I'm envisioning galoots in clown shoes installing this granite! I think you'll need to live with the broken flagstone and plants, just don't let them drive their truck off the driveway when they come again.

Why were they messing with the plumbing parts? Had you left them on surfaces that they needed to work on? When they come to do the bathrooms, you'll need to be sure they have a clear path and work surface so there's no excuse for messing with your stuff. Clearly their mothers didn't teach them to put stuff away vs. flinging it wherever. You might have to remind them to wipe their shoes on the mat before tracking grub up your stairs!

The hutch question has me stumped. I'm just not sure what was there, why they needed to take the upper down, and what is involved in fixing it. My first inclination is to say this is their problem, which is true. Unfortunately, they aren't who I would want "fixing" it. Can you take a picture so we can see?

Some minor issues like that are normal, and are usually up to the GC to deal with. If you are the GC, then they are your issues to deal with.

You shouldn't install any to the counter cabinets until the granite is in, and your GC should know that and just have the cabinet installer schedule a second trip after the counter install to complete the job. Since those cabinets shouldn't have been there in the first place, it's a GC issue for incorrect order of operations. And you should always expect to do some touchup painting post any countertop install as well. That's just a normal part of the renovation process. Also on the GC. As far as your plants, well, by your requesting the island in a single piece, you created the logistics issue that wouldn't have been there had there been a seam. That is something that the GC should have foreseen, and looked at creating a direct path into the home that minimized the length as well as the possibility of damage to the home. Oversize pieces usually mean a signed waiver that additional damage to the home may occur as part of the install.

That's all well and good that things can happen. But I think setting it out as an expectation gives these workers license to be careless. They don't seem to give a hoot, all in a day's work, whatever. It's ridiculous.

Why not expect them to advise the HO that they will need to pull the truck up, is there anything she wants out of the way? Or move some of these things themselves to prepare. Better yet, give a heads up beforehand so the HO knows what to expect and can clear the way. Instead of just running over everything? It can be very easy to pop some plants out and set them aside. Why are plumbing parts being tossed into the peonies? And why can't they just hang the cabinet where it was before (and level!)?

We need to raise our expectations of the people who work in our homes. They should be treating it with care, as if it were their own.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Tue, Apr 23, 13 at 12:39

They disassembled the plumbing. I actually wasn't even here when they started. I was volunteering at my kids school and they were 45 minutes early. The babysitter was here and they got started. When I got here they were ready to bring things in. They had to take down the cabinet bc it was being supported by the two side cabinets that were sitting on top of the counter piece that had to be replaced. So all 3 had to come down.

The granite was in my existing kitchen. No construction, just replacing counters, so no GC to blame. They asked me if they could back up to the porch and I said yes, as long as they didn't break or damage anything.

I tend to agree with snookums2. Why can't they put things back the way they found them? Why can't they be careful? And why on earth did my plumbing parts need to bs in the flower beds and not even all together but scattered everywhere? There was a kitchen table to put things on.

I will try to take a picture.

I am a fabricator.

1st; they made a mistake even touching the plumbing unless the fabricator carries the insurance which covers water damage. I won't let my crews even touch plumbing, including removal, because of the massive costs which can be incurred by a leak. the fabricator should have told you to have the plumbing removed prior to their arrival. That said, there's no excuse for what you described. It sounds to me like the parts were in a box that got kicked by accident (which could easily happen when moving a fragile piece of granite weighing nearly 1000 lbs.

the fabricator also made a mistake dealing with the cabinetry. VERY few granite installers have the expertise to deal appropriately with finish cabinetry. The cabinet probably should have been trimmed while it was off to acommodate the greater thickness of the granite so the cabinet could be reinstalled in the same place as before. touch up after install is to be expected.

re: backing the truck up to do a giant island install; we would've done the same thing and simply told the customer that incidental damage (within reason) can be unavoidable.

overall your fabricator did a lot of extra work to help get your job done.

lotofkids-

I feel your pain. We too have upper cabinets that come down and set on top of the counters. Ran into the dilemma with the counter top company not wanting them installed prior to countertops. This is want we did to please painters, fabricators, and cabinet installers- the cabinets are hung about an inch higher than needed for now, painters will come in and spray, then on Monday, countertop install, then cabinet guy will return to lower uppers that need to sit on countertop and install crown for the top gap. Fabricators didn't want to be responsible for damaging cabinets, but I think they are temporarily high enough for the counters to slip in between uppers(that sit on counters) and the lowers.

Anyway, not that that helps, but my next point is this - I went last Friday to template for my granite island. When I got to the fabricators, they couldn't find my one of a kind, unique slab that I had paid in full and such uniqueness cannot be replaced. I did end up on Friday afternoon finding a similar slab cut from the same quarry, but only by luck. I stop by the showroom today to see if they pick up my slab yet for me to template (installation on Monday). Did very nicely explain that I really wasn't happy with them losing, reselling, or what ever happened to my paid in full slab. It really has upset me. Doesn't appear that they are in anyway going to make up for it. Not acceptable- they have all my $$$$ and I don't have the piece I paid for. I have used them for a bathroom job, this job includes all plumbing materials, perimeter quartz counters, granite island, along with backsplash. I not even sure if I ever got an "I'm sorry" out of them. I tried, but doesn't appear that they sympathize with me. I did see of their website for customer comments. When they are done, I will leave a comment, since they say on their website how they "guarantee" our satisfaction. Maybe that will make me feel better.

They never mentioned having a plumber come before to unhook, just having someone come after to put it back together. Before we even agreed to have them do it, they came to my home and saw the cabinets and tear out situation. They knew what was coming. Are you saying that touch up by me is to be expected, or touch up by them is to be expected?

I don't understand why the plumbing parts were on the front porch to begin with, but there is no way it was an accidental kick. They were so far away from each other.

At this point I'm so busy with the basement finish and coming baby that I don't even want to address it. Instead of fixing the paint I'll probably just tile it with the other backsplash and move on. At least the next pieces are just bathroom countertops and shouldn't require driving over my peonies or my flagstone path.

1pandora, I would have been furious in your position. How do you lose a slab of granite? I'm sorry. Once they have your money you are just out of luck. You have no ground to stand on.