news today about the $20. DH asked her if maybe we could split the difference/work on the price a bit. Can't hurt to ask, right? Haven't heard back yet though.

I approached my project with a budget range. The low was optimistic, the high was the absolute maximum. I wanted to be happily in the middle. I was able to get 100% of the things I wanted and ended up square in the middle of my budget. I think that is the best idea when it comes to budgeting. In your case I would say that getting ultimately what you want may be worth going over a small amount. If you're gonna live with it for 20 years you've gotta be happy with it.

Do it!
I settled the last time we did our kitchen and I hated it for 20 years. We're fixing it now. My kids (grown by now) laugh at my stress over an ogee edge over a pencil edge on our counter tops. This time I want to get it right.

If you really like the granite I, would spend the money. The granite, is not something you, can change easy. Maybe try to make the money up some way. You, might be sorry if you do not get it.

As others have said, only you can answer that question in your circumstances. I like what jgopp and blfenton wrote above.

I can tell you there have been quite a few posters over the years here who have lamented NOT going over budget to get what they really wanted. In the moment being penny wise but pound foolish. I don't think I have ever seen someone truly regret going over budget to get something that they really wanted.

I agree with what everyone else is saying- go for it. You can look at this way: you did your homework, got the best price on everything else, so look at all you saved! Now, you can splurge a little. The granite is important- you will be working on it evert day. Get the one you want.

It is definitely a personal decision, but since you're asking for opinions I'll give yo mine: I would not blow a reno budget by 15% for something that is purely aesthetic-- it will function like any other granite found in a large slab, and while you really love this one, it's probably not the only one you could ever love. I'm not a monogamous kitchen gal in that there's not just one of anything "for me" -- there are many things out there that can/do make my "heart sing" -- and it's just as easy for me to fall for an affordable granite if I so choose.

Also before I plunked down 1K for something like that, particularly to a shop that "pulled a fast one" on the pricing, I would sit down and make a list of all the things I'd like to spend on/future projects and weigh the value of having this particular granite over all of these other trips/projects/whatever and ask myself whether I still wanted it enough to delay or give those up.

what granite yard are you using? maybe you could switch fabricators and get the same slabs? If not, there are several huge yards in CT that I'm pretty sure don't price like this and have a big selection. I've just never heard of that before and it kind of feels off.

Noellabelle--we found the slabs at the huge granite yard in Bridgeport, but I know there are plenty of other yards around too. This one was just the biggest so we figured we'd start there. Should we try the one in Norwalk?

I agree you should get some other quotes, particularly if the fabricator doesn't OWN the slabs (ie they'd just be getting them at an independent granite yard, same as another fabricator.) Find another fabricator(s) who works with the same granite yard, and ask for a quote. When I was shopping for counters I got multiple quotes, and some of the fabricators were willing to come down in price when I said, "huh, I got a lower quote from Company X... can you do any better?"

Since you're buying the whole slabs, will there be any left over? Could you use a left over piece for a bar or 1/2 bath counter? In my house we're all about repurposing granite. We've got some going out by the pool, some going into a bathroom, etc. If you can use it in another spot, will it be worth the $$ to you?

The same thing happened to me when I was shopping around for our granite. One of the yards we went to quoted us at a much higher price becasue we too need two slabs. He had quoted $89 sq ft for Bianco Antico (which was high for our area for this stone). When I questioned them on the price they stated that if they didn't charge that way they would be stuck with granite they couldn't use. I did shop around and found it for $52 sq ft though we have to pay a delivery charge since they're in Northern MA and we're in RI it's well worth it for us.

I would shop around if I were you. You can probably get the granite you love for less money.

The previously over budget granites may come in cheaper than buying two slabs of your budget granite. I would keep looking a bit.

mset31CT - I can relate to your dilemna. Here was our rationale: Both my husband & I picked that stone as our first choice after viewing literally hundreds. (really, it was the inspiration for the entire design, but that is a whole other conversation; suffice to say, it was LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT for us both) The cost of material exceeded our ENTIRE budgeted amount for the ENTIRE room. Did we want to spend the money?-no, BUT, the budget amount for counter material was arrived at BEFORE all the research, in person experience, 'window shopping' and at that point, we had not even considered finding the PERFECT stone for us. After deciding on our fabricator, we examined his proposals for five different stones. He gave us dinner plate size scrap chunks to bring home and set on the cabinetry to decide. His prices were NOT quoted per foot, and clearly stated cuts, edging, templating, splash etc. for each stone. Considering we chose a high quality cabinet material, high quality sink, high quality faucet etc, it seemed almost stupid to not consider carefully the stone choice. It was more about the decision making motives than the price. We were totally honest with each other regarding every other choice, why not the stone too. Ours is rather busy, eccentric, loud and not tame by any definition. WE LOVE IT! A thousand dollars does not sound overboard especially considering you have a large space, you say it is PERFECT, and you do have the money for it. Seriously, I could spend a thousand bucks on a few pairs of shoes, dinner once a month for a year, twenty cartons of cigarettes or Yankee baseball tickets. Considering the material is millions of years old, will last as long as you both shall live and you are so stoked about it, GO FOR IT!!!

I can see both sides on this one.
The pros are easy. You love it and can afford it. It will make you both happy to see it in your kitchen. Choosing a second choice option could end up feeling second choice for a very long time. $1,000 is not that great a number in the grand scheme of things. All your other choices were reasonable.

The cons are you may not have done enough homework to know that this is the best price you could be getting. It may take away from other goals that you could be spending the $1,000 on.

If it were me, I'd skip Xmas and bday gifts for the adults in the family and consider this your gift to yourselves for 2011. I'd run around asap and make sure this was the best I could do either for this price or choice of material for this new, higher, price. If you have only been looking at budget stones, there may be one at this same new price point that you love even more or even for slightly less cost than this new "budget". If you don't come up with anything better soon, put your deposit down before it is too late.
YMMV

I got mine from Marble and Granite in Milford. I have also heard good things about elemar in New Haven. I think it might be that your fabricator is making this rule? I went with one in North Branford, but it was $65/sq ft, and although one slab was enough for me, I don't think that it mattered.

Here is a link that might be useful: marble & granite Inc

I don't understand why you have to pay more per sq foot if you buy 2 slabs.
If you and I went to the granite yard and each chose the same kind ( basically the 2 slabs that you are talking about) then the yard would be charging us each $x per sq ft.
So why does that mean if you buy 1 it is $x but if you buy 2 it is $x+y. And is that for both slabs or just the second?
The reason RICSFAN's fabricator gave was " if they didn't charge that way they would be stuck with granite they couldn't use."
Huh? That makes no sense. Why would they be stuck with the granite? And then why only if you bought 2 slabs?

There is no logic at all to this!

Muspic, there is a logic to this. The retailer orders the stone in sheets which are a certain size regardless of the counter order. If the order goes from one sheet to two, the retailer has to purchase double the amount regardless of whether the entire sheet is used. This could leave an unusual, hard to sell piece. Two people coming in and buying two sheets the retailer gets full price for each sheet. It's not as simple as x amount of dollars per sq. foot.

Now to the original question. If you can afford to go over your budget and buy the granite you love, do it. If you can't afford it then walk away. Good luck!

Ellaf said it beautifully!
"...If you can't afford it then walk away.."
And her points about stone. SPOT ON!!!!
jmho
~boxerpups

Oh dear, I reread my post. I sound so snarky.

Please forgive me, I have been on one of those pathetic
pontificating phone calls that never end. You know what
I mean, they talk and talk and talk some more.
Everyone yesss the person to death but nothing comes
to fruition.

So my response was quick which came across short and curt.
Probably because I kind of want to do this on my calls
today but instead pasted a smile through the phone and
took it out on this post.

Let me be clear,
I went over budget, not much but a little and it was worth
it to me. But I could afford to go over my miniscule
budget. I was so close to my budget you could call me the
IRS tax auditor. I have a darling Penny pinching husband.
Looking back there are days I wish I went way over budget.
I regret not pushing DH to do more things and create a
better space. I was so worried about falling into a fiasco
that I was super careful rather than carefree.
Smiles
boxerpups (hopefully sounding a little less snarky this post)

Thanks everyone for the fabulous advice! Well, there was a bit of a break today. Our propane hookup ended up costing less than what we originally budgeted...not by much, but it was something. So right now, all things being equal, we are exactly $700 over budget instead of $1,000. It doesn't change the fact that we're paying a lot more for the granite, but helps to soften the blow a little bit!

Today DH contacted another fabricator for a quote. He has our floor plan and can give us an exact price, since he works with the same granite yard as our current fabricator. So fingers crossed...we'll see what happens. But your advice about getting several other quotes is a good one. Requires more legwork (and I'm just about at my wit's end!!), but could end up being well worth it in the end. Time will tell.

Noellabelle--thanks for the recommendation. We are on the other side of the state--closer to NY. We're working with a fabricator in New Milford currently, but that may change now! I'll keep your recommendation in mind. Just when you think everything's done...ahh life!

I'm in the middle of an addition myself. If I had to deal with this kind of pricing chicanery, I know exactly what I'd do-- I'd buy the first slab, then have a friend buy the second one at the "one slab" price the next day.

I've been to all of the granite yards listed above. We are also using a fabricator in New Milford who gets stone from all of them - Art's Of Stone, and they only charge for what you use.

Elba1--thank you for the recommendation! We will check out their prices. Have to move fast b/c the yard will stop holding our slabs as of next Monday. Has Art's of Stone done the installation yet? We heard really great things about our current fabricator, but haven't heard of anyone whose used Art's. Did you get recommendations for them when you began your search?

I found them 6 months ago when I first started looking. Their prices were very good, they were friendly and professional. They get stones from approx. 7 diff. places, and directly from Brazil. They sent me to see stones at Elemar, Marble & Granite, European Marble & Granite, & Everest Marble. I asked a couple of those stone yards about them, as I didn't have a personal recommendation, and was told that they are very professional, and very selective of their stones - they only accept the best, and send them back if there is the slightest thing wrong with the stone, and that they take much pride in their work. After I went looking in all the slab yards (Elemar twice!), I ended up selecting a couple stones that they actually already had in the slab yard on their property! We're still working with the architect, but I put a down payment on the stones, as they won't be getting any more of those in the next few months. Kathleen and Jose are both terrific and have been incredibly patient with me.

Good to know Elba. We will most definitely look into Art's for sure. Might have a snow day Friday so I'll have time to make lots of phone calls! I feel good about all of this working out, just have to do a little bit more work to get there. :)

If anyone is interested in an update...here it is.

We acquired several other estimates for our countertops. Some were A LOT more than our current fabricator's price, but we did manage to get one that was a couple of hundred dollars less (thank you, Elba!!).

Turns out that our fabricator wasn't really that off with pricing though. Here is what really happened:

We chose our stone color (Verde Peacock--a budget stone) based off of a sample we got from our fabricator. Came to learn that this sample (which is cool blues, grays, and tans) doesn't look anything like normal Verde Peacock, which is dark green and rusty gold.

We found two slabs that match our original sample, BUT, because these slabs are rare/unique variations of Verde Peacock, they come with a heftier price tag. This is why the price increased so dramatically.

The fabricator that gave us the better overall price has a cheaper per/sq. ft. price, but there are add-ons they charge that our current fabricator doesn't charge for (e.g. pencil edging). The other thing is that our current fabricator said that they don't charge tax. I can't see how this is possible. They must tack in on at the end. So I'm sure the price will go up from the current estimate.

Anyway, at the end of the day, it comes down to if we really want THIS stone. I think we do. Therefore, we have to pay for it. Had we known this from the beginning, we might have chosen something else, but now that we're so dead-set on it, we should probably just go with it!

DH is going to make the final decision on which fabricator to go with, and then we'll suck it up and move on. I finagled a few things around with the budget (e.g. getting cheaper hinges to save a few bucks) and with the new estimate we are only over budget by about $500. That's a lot better than $1,000!

Anyway, that's the long and short of it. Thank you to everyone for all the great advice--this has been such a crazy week, but I think in the end it will all be worth it!

Excellent news.
Sounds like you will love this granite for a long long
time and since you are both on board it is a lovely
plan.
~boxerpups

Glad it's working out for you!

Glad it is working out for you! I think you made the right decision, especially if that's the granite that will make you smile every time you walk in your kitchen. I almost went with verde peacock myself, but then decided on emerald pearl which was about 15% more :( hated to go over budget but I told DH that we could either A) wait on the remodel another year or B) don't put granite on the desk or island. We decided to do C - spend the extra $$ and enjoy it now!

also, our price was quoted for entire job. It didn't matter whether we used 2 or 3 slabs. The fabricator actually called the slab yard from my house on the day of templating to make sure they had 3 slabs - "just in case". my cost didn't change whether he had to use 2 or 3. of course, whatever was left over was not mine to keep.

Elba--once again I cannot thank you enough for recommending Art's. They are absolutely terrific and I am so happy to be working with them. Even DH is happy and that's saying a lot! :) Best of luck with your project--we'll both have to post pics when we're done. Our granite was delivered and will be installed next week! :)

You are very welcome, I'm so glad it's working out for you. I'm jealous, as we are still finishing up with the architect, so probably won't have our new kitchen for a few months (at best). Can't wait to see your pics!!!

Wow, this was an interesting thread. Glad to know that the extra cost was based on the actual look of the granite. I'm still confused though: If two different people would have each bought those two slabs would each person have paid 20% less? If so I'd ditch that original fabricator just on principle.

This is a very important lesson though - always see the ENTIRE slab before you make a purchase - natural stone has many variations in each slab.

I'll definitely post pics, Elba! Best of luck with your project--it will be worth the wait in the end! :)

Hey mset31CT - guess where I went today to "visit" my slabs, and guess what I saw?
2 Gorgeous slabs of Verde Peacock - I wonder who those belong to?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :o)

Haha! The ones outside of the gates, right? Aren't they cool? We were so lucky to find such a unique version of Peacock--I stopped by today too to visit after picking up all our fixtures @ Modern Plumbing. What time were you there? I was there around 5:15. Glad you like them...I am on the edge of my seat waiting for them to be installed. DH is drilling/hammering away in the kitchen right now...one step closer to the big day next week! :) Btw, which granite did you decide on? :)

Oh man, I'm so glad you said that! I thought I was the only one who went to the 'nursery' to check on our 'baby' before he came home! My husband feared for my sanity; I was so full of anxious excitement I couldn't even sleep without dreaming about it! OK, just a bit obsessed, but totally loving it! At least there's a pleasure I can enjoy that won't put me in jail!!!

Too funny, I went there AFTER I went to Modern Plumbing - that's where we're getting our sink & faucet too! (Aren't you getting the Rohl Country pullout also? And what sink?)
I was there earlier in the afternoon.
I'm actually not getting granite - Kathleen will show you my slabs - the bluish-white mother of pearl quartzite, and a piece of soapstone for my hutch/pantry/buffet piece.
(My first stop was the Berkshire lighting place where I picked up the only thing I now have in posession for the new kitchen - a tiffany mini pendant light for over the kitchen sink. :o))

cienza - lol

Cienza--I am doing the exact same thing! I think about the kitchen 24/7. But I say embrace it! How many things do we get to look forward to with childlike excitement as we get older? I was thinking about that today...there aren't always things to look forward to, so why not enjoy this time and visit the granite and all that? :)

Elba--I cannot believe that! We must be on the same wavelength, but just missed each other! Isn't MP the best? They are so great to work with and have such an awesome selection. Yes, I am getting the Rohl Country pullout too. :) We decided on a Julien SS 30 x 16 x 8 sink. I brought it home last night--it's HUGE! What are you getting? I can't believe that this is actually all of my stuff sitting here in the living room with me...it's like a dream. We got Colonial Brass hardware from them as well--great prices. Will definitely ask Kathleen to show me your slabs; I've never even heard of quartzite before! And soapstone...I'm jealous. It's so beautiful. :) Enjoy that light for your sink--it's the first step to all the great new stuff that will be in your home before you know it. :) Tomorrow we empty out all the cabs and DH starts the painting process. I also lose all countertops and my kitchen sink tomorrow for a whole week...wish me luck!

I'm going with their Blanco silgranite super single with the offset drain - have been through all the colors - now actually think I might get the brown one (yesterday I thought truffle, before that, anthracite...grey...white...:o))
I picked up my sample hardware selections today at Klaff's - Schaub french farm pulls.
Discovered both the sink and hardware courtesy of this forum!
Best of luck to you!!!

ELba--so funny--we were going to do a Silgranite sink too! Couldn't decide on a color. In the end we were going to go with the gray, but DH really really wanted SS. So that's what we did. But I got to pick the faucet! ;-)

Btw I saw your slabs--absolutely stunning! SO unique. I've never seen anything like it. :)

Jose is here right now installing and doing an amazing meticulous job. The countertops look perfect--we are thrilled! Now if only the plumber were coming today...but we have to wait until Monday! :(

Soo glad to hear you are happy them - fabicator & countertops alike - looking for those pics :o).
I went to visit mine again yesterday - glad you liked them. (Actually both times I didn't really go to "visit" the slabs; I brought a stained cab sample, wasn't thrilled, so brought another one yesterday that Kathleen and I like much better.)