Fwiw, we've reached out a few times but there's been no further communication from the fabricator to date, beyond a single voicemail on Monday morning asking us to call to pay the balance. I'm assuming we need to physically go to their office at this point, if we want any sort of resolution. Haven't had a chance yet, though

Not to the op, but to any who may stumble on the thread.

If you do not have a designer,someone as advisor, eyes, ears, and all that goes with any project. ........

You are the point person, for all design and all details within that design. Every single detail is in writing. Words spoken, are worth the air upon which they float.

You are available, you make the time, So that as you face the regrets of a misfortune, you at least won't be saying " wasn't home........haven't had a chance....."

It's brutal , isn't it? I agree. It's why some days I miss a couple meals, do some serious foot stomping at a source.....flop in my bed at eight pm like a worn eight year old. Because I AM the point person.) To not have a chance, may be someones $$$ and HUGE disappointment. I'd rather miss the meals.

All the posts telling the OP what he/she did wrong aren't very helpful, are they? Except to someone else who may see the thread before they make the same mistakes.

I have to give the OP a little credit, for relying on the word of a fabricator who said he could do, and agreed to do, what was asked.

One of the most common mistakes that I see both here and in similar threads is that there is no contract detailing the scope of work - the specifics of how the job will be performed - right down to details of cleanup and hauling away debris. So the OP is far from alone in that.

And we have seen plenty of threads where having a designer hasn't prevented, or sometimes also not been helpful in correcting problems.

OP, I would send a registered letter detailing the complaint and demanding correction. Even though they said "not perfect", and you agreed to "not perfect" (which I also would have thought meant, oh the pattern won't line up perfectly at the seam), this isn't just "not perfect", this was a flat out error. Lay that out clearly. Include that at no time did they indicate that they would not follow your layout. Also refute their "not bookmatched" claim with documentation from the stoneyard if you have it or can get it..

If you have any documentation of the promises made at all, (notes, emails) include copies. And, try to re-create the timeline of when you had your verbal conversations (your mobile phone history should help) and face-to-face meetings along with what you discussed.

Then file with the BBB. If they still don't respond with any offer to try to make it right, you can pay for an attorney to give them a phone call about it - sometimes that convinces a company to deal with the issue.

They very well may choose to walk away. I would be inclined to let them, and choose another fabricator to remake the counters (unfortunately at added expense) or just live with it.

Certain folks like to blame the customer and maybe it's partly your fault for expecting better, but the fabricator should have told you what to expect and they should be communicating with you about it. I hope you can get some sort of resolution. It's still pretty cool (and I think having the stripes turn the corner is much nicer that having them all go the same way. That stone calls for long stripes!).

The suggestion that one needs to hire a 3rd party to have an item installed in one's house is a bit ridiculous. I would expect that a designer would tell you to get lost if you tried to hire them for just a counter.

For future folks, find a fabricator that offers SLABSMITH

services....they will email you a photo of your slabs cut by the CNC machine. I recommend this all the time to people that have directional patterns or seem highly particular about things....patterns and such.

note: the slabsmith picture above has two corner seams....ignore that other line...it's not a seam. I'm not sure why it's like that.

I am sorry to say it, and I am sure it does not make you feel better, but I would have run very fast from a fabricator that stated "we've never done that before". But before I ever reached that point, the whole issue of the material you chose for a corner that needs a seam...that is nothing to present to a fabricator that is anything less than a well-regarded pro that can show you the exact same thing in other work that they have done. It sucks that so many people just assume that any fabricator can do whatever. You spend enough time on these forums and you learn otherwise.

I personally don't like diagonal seams, but that is just me. I am sure there are a lot of pictures online where it has been done and turned out beautifully, but I would not want to be drawing from that deck of cards.

I'm not sure what your options here are other than to live with it, or start over, at your cost. (with a different fabricator of course.)

Best of luck.

1st mistake was choosing a stripy stone for a U-shaped layout.

2nd mistake was asking for a miter at a shop that doesn't have experience making them.

3rd mistake was asking an inexperienced shop to make a miter joint in quartzite.

4th mistake was relying on unanswered phone calls and emails when you live 10 minutes away from the shop. If you really want to know where your project is at, you drop in at the shop. If you want to make sure you are getting the layout you want, you drop in at the shop.

For all we know, something may have happened with the miter cut--quartzite is brittle and that pie slice end is especially fragile. Or there was a flaw in stone that necessitated reversing the miter end.

In spite of all the mistakes or things that you could have done differently, you got nice, functional, 'not perfect' counters. Even considering the mismatch, if you have to have a striped stone in a U-shape, the flow is nice, much nicer than the look from 90 degree butt joints in a linear figured stone. So, so much more could have gone wrong.

I would try to negotiate a discount...10-15% off. No way would I expect, as some have suggested, to get counters for 66% off of the agreed price.

I read and read and read and tried to understand the diagram.... I feared the worst. But then I saw the pictures, and thought, what is this person complaining about? That the seams are not bookmatched?

I "feel" for you, because you were dealing with "professionals" who could've/should've saved you from yourself and your misguided ideas about mitering the corners.... and they should've told you that it wasn't a good idea... but they WERE trying to please you by getting into territory beyond what they usually do.

Your entire dialog is peppered with statements like this:

They had decent reviews - What made you think this company with merely "decent" reviews was appropriate to deal with your desire for unusual detail? It wasn't. It was your "expectation" and not a realistic evaluation.

They were "no frills" - It sounds like it to me... lacking the computer program and expertise (and cost!) to deal with high-end, high-maintenance, high-expectation customers.

As a side note - I'm an editor/designer/project manager by trade, and I am just absolutely flummoxed - FLUMMOXED I tell you -- at the lack of critical thinking, attention to detail, - why? You've seen low-end apartments that are advertised to have granite or quartz countertops. Did you think those were all created by people with critical thinking and attention to detail? Or maybe, just handyman types? A handyman can cut granite. I know because we had a handyman do a small one, and he did great. There are really expensive, fab stone yards near me that charge a huge premium for doing bookmatched slabs. They have a huge, long wait, and it costs a pretty penny. And there are every level in between! Why would stone cutting be any different than any other trade??? I don't give you a "pass" on your statement, because it isn't reasonable. (((hugs)))

I agree with all the pros who have given you their professional opinions. Joseph Corlett, Jan Moyer, The Kitchen Place. Maybe others in here I missed. People who like the utmost in customer service, who are high maintenance, and detail oriented, generally (!!!) pay more money for that extra time. I keep coming back to "decent reviews". You went with a company who had "decent reviews" for your splurge countertop??? So, my problem is that you set yourself up for this disappointment. You didn't do enough research, and you liked the fact that this outfit was "no frills" meaning they don't do bookmatched installations, and my big guess is that they don't charge those prices, either.

In court, all of this will come down to the written contract, and what are the industry standards. I cannot imagine a judge listening to: "I was ghosted for 3 weeks" and " I live 10 minutes away". Those types of things are relevant to your disappointment, but they are not relevant to the written agreement, nor the actual outcome. You haven't mentioned how much you paid, but I am sure it was not top-dollar installation.

Finally, I will tell you, that I would be not at all disappointed in the outcome. They basically did what you asked, and it didn't turn out perfect: which is exactly what they said. I think you put a toaster in one corner and a big plant in the other corner, and enjoy your new kitchen and the pretty slabs.

If it was not part of the contract you really don't have a leg to stand on. You might want to ask for a discount, but they don't have to replace at their cost. Looks like a good install & once everything is done you will be much happier.

Finally, it's also absurd to blame OP for not physically being there during the install.

That only makes sense if the OP would earn more on the job in the time it took for the counters to be installed than what the counters cost.

And for anyone who is making that kind of kaching, then ripping the counters out starting over with a different fabricator would be no big deal.

That is obviously not the calculation. The calculation is: if OP booked time off from work for ALL the days that pros on this site insist you need to be there for, including all the days where they’re supposed to come but fail to show- is the financial cost greater than the cost of all those items. However, for most workers, taking 50 days off in a six month period would equal being fired. Hence, the economic cost is the OP’s lost future earnings. Losing one’s job to get counters and cabinet hardware installed right is obviously not worth it.

Your position only makes sense if you’re saying counters are the ONLY thing that you need to be in person for, and so if OP fails to be there during electric box install and theyre all messed up, you dont plan to point a finger at OP. Ive been on the site long enough to know that will never happen!

You sound very detail oriented and I know this may not help, but I think it looks amazing as is. Why do people choose natural materials? Because they are natural. Natural means imperfect. Lines that aren’t perfectly straight. Things that don’t match exactly. I think it looks much more high end in its current state than if the lines met exactly. Then it would look more like a printed piece, like laminate.

How are the rest of the seams, or is it only that one that looks so different? @Jamie Lee has a point, and if the other seams look good, I wouldn't worry about it

Thank you for posting and for the dialogue-a lot of people will learn from this. I also think it’s not that bad and once all is done and you’re using it it won’t be that big of a deal. Good luck wrapping up the rest of your project!

The customer has no duty to check if their instructions were followed and no duty to be on site. You might argue that these things wouldn't happen if the customer was on site, but I would counter argue that if you need the customer to hold your hand to do the job you committed to doing, you are not a professional.

It is simple, if you are in business of taking a customer money to provide goods or services then you should only take their money if you are capable of providing the good or performing the service as you agreed. It isn't really that hard to understand. You don't take someone's money and then claim, "my way is better." If you really believe it is going to be bad, then simply decline their business.

----

Furthermore, this whole worship of the contract is completely bogus. The OP has plenty of evidence to prove what she wanted... She sent documents with instructions that were clearly meant to act as clarifications of the original agreement. No one would argue that they don't have a contractual obligation when they accepted those documents without objection.

While what is written in a contract is strong evidence of the agreement, the actions of the parties can and often do modify or overrule it. The actions of the parties are sometimes stronger evidence of the agreement than the written agreement itself. This is a rule that protects contractors who rarely follow the change order procedures that are written in the contract (read as: this rule protects most contractors because they never manage to follow the change order procedures in the contract).

Frankly, I think the OP should write a breach of contract notice and give them some small portion of time (a few weeks) to correct.

Dream world:

" The customer has no duty to check if their instructions were followed and no duty to be on site. You might argue that these things wouldn't happen if the customer was on site, but I would counter argue that if you need the customer to hold your hand to do the job you committed to doing, you are not a professional.

It is simple, if you are in business of taking a customer money to provide goods or services then you should only take their money if you are capable of providing the good or performing the service as you agreed. It isn't really that hard to understand. You don't take someone's money and then claim, "my way is better." If you really believe it is going to be bad, then simply decline their business.

The WHY of the dreamworld.

It isn't SIMPLE. It is no more "simple" than you go to a hospital, have no advocate, and your phone is lost, your meds may be administered incorrectly, your bed pillow goes missing or the wrong knee gets surgery.

Few cabinet shops, no contractor, no builder, no fabricator, is one man show with YOU and your long awaited project as the only customer. You want to be annoyed? Fine! Take your chances and skip the very annoying due diligence on all the weeny details.

PS..........Here's her "contract" below. It was satisfied> The End.

Our "contract" consisted of an invoice which listed (verbatim). There was no other contract.

• Fabrication of kitchen countertops with undermount sink cut-out, cooktop cut-out, and standard edged.
• Template and installation
• Material - Vibranium polished -- [stoneyard]
• Total material and labor

[fabricator] is not responsible for conditions of cabinets and walls underneath and behind old existing tops and splashes.

[fabricator] does not do any plumbing work.

"I would try to negotiate a discount...10-15% off. No way would I expect, as some have suggested, to get counters for 66% off of the agreed price."

I've given 66% discounts. Cost of doing business. Keep your spankings to 1-2% of your gross sales and you'll be fine. If you're in business and think you're getting fairness and not getting a few a$$-whuppins' every year, you're in for a rude surprise.

As far as customers being on site during install, if you behave yourself and mind your own business, you can watch. Open your mouth and here's your deposit back. It's your house, but it's my job and no one tells me how to do it. I damn near walked out of a sales call today because the lady wouldn't make her damn yappy dogs shut up. I won't speak over your pooch. Your lawyer won't either.

Let me explain why it very much isn't a "dreamworld." If you are going to do business this way, then your dream of getting the remaining 2/3rds is going to turn into a real nightmare.

If you are going to decide to do things the way you want despite customers instructions otherwise, then you should at least be smart enough to demand payment upfront.

I don't care what the contract is or what it says. They are unlikely to perfect a mechanic's lien given the OP's evidence and their case is absolute dog water in any other venue.

"If you are going to decide to do things the way you want despite customers instructions otherwise, then you should at least be smart enough to demand payment upfront."

Customers get to instruct what, where, when, and why. I always keep who and how; nonnegotiabe.

Being neither a stone fabricator nor an attorney specializing in contracts, I have no opinion, but am interested in the discussion and resolution, if any.

My stone countertops have what I believe are French mitre seams. Are they not more stable than corner diagonal cuts? Just wondering. Thank you.

@Joseph Corlett, LLC Customers get to instruct what, where, when, and why. I always keep who and how; nonnegotiabe.

But do you lie about it and tell them that you will do it their way and then not? It is one thing to refuse to let a customer tell you how to do your job. It is a completely different thing to let a customer tell you what they want, agree to do it, then not do it.

I’m sorry you’re disappointed and the counters didn’t turn out as you had hoped. As you said, it was your splurge item in your kitchen and you thought it should work as you envisioned.

Unfortunately, it seems that was not realistic- either due to the type of stone, the skill of the fabricator, or a combo of both. To be frank, your description of the fabricator as ”no frills” and ”decent reviews” makes me think that you chose them for price and thought they would be good enough.

Given the paperwork you signed and the agreement it wouldn’t be perfect, I don’t think you have a lot of leeway to avoid paying the remainder owed. I certainly don’t think its reasonable to expect a re-do at their cost. I would ask to negotiate a small discount and then try to live with it. If you can’t live with it, I would expect it redone on your dime. I hope you find that with time it bothers you less.

If you buy bookmatched slabs and are told they can be fabricated in a bookmatched fashion, you should expect some sort of effort at bookmatching.

If when you try to complain the fabricator claims you're full of it, you have the right to be miffed.

It is very common on this site to blame a dissatisfied remodeler for hiring "the low bidder" or otherwise suggest they are at fault for somehow not securing the bestest ever contractor. That's crummy because there is nothing here to suggest that that is the case (and even if it were, do people of less means not deserve what they paid for?). "No frills" does not imply poor service. And "decent reviews" doesn't mean anything other than satisfactory.

Congrate's, great work

In an effort to clear something up, let's discuss the, "it will not be perfect" disclaimer.

All goods purchased from a merchant carry an implied warranty of merchantability. Which means the goods shall conform to the quality of similar goods at similar prices. It also sometimes notes that your goods shall conform to the expectations of a reasonable customer.

"It will not be perfect" is a disclaimer of the implied warranty of merchantability. It means we are going to do it, but we are not going to warranty that the result is of the typical quality at this price point.

The OP has evidence that proves they did not "do it." If anything the "it will not be perfect," hurts them, it is clear evidence they received the special instructions.

ETA: For our contract experts here... You could use a different implied warranty to defeat the contract. All goods purchased from a merchant carry an implied warranty of fitness for a specific purpose. If the merchant knows or reasonably should have known the goods were designed for or purchased for a specific purpose they must be satisfactory to that purpose. I wouldn't bother arguing that because there are half a dozen ways to defeat the contract that are faster and easier to make, but it is there.

ETA 2: Again, for our contract nerds here... A contract requires a meeting of the minds (that has largely become irrelevant except in a few circumstances). Subsequent modifications can be rejected by either party, but subsequent clarifications of the original meeting of the minds are typically considered as basis for the original contract and are actionable. You can't say, "I changed my mind please do this instead." You can say, "I wanted to clarify that this is what we agreed to."

The way I read it, the OP’s issue is that the fabricator didn’t follow the template as provided by OP. Maybe there was a justified reason for them not to (though that should have been communicated) or maybe it’s as the OP said and they flipped the slab 180°. They fabricator’s disclaimer that it wouldn’t be perfect, to me, would have set the expectation that the lines were not likely to precisely match up at those corners. I do agree with the points of several posters, but to me the crux of this is, if the fabricator agreed to the OP’s template, why was it not followed?

@samtrz, I think everyone can see how much work you put into this, and I can really empathize with you (we’re going through a kitchen reno too and have had our share of counter ”drama”). Your stone is still very beautiful, and although your vision for it wasn’t executed to your specs, if it were me, I could be happy with it and enjoy it. The corner picture that you showed doesnt look bad or poorly done; it’s visually unique and for me, I love that you took the striated pattern around the corners and edges like that.

The fabricator said they would follow a specific template. They did not follow the template (when they rotated one slab). That's the fabricator's fault, not the customer's fault.

I really like Bry911's point above that, since fabricator kept saying "it will not be perfect", they repeatedly confirmed that they understood the special requests here.

I still have a couple of thoughts:

This whole concept of bookmatched stones. The stone seller never said they were bookmatched stones. In fact, the OP states:

We called the fabricator right away, who insisted nothing was wrong, they slabs were never mirrored, and they did "exactly what we asked for."

Even the OP undercuts the idea of a meeting of the minds over attainment of bookmatching, when she states:

I also explained the reasoning behind using the flipped image, and explained that I understand that while very close, they are not exact mirrors. This schematic was to demonstrate 1) the idea of how to get the corners very close, and 2) to demonstrate which part of the pattern I liked.

The shop stated that the stones were NOT exact mirrors and then the OP admits that "they are not exact mirrors."

This sets up the fabricator's defense.

A lot of what the OP was explaining to the stone shop was VERBAL. Does anyone think the stone shop is going to agree about what was SAID at that time? I don't.

I don't see where there was a "meeting of the minds" and I don't see where her sending them her specific diagram of the layout with all the landmarks SHE clearly sees in the stone means that they had an obligation to see the same landmarks! They don't even understand that the stones are bookmatched. Why? Probably because they don't commonly sell bookmatched stones, they don't use that terminology, they don't have that software, and they don't promise to bookmatch stones!

It is my opinion that the OP sending them a bunch of detailed drawings, that her expectation that this merely "decent" outfit could/would replicate her precise vision, doesn't seem likely to have a great outcome.

I don't know if "reasonable" even comes into this picture. I mean, we don't have an explanation for why the slab was flipped 180degrees, but all the fabricator has to say is that it was an honest mistake, or that because the meeting of the minds reflected that "the stones were not mirrored", that there are no significant damages. Not mirrored = not mirrored.

What is the remedy? To use different stones? How's that going to work? This outfit cut a 45degree angle, which is not a recommended cut (ask Joseph Corlett). Now they're going to replicate a precision cut (in a 45 degree angle which is far less than ideal, anyway) on another slab that's also not a "mirrored" slab? How is this installation EVER going to be made right in the eyes of the OP? It's NOT.

Good luck finding all new slabs that look enough like that beautiful stone and a new fabricator who is going to charge a lot more money, and then going to sue and hoping you get a small claims court who follows all this stuff.

Which is why I come to the same conclusion I stated before. Get a toaster and a potted plant and enjoy what she has, which isn't bad!

Regarding the homeowner being on site:

1. If you are a Do-it-yourselfer....I'm sorry. You have to be on site more than you think you do. You ARE the general contractor!
2. And if there's ONE time in the whole remodel that's the most important....it's countertop installation day. My fabricator requires it. If the homeowner can't be there, they need to have someone there to sign off that knows all the details (color, edge, seam locations)...be it the spouse, adult child, neighbor, good friend.
3. Those that ask for "latch-key remodels" need to hire a general contractor if they want someone in their corner....or have a person 18 years or older in your home to make decisions as they come up.
4. What I tell my clients. "I know you can't be on the jobsite everyday, but at least try to be there every morning for 15 minutes so my crew can ask you questions and you can ask them questions." I think most people can make arrangements at work to be late 15-30 minutes during a remodeling project.

The fabricator took SamTRZ’s deposit, agreed that what Sam wanted could be done, and pledged that, “…part of the process was going to be us giving final approval of the cuts on the stone.” They then completely disregarded the approved cuts. What they did wasn’t merely “not perfect,” it was completely indifferent to explicit agreements. It doesn’t matter why; they should never have cut into that quartzite without giving the OP the opportunity to approve an alternate layout or find a different fabricator.

I came home during a kitchen remodel to find that incredibly, my new kitchen counters were a completely different type and color of granite than the slabs I’d tagged at the stoneyard. Was it my fault because I used a no frills stoneyard, didn’t have the granite identified in my contract, and wasn’t home when the wrong counters were installed? I think Sam’s counters are gorgeous too, but that’s irrelevant. Sam didn’t get what they were entitled to, and the fabricator owes Sam a remedy.

Mama Cita, you make a good point that the OP had the agreement to have final approval, except that I read the OP's post to say that she DID have final approval, but "final approval" amounted to something other than what she wanted:

The "final approval" turned out to be us having to chase them down to set up a meeting for one of us to physically come into the office. We expected this to be a digital process, but in fact all it involved was walking into the garage and having me point at the parts of the stone I wanted included in the cuts. Their "layout" was just them taping the slabs out later (not with me right there).

The shop owner would argue that she DID have a version of "final approval".

I don't see how using the wrong slab in your kitchen remodel is very similar to the OP's situation where the proper slabs were installed, except to the extent that expectations weren't met.

I do believe the OP is entitled to SOMETHING, but the only thing I can think of that make her situation at all better is some discount.... whereas, in your case, it seems pretty obvious that you deserved the stones you chose, and therefore, a total replacement.

To the OP - I just wanted to say that I’m sorry and it still looks great to my eye. But I also know that, if it were me, every time I looked at it it would piss me off. Maybe it would fade over time but I understand your feelings.

These stones were wrong when they left the shop and no amount of being on site was going to change that. Stone installers want you on site so that they can talk you into signing off that the work is satisfactory without giving you a chance to verify.

I bet you dimes to dollars that if the OP was on site for the install they would have been told it was done right, given some line about the long delay if they don't install now, told that they will have to charge to come back, etc. Anything to get a signature.

The OP wouldn't have had time to do the investigation to discover a slab was flipped incorrectly on that day, so not being present was probably a godsend. Now they can't say, "if you had a problem you shouldn't have signed accepted," and we all know that is exactly what would happen.

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This isn't a case of not meeting expectations. The OP has some pretty convincing photographic evidence that it was done wrong. The solution is to remove the stone and try again with the stones the OP has on hold. If they don't want to do that then offering a settlement is their responsibility.

Wow. Some of these "pros" are brutal. We "regular" people do our best to make up for our lack of expertise in areas such as this, by doing the homework required to understand the needs of the contract and work. This OP did everything a mere mortal could have done. I'm beyond flummoxed myself that some of these comments defend the fabricator. What they did was, IMO, very revealing of their own lack of understanding. It wasn't as if they used a dull blade, or messed up a seam, or measured wrong, or broke a piece. They deliberately turned around the template 180 degrees. They made to cuts correctly, but the fact that they turned them around indicates to me they had NO understanding of the result of that decision (striations would not be as anticipated). That to me anyway, is more indicative of a lack of intelligence, bordering upon negligence. NOT an attempt to save a design that was challenging from the get-go.

Ever been to the back cut an polish, filthy floor - muddy and water logged area in one of these shops? Ever seen the cut and polish guys working in there, in their yellow slicker raincoats ? Experienced the deafening roar of polishing? They have a learned skill set, but they hardly look like brain surgeons. When something is THIS important to you ? You make it THAT important to them.

" I was not given any photos of the taped slabs, or asked to sign of on any final plan".

You ASK and make sure you see, before the cut. Sucks, doesn't it?

It is indeed unfair, that in the most professional of shops, an owner or supervisor can only be in so many places at one time. Is that fair and just? No, it is not.

As of right now? You are lucky if the shop has ANYONE who shows up to cut and polish. If this goes anywhere for this OP? Even in small claims? I will buy her a really great lunch.

You can't "check/double check" deep and wide enough......ever.' Sorry. I wish I had the hours that go into doing "check, this, double check, are you SURE you understand ??" and it is days and hours. Believe me. Sorry. ......really. : )

I honestly don't understand this defense.

Checking, double checking, being on-site, insisting you get to see the slabs taped before they are cut, etc. are great ideas to keep you out of conflict resolution. However, it doesn't relieve anyone else from being competent. This whole thing is just a tame version of blaming the victim... the kitchen counter version of, "she was asking for it!" It is complete B.S.

The OP has convincing photographic evidence it was done wrong. Nothing is guaranteed in small claims, but this is about as easy a win as I have ever seen. The only defense that the fabricator has is, "we were never instructed to do it that way." Every other defense is an admission that they received the instructions and didn't follow them... they may not have to guarantee the results are as desired, but they do have to guarantee that they did as they agreed.

Say I agree to paint llamas on your ceiling, and you send me pictures of llamas, call me repeatedly about llamas and come to my shop to talk some more about your dang llamas. If I paint unicorns instead, that’s on me.

Say you want llamas painted on your ceiling with some radioactive radium paint your grandfather had left over from the 50’s. And you have to get an unlicensed handyman to do it, because no actually qualified professional painter would touch the job with your specifications. And now you're not happy because it the llamas are just kinda blobby and ugly, and it sets off the geiger counter.

The minute you start instructing a professional as to how to do the job, is the minute that a professional declines the job. All that’s left to do it the wrong way that you want is the inexperienced and cheap. Who do an inexperienced and cheap job.

This is a very predicable result from non bookmatched slabs and diagonal seams. Both are physical barriers to achieving the best project result. But the OP didn’t do real research, or he would know this about stone fabrication.

Instead, he bulldozed right into the stone guy with the pictures and diagrams with the circles and arrows, and the stone guy didn’t have the experience to know to say no. He has some better experience now, you can bet. Someone who has the need for that much control over a job needs to learn to do the job themselves, to industry standards, and learn from their own mistakes. Too expensive to do their own stone fabrication? Then hire the best guys in town. Not the worst, but the most malleable putty in your hands.

Usually when people post on this site they immediately get a "but for" argument instead of meaningful help. But for arguments are fallacies and worthless, but some here love them and jump at every opportunity to throw them out there.

The problems with "but for's" are that there is always another one and they only exist to move blame away from where it belongs. Why stop at the OP hiring the wrong pro? But for the OP being on a budget this wouldn't have happened. But for the OP not being rich the OP wouldn't be on a budget. But for the OP's parents not founding a tech company the OP would be rich. So ultimately his or her parents must be to blame for this counter install because they didn't start a tech company.

I've been following this forum since about 2012. Over and over I have seen the advice from kitchen designers and other fabricators to: mark the slabs chosen; show the fabricator which parts you want used; approve the taped off design; be as specific as possible about what you want. Others who have followed that advice have not reported pushback from their fabricators.

That is not telling the fabricator how to do his job. It is telling him what is the job you have hired him for. Most workmen appreciate knowing clear expectations - and if they can't to it, then, yes, they need to say so instead of taking the job.

And if those slabs aren't mirror images, what would you call them?

Stop blaming the OP. The fabricator said that his shop could do it.

Sorry this happened. Personally based on my experience I would not pay them and tell them the remaining balance is in trust with a lawyer for when they complete the work as it was designed and agreed upon. If they want the money it is there for them. Also when they finish have them sign off with the lawyer they will not lien the property.

samtrz, I hope that you will come back and let us know how it all pans out.

I'm so sorry this happened to you. We're building and I too am shocked by how many important details are just ignored or performed incorrectly. Your situation sounds like a horror story and I would be livid in your position. I'd be interested to hear what, if anything, you decided to do about this. If you end up going to court and find yourself in the unenviable position of having to explain this very complex situation to some judge who knows nothing about countertops or stone, I'd be happy to help critique your messaging so as to make it as understandable as possible to a layman. I'm a UX designer, so I might be able to help. And I'd be thrilled to help bring justice to this ridiculous situation!

As usual, there is a lot of blaming the consumer on this forum by the pros who habitually post….Despite the pros’ superior knowledge vis-à-vis consumers and despite many consumers’ attempted diligence around being thoughtful and careful. What I especially dislike is the sense that you’re not entitled to the beautiful results you see on Houzz forums if you haven’t spent huge sums with architects, designers, colorists, and other high-end consultants. To be sure, these professionals can be worth their weight in gold, but the ‘let them eat cake’ attitude for the rest of the unwashed plebeians is cold and harsh. Where’s the empathy, folks? That being said, and despite Samtrz’s diligent efforts, I do think she made three unforced errors here. First, how many times does a fabricator have to warn that a job won’t be perfect before you internalize that you will not get what you ordered? He didn’t just say that all natural stone is imperfect; he told you that your specific design would not be perfect. Samtrz was on inquiry notice to unpack that statement. Second, the fabricator indicated he had no previous experience with the requested bookended installation (and by the way, its still not clear if the slabs actually were bookended; the parties made opposing statements on that score, though I take the point that had they followed the consumer’s instructions, Samtrz would have been happy). Third, Samtrz wasn’t at home for the install, which frankly I just can’t fathom for something so expensive and important to them. None of this is to say you don’t have any potential legal recourse, Samtrz, and surely the moral blame is on the countertop fabricator/installer. But surely there is some blame here to go all the way around. It ain’t one-sided, folks.

Samtrz makes one additional point that resonates with me: the level of professionalism and attention to detail from average home remodeling contractors/subs/vendors/installers IS shockingly low, at least as compared with what you find elsewhere in our skilled economy. You even see this all the time on cable TV home renovation or house flipping shows—instructions not followed, backwards installs, failure to secure materials or the site, half-assing it on grout lines and the like, etc. Skilled, thoughtful artisans are worth their weight in gold!

Fwiw, this wasn't a case of us just picking the low-bid contractor. We had referrals from people (some professional) they've done good work for, we got a good handful of competing quotes. This one was about in the middle. And again, the technical merits of the install aren't a problem. The corner seams are well joined, its the cuts that are wrong and the attendant lack of communication.

We're still working with them on a resolution. One of the owners finally came yesterday to look at the install in person and we chatted for a while. They walked a line of acknowledging our dispute without exactly accepting responsibility. They have expressed a desire to make it right, although we don't yet know what form that will take.

Curiously, they do use computer templating, so it's unclear why the person who met with us to do the layout kept talking about physically taping out the slab.

Hopefully we'll know more soon.

Took a while, but we seem to finally have a resolution. We had offered to pay half the outstanding balance and then heard nothing at all from the contractor. Now seven or eight months later, I got an email with an updated invoice for the amount we offered and a request to pay, which I then did. It seems as close to a fair resolution as was possible under the circumstances, so good to put it behind us.

Thanks for letting us know. There was no way they could cost effectively collect the whole amount; it just took 7 months for them to realize.