Jamie:

Math is math. There's no reason the guy can't make tops fit with only a measuring tape.

Pay upon satisfaction with no money down and you'll have no worries.

Well, measuring tape or templates, I'd want more than just "trust" when it comes to my expensive granite countertops. Once he takes the measurements, he should be able to provide you with drawings and exact measurements that you can then check for accuracy. Things like overhangs and acceptable tolerances should be included. My granite guy supplied these and I had to sign off on them before the slabs were cut. If you have any doubts or concerns about the templating, now is the time to discuss them with your fabricator. Coincidently, my fabricator was also Italian, but I would never hire him based on that, regardless of their reputation as craftsmen.

Wow....back to 2014, I don't think it matters what background someone has since math is a universal language. I would say it depends on experience.

We have a friend (no ethnic background included) who can lay a subfloor by measuring and noting numbers down on a paper napkin...perfect fit! Others may not be able to get the right fit with a template. If you're concerned, I would make sure they agree (in writing) to pay to replace the stone if it doesn't fit.

We had a competitor that boasted he was fourth generation Italian stoneworker that refused to make templates, he only used tape measure. We fielded about 10 calls a year from his unhappy customers about the way his stone fit.

There are many situations where it is impossible to get a good fit without templates no matter what your skills are.

Quote- "We have a friend (no ethnic background included) who can lay a subfloor by measuring and noting numbers down on a paper napkin...perfect fit! Others may not be able to get the right fit with a template. If you're concerned, I would make sure they agree (in writing) to pay to replace the stone if it doesn't fit."

I have put in many, many subfloors. I generally used scrap pcs of wood to note measurements. I would never do stone or quartz without making templates first. and I have been doing stone for over 20 years.

My fabricator came to the house and measured. When he returned with the cut granite a week or so later, it was ten inches too long! Turns out he had correctly measured and written down that the length was to be 101 1/4 inches. But when reading his notes to make the cut, he mis-read it as 111 1/4 inches. Fortunately, one end is against the wall, so he cut the extra ten inches off on site, and all is well. It seems that if he had templated, that mistake would have been avoided.

Are you planning a 4" granite backsplash? If so, you have a lot of leeway on how the stone fits against the wall - nobody will ever see that edge. I guarantee you that your wall is not straight, so without a good template there will be wavy bits back there.

If you're planning a tile backsplash, you'll have the thickness of that specific tile to cover any gaps. Think "oops" of 1/4" or less.

If your granite runs right along a wall or cabinet without any tile, you have absolutely no room for less than perfection. We have 2 places like that in our kitchen where any imperfection would jump right out.

There are industry standards for how close granite should fit against the wall. I think it's 1/8" plus or minus 1/16", and that means at any given point, not an average of the full length. You can look it up at The Marble Institute of America to be sure. If I were you, I'd have a written agreement on how your counters will fit. My biggest concern about tape measure only would be all those wavy parts of the wall which didn't get measured.

Thank you all for your valid points of consideration. I did speak to my friend who recommended this fabricator and "jokingly" stated that he wouldn't recommend someone who wasn't good at their job and that he works on "million" dollar houses. Well, we have to take this with a grain of salt because the Toronto real estate market is still in a "bubble" so house prices are incredibly high. I mean the houses in my neighborhood are selling above a million and their kitchen still had the builder grade Formica!!

But I will take several of your suggestions and talk with the fabricator and find out whose responsible if the stone doesn't fit. Luckily I have not paid for anything yet and secretly hoping that was just a preliminary measurement.

Also, can someone enlighten me if the stone can really be cut to follow the contour of a wall. I can imagine if it was cut with laser than for sure, but with a blade (I'm imagining something like a table saw and water), can they really be that precise?!

Thank you all again.
Jamie

Yes. Precision comes from the skill of the fabricator, not the equipment he uses.

But equipment can help. The company we used did our kitchen using all the bells and whistles for measuring and cutting. The results are perfect; not even a fingernail fits between the granite and the (wavy) wall:

The same company did our bathroom counters a couple of years later. Because we were planning on a 4" backsplash, the walls didn't need to be perfect. They measured a rectangle X by Y and called it good. Under the backsplash it just sort of is against the wall with little gaps here and there where the wall waves. With the backsplash, there was no need for the meticulous precision at the wall we needed in the kitchen.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rock-it's how-it's-done page

"Also, can someone enlighten me if the stone can really be cut to follow the contour of a wall."

In addition to my previous comments, a lot of us have an inherent work ethic that goes something like, "someones going to get paid to do this and it might just as well be me", so me, learns to function as the professional, the customer should expect, shows up on their doorstep.

The short answer is yes.

Please make sure you go and see the layout on the stone before they cut. I'm sure you've seen the horror stories here. I was glad I went for templating. I was able to voice what was important to me, and we chose my favorite sections for the peninsula... By far the most visible section of my granite. The one vein I didn't love is hidden in a corner. (I could have avoided it entirely if I'd been willing to pay a premium to use two slabs. They gave me a $6/sq ft discount for keeping it all on one slab.)

Did you see any examples of his work?