We have not heard of re-polishing already polished slabs and have never charged for it. If you can pick a different fabricator. Slabs come direct from the different suppliers already polished unless they PURPOSELY honed them. the only reason he should re-polish anything is because of the edge on the front and EVEN then the price is included.....fishy charge.

Maybe he manhandles it a bit too much during fabrication and has to polish it for the end result to look decent.

Is his quote higher than others because of this polishing?

Anyone who installs polished marble is going to be repolishing it anyway. Unless they apply Stoneguard.

Thank you for both of your replies. I'm very confused at this point because this is our first time replacing counter tops. I'm going to give you the details so maybe you can help to figure out if I'm getting a fair and honest deal or not.

We are replacing a bathroom counter top with polished marble. There is approximately 20 sq ft. This includes the splash. He gave us a quote of $3260 for the job.

We wanted to know what exactly we were paying for and asked him to break this number down.

Marble slab $1500

Installation $1110 (he said this includes mounting 2 under mount sinks, 4 inch splash at walls, exposed edge of top to be 1 1/2" laminated designer edge, splash edge 3/4" polished)

$1500 plus $1110 totals $2610 so there's $650 that he didn't account for in his explanation SOOOOO we asked him what the extra $650 was for.

He replied and said, "I have added some money for refinishing the marble and issues we have with marble. As a rule we pretty much have to re-polish before we can install."

SO THEN, I called about 4 places to see if this repolishing thing was common because I honestly didn't know. They all said "NO". SOOOO we sent him yet another email asking about this and told him that we were told by 4 places this wasn't necessary and so we were confused as to why he's repolishing and charging us for it. Asked him to clarify. I don't think he appreciated the email. He replied and said, "Good afternoon sir ...(note....he's not using my husband's name now)... I can't say what other fabricators do or do not do. As for us, more often than not, we find scratches, polishing swirls (from the quarry), or blemishes in the stone that we don't like to WE go the extra step and repolish. "

Back in August we had chosen a different slab from another place and another fabricator. The quote was $2747 on that particular marble which was completely white. I have no idea what the cost of the slab was so I don't know what the installation was on this quote. I was just told that the slab was very expensive because it was completely white. So I decided to go another route with a different slab and different fabricator.

The $1500 slab we're looking at now is 3/4" polished Chandelier White marble.

Sorry for the long explanation but I thought having the actual numbers may shed some light on this. Thank you again for any help you can give me here. If this is the "normal" cost of marble and installation, OK. If not, I'd like to know. I just wanna make sure I'm dealing with an honest person.

THANK YOU!

Joseph - what exactly are you saying? Can you explain?

I have never heard of Chandelier White marble. Can't even find it on Google. You sure that is the correct name?

kpyeatt, I am going to assume that you are aware of the negatives with using marble in a bathroom? Good chance you will get etching and staining on those marble counters from beauty and cleaning products.

Did you have references for this guy?

I have a fabricator I have used for 2 fireplaces and he will do my kitchen counters in a few months. He takes his sweet time on projects, but does excellent work, so I pay whatever he quotes me!

Chess - that's what the quote states and it's also on the sticker on the side of the marble slab. I have no clue what it is either.

https://laurelberninteriors.com/2017/03/11/marble-countertops/

http://www.lifeingraceblog.com/2013/04/living-with-marble-countertops-a-cautionary-tale/

Eventually, you will have scratches, etches, staining. That's just the nature of marble. However, a fabricator that is telling you that he has to repolish a factory finish, as a standard practice, is a fabricator that I would avoid. Perhaps he is actually sealing it, and charging an arm and leg for it. Again, I would find a different fabricator.

Marble is a relatively soft rock. It scratches. It chips. Easily. It etches, and you cannot prevent etching. It stains. In short, it looks like THIS:

The fabricator is very smart to factor in the time that it will take to repolish in the field. Others that don’t, likely end up losing money.

Well so is it safe to say that some do repolish and some do not? If it IS necessary then the question becomes....why is he charging so much for this repolishing? That seems kinda ridiculous for 20 sq ft. So I guess I'm still confused...it either is necessary or it's not.

Chess ... I'm actually a huge fan of Laurel Bern's blog. Great stuff there.

P.S. I have a marble cutting board and it's scratched, stained, and etched. I expect that. This counter top is going in a guest bath that will RARELY get used. Not as big of a concern.

A guest bath is probably worse, because the people/guests who will use it won't know that they have to be careful with the counter.

"Well so is it safe to say that some do repolish and some do not? " I've never heard of that being done, regardless of what SW has said. Call up some other fabricators and ask them the same questions.

If I were asked to break down the costs of a job, I would refuse. If that cost me the job, fine by me. Absolutely none of your business on a fixed rate contract.

Just go find a cheap hack who will ruin the job if all you care about is a cheap price. Better have zero expectations of quality work. Then you won’t be disappointed. TANSTAAFL

I have travertine marble in my bathroom - it came with the house. It was originally a polished finish. If you are determined to have marble in a bathroom - and the italians have been doing that for centuries - you should install it with a honed finish. A polished finish will show glaringly (literally) the spots from toothpaste, cosmetics, whatever, that have spilled on it. A honed finish will not show them as much.

The polished travertine counter that came with my house came complete with rings, spots and etches. I had a company come in and re-finish it, and I chose to change it to honed with just a hint of sheen. (Note: I am talking about re-finishing a much-used counter, not re-polishing a brand-new counter at installation, which is something I've never heard of.) I am pleased with the results of the new honed finish, but I still must tiptoe around that counter all the time to keep it looking good, and am very conscious of wiping up after every bathroom use. It's a PITA. It does look nice.

If you decide on a honed finish, it should be purchased that way from the fabricators, and not need any "re-polishing" at installation. Never heard of that, and I would not give the fabricator who told you that any more of my time. Find another one.

Get other estimates. It seems to us like a lot for 20SF. We would strongly suggest you move on to another fabricator. If you do not trust the person doing the job for you then it is best to move to another. We do not believe that you are wrong about shopping around. You are entitled to good service without having to pay through the nose....Also have you tried finding remnants (leftover slabs that are from other jobs) that may fit the color scheme and the measurements of your bathroom?? They are usually sold at a lower price because you do not have to purchase an entire slab. We usually charge clients for the labor to cut and refinish just to get them out of our yard as we have limited space. Try going that route you might get lucky. Also have you considered Quarts??? Because marble is very porous and high maintenance...you might find it beneficial to purchase Quarts....let us know how you make out.

SW - LOL! You never fail to entertain.

@kpyeatt

"P.S. I have a marble cutting board and it's scratched, stained, and
etched."

You don't have a marble cutting board...you just have a piece of marble and dull knives.

I've been involved in several very soft marble jobs that needed to do top polishing after installation. One particular Ventino job, the marble was so soft that the grit from the wet cutting CNC flowing across the surface left subtle scratches that could be seen against the light. That job was top polished on site. He ate the expense. And the fabricator refused to work with that particular marble any more.

Another job used a Statuary that probably was not labeled correctly. The fabricator had purchased a container load of that as a bargain that didn't turn out to be such a bargain. And it was soft. Very soft. So he just factored in top polishing into the fabrication pricing.

Not all marbles are soft enough to scratch so easily. Many are though. That's a case by case basis. If your fabricator feels that your marble is soft enough to need top polishing post install, then I'd ask him about how he felt about it as a counter choice at all. Maybe a different harder stone would be more suited to your needs.

Or, maybe he needs more margin for the job and is structuring his pricing accordingly. The bottom line price and what you get for that price is what is important. Not how he line items things. If he does good work, and the quote is fair, he could put a line item in there for "Shop Fridge Fund" for all I care. How he reaches that bottom line is his business. If the quote is fair. Not the cheapest. Fair. And he does good work. Those are the only two important factors. These days, with all of the horrible postings about stone fabrication, the "good work" qualification is far more important than getting a low price.

Sure are a lot of strongly opinionated nasty people on here. I never knew a marble discussion could bring out such condescending nastiness. LOL. It's really not necessary.

Chess - good idea. I'll give some other fabricators a call and see what their process is.

Joseph Corlett - As I stated from the beginning, this is our first time to replace counter tops. Had no clue what the process of this was when we started. Didn't know that asking a fabricator to break down the costs for me was against the rules. I like to know what I'm paying for no matter what purchasing so I can make an informed decision since I'm the one who is writing the check. But that's just me.

Sophie Wheeler - Where did I state that I was looking for the cheapest price? The question was whether or not it is common practice to repolish an already polished piece of marble. If there's a reason for doing this and is common practice, then I have no problem with that. I just don't want to pay for something that is unnecessary. It sounded strange to me so that's why I decided to investigate. Has nothing to do with finding the cheapest fabricator out there.

M Miller - Thanks for the great advice as far as using a honed marble for the counter. Even though it's for a guest bath which will only be used maybe twice per year, I should probably look into this. Thank you.

Felipe Custom - Remnant is a great idea. And maybe cheaper. It seems the consensus here is that there is no reason there should be a repolishing of an already polished marble before installation so I'm not sure I'm trusting this fabricator now and will probably look elsewhere. I did look at quartz but they all look fake and man made (which they are) to me.

barnaclebob - OK. I use my piece of marble as a cutting board. LOL. I assure you, my knives are not dull.

Cook'sKitchen - The only think I know about the marble is that it's called Chandelier White. My fabricator has not seen the slab. He says he always repolishes every polished slab.

My fabricator is charging $163/sq ft. Is this quote fair? I'm sure it's not the cheapest out there, but is it fair. Not looking for cheapest.

kpyeatt

I assure you they are dull or you dont know what a sharp knife is. Find me one reliable source that says this will not immediately dull your blades.

"My fabricator is charging $163/sq ft. Is this quote fair? I'm sure it's not the cheapest out there, but is it fair. Not looking for cheapest."

You need to get other quotes to compare. I took pics/measurements of my counters to 4 different fabricators and got actual quotes, before choosing one.

I am certainly no pro - but $163/sf seems high, although, from everything I read about it, marble can be THE most expensive to install. So it could be a fair quote. But again, you need to get other quotes. Lots of info on various sites, do some reading - such as this.

https://countertopinvestigator.com/price-of-marble-countertops/

Also, I would do a little more research on that marble you picked out, too. I find it a little odd that none of the marble sites list a "chandelier white". And I have looked. Can you post a picture of the slab?

https://www.cuttingboard.com/blog/which-cutting-boards-are-best-for-knives/

And the above poster is correct. Never cut on marble, or any stone for that matter.

Chess - thanks for the feedback. We're getting a quote from another fabricator. BUT I'm kind of rethinking the decision to put a polished marble in that bathroom because of what M Miller above said. I'll check out the links and see if I can post a pic.

It's on my phone. Don't know how to post from my phone.

I've seen Calcatta slabs be over $300 a square before fabrication. It's a commodity market. The prettier the stone, the higher price it demands. $163 could be right in line for a particular stone.

The stone industry discourages competitive shopping by renaming stones. What someone calls "White Starz" someone else could call "Select Statuary" or "White Christmas". And those all be made up names.

There is virtually zero way of determining the provenance of a stone without speaking directly to the importer to know exactly which quarry it comes from. Also, stone being a natural substance, one block of stone could have some very desirable slabs at the beginning, but the vein peter out and be blah by the end of the block. From the same block. So one slab might be 1K wholesale, and another 5K wholesale. The question is, "Does the total fit your budget?". If it doesn't then keep dating.

You have to fall in love, and do your due diligence on the exact stone that you are thinking of marrying. Regardless if he's named White Christmas or Carrara Ventino. You won't be able to do a full background check, but you should at least be able to see if there's a criminal record by testing it against red wine and olive oil yourself. Remember that you won't change his nature after you marry him. He will still be the bad boy. You'll love him, but he won't love you back. He will do all of those things that Sophie showed. And still expect your love. If your love will be ruined by that reality, do yourself a favor and break up before the marriage happens.

I agree that It is worrisome that your marble name is unheard of. While granites can have quite a number of interchangeable names, marbles typically do not, and are more specific and limited in their names (Carrara, Statuary, and the exorbitant Calacutta for example). The marble you are considering could be a well-known name but the stoneyard selling it to you is either ignorant, or is unsure of its source, each a warning signal.

I learned a lot from The Cook's Kitchen earlier post above. It looks like the contractor saying he needs to re-finish onsite is not blowing smoke. But, the question is, do you want a bathroom counter that is so soft that just in its own fabrication it scratches. That is your personal choice.

There are a ton of threads on this Kitchens Forum about marble in a kitchen (usually in honed finish), which would get much harder use than what you are talking about. The consensus from marble counter enthusiasts is that they love, or are comfortable with, marble's patina that comes with use. You have to ask yourself if that is your personality or not; no one can answer that but you.

I also advise you to post on the Houzz Bathroom Forum. I am certain there are people there who could discuss marble counters in bathrooms.

[P.S. Ix-nay on the marble as a cutting board. Nope, not good for your knives, and could cause a knife to slip too, since there is no grippiness to marble. The Epicurean Cutting Boards get the love on the Cooking Forum, because they are easy on knives and dishwasher safe and NSF certified and not too heavy.]

Thanks Cooks and Friedajune for the information. I'm definitely doing marble in that bathroom but I've decided to forego the polished and will do honed. I got scared away from the polished. I did post this in Bathrooms but no replies.

kpyeatt:

I meant no disrespect or offense. For some odd reason, people think that the private inner workings, profits, and expenses of a contractor are their business. When it's polite to ask a restauranteur how much he paid for the steak you're about to eat, perhaps I'll see things differently, but I doubt it.

I'd rethink the marble in the bathroom decision. It etches if you sneeze on it: I refinish it constantly. Corian has some great marble look-alikes.

I'd strongly suggest that you rethink marble for your guest bathroom. House guests who don't live with marble, may think it's indestructible quartz and not be careful with it. You're talking about a LOT of money for a guest bath! Look into matte finish Glazier White Corian with an integrated sink. It will be clean and neat looking (and can be fabricated to be really quite unique, if you're just dying to spend a lot of money!), and it's a breeze to keep looking very good. Simple is always a good way to go. If it just HAS to look like marble, look at Corian's Rain Cloud. It's the most popular countertop material at a local high end kitchen and bath shop. People love it and it's indestructible.

We have marble in a herringbone pattern on the floor and marble in the shower stall. That's why I was trying to stick with the same material on the counter top. Wanted just a mostly white, quiet marble with a little movement. I had thought about doing quartz but I don't like any of it. It looks plastic and fake to me and feel it would "cheapen" the look of the marble in there ... even though quartz is NOT cheap. I'll look at the Corian but I always felt it ranked up there with formica lol ... plastic looking. Even tho I know it's not a cheap product. I'll take a look anyways. Thanks all for the suggestions.

can you do fireclay under mount sinks with Corian Glacier White?

Of course.

So I've now looked at everything product under the sun. I found a product called Vicostone in Icelake. Would work perfectly with my marble floors in there but got the quote back today. Gotta purchase a whole slab of this and it's just over $1500 for only the slab. Pretty much the same cost as marble. Can't find anything else that works. The Corian Glacier White was too white and looked flat. Not sure which way to go now. Beyond frustrated.

Vicostone is quartz. It will certainly hold up better than the marble.

Yep, Vicostone is the name of a quartz manufacturer. It's made in Vietnam. Some of their colors are sold in half slabs but it's still an expensive countertop for a vanity.

Quartz does not look like plastic when installed. It looks like polished stone. Speckled ones may be more plastic-looking. Have you looked for remnants?

What size is the vanity? Kohler Ceramic Impressions countertops are nice but they come in standard sizes.

ssharris - No, I don't have another project to use the rest of the slab on.

mayflowers - I'm not sure how to go about finding remnants. Just call up a bunch of fabricators? The fabricator I'm considering has had the Vicostone samples in her place for 2 years and she says she's only sold 2 jobs using the product. Too expensive I guess. My vanity is 8 ft long with 3 sides that will have a 4" splash. $2747 for the job. Seems crazy to me. I'll look at the Kohler. Never heard of it. Thanks.

So the Kohler looks to have an integrated sink. We're using 2 fireclay under mounts which we've already purchased.

Vicostone is typically less expensive because of cheaper labor in Vietnam. I have Vicostone under the name of Pentalquartz in my kitchen.

An 8' long vanity with two sink cutouts will be an expensive top. It will be hard to find an 8' remnant but it wouldn't hurt to call around.

Can you downsize the vanity to save money? You do need at least 60" for double sinks but a 48" single sink vanity is adequate for a guest bath. You'd save on sink, faucet, counter and cabinet. You'd have plenty of room on the sides for cleaning the floor even with a 60" vanity.

"I'm not sure how to go about finding remnants. Just call up a bunch of fabricators?"

Generally, yes, that is how you go about it. You can usually visit their shops and browse the remnants. I have done that myself.

Just like any retail shop, taking the time to go in person and talk to the people there about what you need is FAR more productive than phoning them. You get to see the inventory, and ask about upcoming jobs that might have remnants. And if you go frequently enough, you get better deals in the end.

mayflowers - can't change the vanity. floor has already been laid in a herringbone marble. It's a jack and jill bath with double sinks and has been there since 1988. can't pull it out now. we also already have the mirrors and the 3 sconces in there on the wall over the vanity. so everything is done except the counter.

kpyeatt "My vanity is 8 ft long with 3 sides that will have a 4" splash. $2747 for the job. Seems crazy to me."

Hmmm. Maybe it seems that way to you because you have not done counters before? I don't know. An 8ft long vanity is a pretty good size in my book. I looked at quartz last year for my dinky 4' vanity and the material alone was $800.

An 8’ counter is not really a remnant. That is a whole slab purchase in anyone’s book. A slab is only 9’ long, and by the time you’ve cut 2 side splashes and a back splash out of that, you’ve used half of the 60” width.

And that is what you are being charged for. You’re buying a whole slab of whatever you pick, even if you’re “only” fabricating 20 sf of it.

OK. I'm a newbie, obviously. So thanks everyone for informing me. That's why I come here. THANKS!