thanks Sabrin. I will ask him to do so

"the counter guy measured with tape (not digitally). he did say some of the walls were uneven (pretty common here)"

I am so sorry you have this seam. But I just wanted to say it has nothing to do with not measuring digitally or that the walls are uneven. My seam is perfect, though it is mitered. My granite fabricator did not use any digital equipment. He'd been installing stone counters for 25 years and had the expertise, and did not need digital measurements. Also, everyone's walls are uneven. Mine are beyond uneven. So my post is for other people reading this thread, so that they know that digital measuring or having even walls are not required for a beautiful counter fabrication and installation.

thanks Shannon.
first time installing a counter. we just went to the shop our friends recommended so honestly did not shop around so had no idea that this was on the cheaper side for an installation (it's an msi Venezia quartz). would have happily paid more for a perfect install. oh well.

That is FAR from “a tragedy”. Get some perspective here. 15 years ago, that would be stellar. People’s expectations have risen, but their cost to achieve it has stayed static. Even by today’s standards, $3500 for quartz is pretty darn cheap. You don’t get the Crown Jewels for $35 on EBay. Realign your expectations to reality. It’s not a bad seam, and you paid way too little to have Beverly Hills top quality.

Well I think $3500 is a lot for a manmade product. A mitered seam is Fabrication 101. For Live_Wire_Oak to think the job pictured is fine for a “cheap” $3500 says that it is her “expectations to reality“ need to be realigned. With very one of these types of posts LWO is chomping at the bit to rail at the OP like it‘s her fault. OP, you are justified in expecting a better seam. However, whether you will be able to get the contractor to completely re-do this is not that likely. They may offer you some kind of discount. Have you already paid in full?

What does the fabricator say about the seam?

How many slabs are in your kitchen and is this the only seam?

I am a fabricator. Seam is unacceptable. Measure technique is irrelevant. Needs to be fixed if possible (possible in some instances by modifying the pieces but usually requires at least one part to be remade) or replaced.

thanks guys. I know it's not a lot of money to many but to us it is so it's upsetting..but I know in Grand scheme of things not huge. however I do think he needs to do things properly, just because it's his job and he should take pride in it? haha, I sound 100 years old don't I?
length of long side is 112"

Wolfgang, this is the only seam

Miller - yes already paid in full. argh.

3,500 for 1 seam and 1 slab is not cheap. The seam looks like a thickish grout joint. You have the right to be upset because the job looks amateurish.

thanks Wolfgang

$3500 is just the slab cost in most good quality name brand quartz. With zero fabricating. Sorry, but for a whole fabricated quartz kitchen, it’s very very low.

I've used a Fabricator who would measure as well as use stiff/thick paper to make a full-size mock-up template of the countertop. I also have used Fabricators who use the laser to measure to input directly into a CAD system. Personally, I have never had a problem with either. However, I'm not a fan of measuring without any type of template.

I'm guessing. but if your guy only measured, he wasn't able to account for deviation in the wall. A 1/16" gap which is showing at the front of your seam would result in a much greater gap at the opposite end along the wall. The further you stretch along the wall, the greater the gap. Your guy probably "thought" it would be OK to fill the 1/16" gap rather than have a larger gap showing at the other end. Neither is acceptable as far as I'm concerned, but, if you were installing back splash, the gap along the wall would not have been noticed whereas the seam is front & centre.

It's kind of the same idea of placing something against the wall & filling a gap with caulking. Very lazy & unprofessional, IMHO.

Is the seam horrible? No. Is it acceptable? Not really in my books. Is the price a reason for laziness? No, but there is a reason some people charge more than others. Some are better at what they do than others.

"$3500 is just the slab cost in most good quality name brand quartz. With zero fabricating. Sorry, but for a whole fabricated quartz kitchen, it’s very very low."

GD:

Had you taken the time, as I did, to measure the square footage of the job, you too would have found it at just under 30 square feet. $3,500.00 divided by 30 = $116.00 per square foot. Not only is that not "very low", it's good money for any quartz job. Math before mouth next time, please.

Slab price is everything. Square footage means nothing unless a fabricator is willing to stock the material on hand in the yard. 10 slabs of investment at least. 45K tied up in stone sitting there. Very few yards will do that. Anything special order that is non stock has to be brought in by the whole purchased slab. Except some Hanstone, which has a half slab ability. That means a whole slab minimum purchase. Even for small jobs like a vanity.

GD:

The more you speak, the more you show how little you know about the engineered stone industry. Fabricators rarely stock anything; there is no need. They order the material they need through the major manufacturer's distributors, just like I did for Corian. I'll bet they can buy 1/2 sheets like I did too.

How else do you explain the complaints here about not being able to see slabs beforehand? Fabricators don't stock, that's why. And the distributor doesn't want retail customers wandering around their warehouse.

Exactly my point. You order, and pay for, a whole slab. Regardless of the amount of square feet of counter cut from that slab. Yes, there are some fabricators who do stock some quartz. No more than 4-5 of the most popular colors. Those fabricators are the only ones that would charge by the fabricated foot only. That is the only situation where only the actual square footage used gets charged. The rest pay for those $3500 whole slabs, and then pay for how much gets fabricated out of that slab. Which would be more than $3500 In any name quality slab quartz. Which is why $3500 for this is darn low. It doesn’t even factor in a decent labor rate. That would be $1200 at a minimum.

That would not be acceptable to me - I would require it to be replaced.

Pretty sure the OP doesn't care whose balls are bigger, but would probably appreciate advice on how to proceed.

ha Daisy. I am reading all this hoping for some knowledge in between..

hey guys,

for what it is worth, if I recall correctly, this particular slab he had in stock already.

second, I didn't say this earlier but they put in a 4" backsplash on the sink wall, cut from the same 3cm thick slab. when he was measuring i had my rohl faucet out in case he needed measurements. he said it's all standard and didn't take it out of the box. well they installed the backsplash and the handle of the faucet now hits the backsplash when it is furthest back.
he says I should neither install the handle on the front (huh??) or get a new faucet, this isn't his fault. ugh. am I in the wrong here? should I have known handle clearance? I am asking him to remove the backsplash because it took us forever to pick the faucet. he says it will ruin the drywall since it was glued on. I will have to tile there anyway since I need some kind of backsplash. :(

Move the handle. It should be in the front anyway. That way all of the drips go in the sink. It’s the preferred location. He is right, removing the backsplash will likely rip off the drywall paper.

“should I have known handle clearance?”

I am sorry, but yes, you should have. Also, some faucet brands make faucets where the side handle does not go back - so that fully on is 90°, i.e., the handle rotates forward only, not back, and fully-on is pointing straight up. Grohe makes some like that (the Ladyluxe3 Pro is one), as well as some other brands.

”install the handle on the front (huh??)”

Actually, people who have faucets which allow the handles to be positioned to the front rather than the side really love them. Not only because it eliminates the clearance issue, but because it prevents water drips from wet hands on the faucet handle from accumulating on the counter under the handle. You think this is minor, but it’s not. No more messy area under the handle, or damp backsplash caulk behind it, or mineral spots on the counter from dried water drips.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2442104/positioning-single-handle-kitchen-faucet

wow Shannon. I had no idea! thanks for letting me know! maybe this would be the best solution!

Wait, hold up a second—You said you provided the faucet in case he needed measurements, yet he chose to do his own thing without even looking at your faucet, which, again, according to your earlier statement, was sitting right there. So how is this your “fault?”

After reading the issue of the back splash & faucet, I really believe this guy is a second-rate fabricator. Regardless of the position of faucet handle, he should have checked the faucet when templating. My fabricators always request the faucet be on site at time of template. Had he looked at it, he could have advised you at that time that it would not work with the 3cm back splash, or possibly changed the hole position. At that time you could have made a decision on the back splash or faucet. Any good fabricator would have consulted with the homeowner before continuing with back splash & faucet hole placement.

Faucets are all different. The fabricator couldn’t know how far back the lever would go. If there’s not enough room for it, the faucet doesn’t fit. If homeowner provides the faucet then homeowner should know the needed dimensions.

I'm sorry you're having these issues. Honestly, I stopped reading comments when they became a bit nasty, so I apologize if this has been mentioned. Your L layout is very similar to mine. I bought our soapstone slabs from our fabricator. Instead of having a seam like you, he cut two pieces from 1 slab and the small seam is behind the sink (about 3" from the right side). This is the only seam in the entire kitchen, and it's about 6" long. I also have the slab running behind the sink towards the windows, then on the window sill. This fabricator, and all of the ones we have previously used, either wanted the faucets and sinks, a copy of the specs or the name and model number.

As someone mentioned, I don't think your fabricator prides himself on doing a good job. I hope you can come to a reasonable agreement.

Sorry if I missed this—have you said anything about your displeasure with the seam to the fabricator?

athomeelleen - she had the faucet right there and he said he didn't need to see it. that's on him, not the OP.

Wolfgang - yes. he said he will send someone to fix the seam somehow and make sure we are happy. the counter dealer is a nice guy..the fabricator is the one who doesn't seem to take pride in his job.

thanks Allison. yes that is the frustration that he didn't even ask for the faucet manual and I had it right there (I honestly think sometimes when men in the business see women they just kind of ignore our concerns...ugh). The seam you describe would have been so much better. :(

Sammy - I also thought it's not my fault. I mean I didn't think it was my job to micromanage seams and faucets...I assume the guy is the expert. :(

GD:

I looked up my pricing on Corian quartz slabs. DuPont is not known for selling materials to fabricators cheaply. The most expensive jumbo I can buy is just over 2K. I don't know where you're getting your $3,500.00 per slab number. I doubt Cambria even gets that much per slab.

The pictured quartz looks similar to Corian Quartz's Neve. My material costs would be just over $1,000.00, leaving about $2,300.00 for labor and profit (nearly double your $1,200.00 guess) on a $3,500.00 job. I repeat, math before mouth, please.

hi - it's MSI Vincenza.

purpleproject:

May we see a picture of your front rail/sink/faucet/backsplash? Include the depth of the front rail, countertop, and overhang please.

There is no need to have a faucet on site except for installation. Virtually every faucet hole is 1 3/8" diameter. The position of the faucet hole is determined by the sink placement which should be as far forward as possible. Sink openings are cut at the shop.

maybe this helps?

not sure what is Front Rail?

thanks to everyone for your comments. I wish I had asked BEFORE but as always , live and learn. I know many of you enjoy the home improvement stuff and many of you are experts, but I am just a home owner and this is the first time kitchen renovation. so honestly as much as I did try and understand things from Houzz (for example, I made sure the counter stuck out more than usual because my knobs are 1" and I wanted the overhang to cover them) there is so much I did and still don't know.

Since you have an apron style sink, you have no front rail.

Have them tilt your faucet just enough that the handle doesn't hit the splash. Some think it's easier to operate that way anyway.

this is the faucet -
https://www.build.com/rohl-u-4846ls-2/s735583

Thanks. I have my standards; they are nonnegotiable. I have no work I'm not proud to have my name on. This is why customers get when, where, why, and what, but I always keep how and who.

I only mean that the guy doing the counter is responsible for the faucet hole placement. He’d have to simulate an installed faucet to see how far that handle goes back. I’d be surprised to see a regular counter guy looking for the faucet handle clearance. It’s not their job to spec the faucets or double check the handle or make sure the sink depth leaves enough room for the faucet and all it’s parts. The KD is responsible for that stuff. If the homeowner is the KD, there ya go.
I recently made this mistake. It was my fault. My Rohl faucet handle hits the window trim. But the powder room faucet not centered on the sink, that was their mistake and they had to replace that counter. We can agree to disagree.

Eileen, yes totally get that. I have a KD, but we missed this. it's fine. not a huge deal but I told them counter guy to tell his fabricator that the next time he should take it into consideration so that other customers are not annoyed like I am.

I am sorry you are having these issues and am glad the experts are weighing in. I just stopped by to comment that I *love* your cabinets - what is the paint color? I am constantly changing my mind, but am currently in a "taupe cabinets with white counters and backsplash" phase and think your kitchen is going to be gorgeous!

thanks AMS. they are Sherwin Williams Shiitake. I painted many many samples on large placards before landing on this colour. What have you narrowed down to? this is a North facing kitchen so doesn't get any direct sunlight so a lot of colours were reading pink or purple undertones..it was crazy!

AMS - other contenders were BM Edgecomb Gray, SW Antler Velvet, SW Nantucket Dune . Good luck!

Thanks purpleproject! I'm still researching, so haven't narrowed down colors yet, but it's helpful and interesting to hear about how colors changed for you. Edgecomb Gray definitely reads slightly lavender in my space (used it in my living room).