How did you pick the current contractors for your project? Did you view any of their work? Talk to past customers? Recommendations from family or friends? Did you lay out the scope of work in advance through design documents so that you received accurate bids with no change orders needed down the road? I would second the recommendation for Da Vinci simply because of his online presence in many pro forums through the years. He's shown some great projects that he has accomplished. That recommendation doesn't absolve you from doing the same due diligence on him as you would with anyone you were handing a 40K check to. And as any contractor will do with their customers as well. Contractors will check property records to see if you are the owner of record and the last selling price of the home. Many more will check to see if you've been embroiled in a dispute with a contractor or HOA or anyone else before they will give you a bid. It's a two way street. And no one wants to get run over by the clown car on that street.

OK. This will be my lasting posting on this subject for today :-) Quartzite is usually white or grey. However, if there is iron present it can stain it. That is when you find pink, purple or red quartzite. The brown variety means it has in its composition other impurities. It is beautiful though. So I will give you the same suggestion that I give to my clients. When choosing a slab it is as important to look at the front as it is to look at the back of it. If there is a mesh stuck to the back (often used to strengthen marble or other natural stones plagued with fissures) then it is not quartzite.

It also begs to be pointed out that "winter" is the "indoor" season for building. Once the snow flies, the GCs and their trades head in doors where there is PLENTY of work to be had. That's why building envelopes (the exterior) are thrown up in summer and the inside is "finished" in winter. Most people plan INDOOR projects for the winter and OUTDOOR projects for the summer. In today's market, the good GCs are booked every day and have turned down projects like these. The bad GCs (like the one you have already run into) are available "next week", go through the motions and then evaporate as soon as they find something else with bigger profit margin. What may have to happen is this: you will need to subcontract everything out yourself. Contact the cabinet suppliers and have them suggest installers in your area (finishing carpenters can do this work). Then contact the counter top manufacturer and find out who is in your area. Now seek out plumbers and electricians. It would be great if you could find a certified plumber who is also an electrician. Per hour, s/he will be more expensive but will turn out to be a snick cheaper than two trades people hired independently. While the seal on a pipe is setting up (20-30 minutes of down time) s/he can be wiring something in. You get the picture. If you need new flooring, you may have to find a flooring contractor yourself. Have them come in and scope the job and they will tell you when they want to "come in" and do the job (before or after cabs/counters/etc). I think you may have to subcontract this stuff out yourself. If GCs aren't coming forward, then you may have to go ahead and become the GC yourself. Listen to your trades people (ask them what is needed to bring it up to "code" and then tell them to go ahead) and then let them do their jobs. It will take 30%-50% longer but it will get done.

1) big box stores have limited choices and often you can’t choose your slabs 2) Read about the difference in quartz companies as to ratio of resin to stone that is what makes the difference 3) If you buy from a place that sells by the slab yes you can ask for the remainder but if you buy by the sq ft no. 4) You will get answers to fabrication pricing comparisons only if you are comparing the exact same material and the exact same amount 5) I prefer to buy my slabs from a company that also does the fabricating 6) You will need a layout of your kitchen to get any kind of decent pricing for both slabs and fabrication comparisons 7) I do not believe you have more clout with HD than a good stone shop 8) If you have an actual KD they should have a shop they deal with or your cabinet shop usually has suggestions