Countertop Buying Process
Purchasing new countertops for your home is a great decision. They’ll completely transform the look and feel of your home and they’ll add value should you decide to sell. All American Granite is the area leader in customer countertop installation. We’ve installed countertops in over 10,000 homes. We’re proud to say that 80% of our clients come from referrals.
We’ve put together 9 Steps in selecting new countertops for your home. Each of these steps will help you understand how the buying process works and turn you in to a savvy, well-informed client. Plus, it’s a LOT of FUN!
Let’s Get Started!
Buying new countertops is an investment in your home and lifestyle. Surf the Internet and see what products are trending. See which products people like for kitchens, the vanity, half bath, outdoor kitchen, etc. You may have your mind set on a black granite and then fall in love with white quartz. It happens all the time!
We recommend saving images of countertops you like on your phone as you search. Make a file of surfaces you like so we can help you focus your search.
Once you have a good idea of what’s out there, we recommend visiting our Burnsville showroom to get more ideas and have all your questions answered about what countertop is best for you.
The next step is to take a few photos of the countertops you plan to replace. Cell phone images are fine. We just like to see where you plan to remodel. It’ll help us to guide you through all of the countertop options.
You’ll also want to make a simple drawing of your project space. In order to provide you with an estimate All American Granite will need to know the total square footage of your project. A bird’s eye view picture of your space with the dimensions and the square footage of the counter space will work great. The final cost of the project will be determined after our Installation Team visits your home and creates a digital template of your project utilizing the latest in laser measuring technology.
Here’s where the fun begins! Be sure to bring your photos, the drawing of your space with dimensions and some photos you’ve collected on-line of countertops you love. This will be your starting point in selecting your new countertops!
Here are a few things we’ll discuss:
- Using the countertop material as a backsplash
- Installing tile as a backsplash
- Edge finish options
- Waterfall (A waterfall installation runs the countertop surface down to the floor. Stunning!)
- Sink options
- Sealing options
- Removal and disposal of the old countertops
Last but not least, we’ll go over all of the different countertop options including granite, quartz, porcelain, soapstone marble, quartzite and more. We’ll also talk about the surface finish options. We’ll show you the difference between a glossy, matte, honed and leathered surface finish. Pretty fun stuff!
All American Granite may or may not have the countertop material you want in your home. But, that’s OK. Most people find their slabs somewhere else. By the way, a slab is what we call the piece of granite, quartz, etc. that we’ll transform in to your countertops. Did You Know? A typical slab of stone is approximately 10’ wide and 6’ tall? It weighs a little over a half a ton!
All American Granite has developed partnerships with ten slab section centers throughout the Twin Cities. There is no additional charge for you to select your slab at a selection center, except for a small transportation fee to safely get your slab to All American Granite for fabrication.
Your All American Design Consultant will give you information on all of the slab selection centers. You can visit one or all 10 to make your slab selection. You’ll be able to see and touch thousands of slabs in all kinds of materials. Best of all, the slab you select is the exact slab that will be installed in your home. So, make it a day!
Once you’ve found the slab you like All American Granite will reserve that slab for you. No one will be able to select your slab!
Once you have a good idea of what’s out there, we recommend visiting our Burnsville showroom to get more ideas and have all your questions answered about what countertop is best for you.
The next step is a visit to your home. One of the All American Installation Team members will laser measure your counterspace. This precise measuring system means your new countertops will fit perfectly. If you love gadgets, you’ll want to see our laser measuring system in action! It’s state-of-the art coolness!
Once the measurements are complete, we’ll ask you to come into our Burnsville showroom to see and approve your countertop layout against your slab. You see how the unique fissures, veining and coloring of your slab are featured in the different counter areas. All American wants you to be completely satisfied with your new countertops. This hands-on approach to customer service sets All American Granite apart from all other fabricators.
We take your slab in to production to perform the cuts and edging finish for your new countertops. Our Saberjet XP 5-Axis Waterjet cutting table is the best in the business for precise cuts of the hardest material including porcelain and quartzite. Your unique slab is in great hands!
Your countertops are ready for installation.
We’ll set a date and time for installation that’s convenient for you. We require that you or your contractor be home during the installation process in case our Installation Team has any questions. You’ll need to have your new faucet(s) available at the installation so we can drill holes precisely where you need them.
The final step of the installation is sealing the countertops to protect from staining. Once the sealer has dried, the project is complete! All of your research, planning and slab selecting has really paid off. Congratulations! We hope you’ll be as proud of your new countertops as we are.
How Are Slabs Priced?
Here’s something that most first-time clients didn’t know. When you visit a slab selection center, none of the slabs are marked with a price. Typically, they’re assigned a letter which determines the price. The lower priced slabs will be A, B or C. The higher priced ones will be D, E and F. The exotic slabs could range from G through M or higher. Your All American Granite Consultant will give you an estimate for your project. This estimate is based upon your budget and the type of stone you want. This will also help you to determine if you should focus your search in the A, B, C’s or D, E, F’s.
When you arrive at the slab selection centers, you’ll work with one of their consultants. When you find a slab you like the slab selection center consultant will forward your selection to us for pricing. For this reason, it’s always a good idea to make a few selections so you can have options when it comes to the final cost of your countertops.
This seems like a silly way to select a slab, but it needs to be done this way because of the great variety of stones available and the differences in how the slabs are fabricated.