Ugh I'm sorry!! Our install was a snafu, too. I hope you can find something equally beautiful!

I hope yours worked out and that you love it!!!

Well, it just happened today, but I'm keeping the faith!

Are you building or remodeling?

Building. Never again unless I do it with my own hands...

I am right there with you! I better love this house and live in it *FOREVER*!! I knew it would be hard but not THIS hard and painful with SO many mistakes along the way!!

One option is to use something complementary, perhaps a solid in one of the colours of the granite, rather than trying to get a match that then looks "off".

That's a good point. Definitely better to accent than have a near miss.

However, GET INVOLVED,ORIT! Call that original stone source, pronto. No one cares about getting your house right but you.

Orit, I had something similar where my fabricator (also the granite yard) cut the granite in the wrong place. And unfortunately for them, it was a busy granite so not so easy to find a match and they didn't have any more of that lot number. We decided to look at other yards and found an exact match at a different yard, but that piece was already taken. Our original granite place called the new place to find out where they got it from, called the distributor, went 3 hours away to pick it up and recut our granite. In fact it turned out better than if we had just stuck with our one slab.

My point is that we were not willing to settle even though they would have given us a huge discount. However I was not willing to look at a seam in the wrong place for however long I lived there.

I honestly think the fabricators need to make it right and not just cheap out. If it's not something you would accept normally, don't accept it now, even for your laundry room. Or if you decide to accept it, they better give you a HUGE and I mean HUGE discount.

I like bifenton's solution but agree with kiwi. Also unless it's what you originally chose, they should still give you a huge discount.

blfenton there are only 2 counters in the laundry room directly opposite each other (symmetrical layout) so I think that using a solid surface on one side and granite on the other would look off though it is a great idea if we could pull it off. One side has a sink in it and that is where my clothes line is so I am wondering with the sink cut out and clothes hanging would I even ever really see it that much to care? Maybe I can specify that they use that side for the bar and use the new piece there.

kiwigem I know you are right. My only hesitation is our project manager has already accused me once of micro managing things. I guess I shouldn't care what he thinks I just know that it will cost fabricator a lot more $$ going to the original place than the place he is going to and I don't think I should have to pay for it. I know these things happen but shouldn't they but a bit more just in case? Maybe we could split the cost -- or am I being too nice about it?

They will not give any discounts. I HATE discussing money with them!!! Calling original place now. I hate this -- it is only going to delay things even more!!!

Too nice. They're insured I would think.

That's my problem!! I am too nice. I am always feeling bad for these guys because they work so hard and the builder is the one raking in the $$$, not them. Just called the original place, they have one slab of it left and are texting me a photo. Thanks everyone!

You're still being nice in all the right ways. You aren't screaming at anyone or being a jerk. You just want them to fix what went wrong. That's not mean that's fair.

Don't give up! This was not your fault, it was theirs. Let them fix it to your satisfaction. Demand they get that matching slab.

Thanks everyone. We'll see what happens next week! Hubby went and got a sample of the "slightly darker" granite and is bringing it home now. Original place never texted me the photo like they said they would. I can go there tomorrow though and take a look at the slab and put it on hold if I want. Why don't these contractors just do the right thing to begin with? It seems they are always trying to get out cheap with the least amount of work possible! As long as you don't notice stuff they will try to get away with whatever they can! I could never survive doing that to people, my conscience would not allow me to sleep at night!

Remind your project manager just whose money it is that he is spending.

(((HUGS))) I hope you get what you want, what you paid for, what you deserve and what makes you happy. Good luck.

UPDATE: I bumped into the granite guy this morning. He seems like he is going to do right by me. He said he will keep looking for a slab that matches. Though when I asked him if the original place had another slab he told me they do not. They told me they do over the phone yesterday but it does have a crack in it so maybe it won't work. I will go look at it on Monday. Finally, he did say he will go ahead and use the laundry piece for the bar and he will replace BOTH laundry pieces so that they match each other. He also said if we decide to go with a completely different stone in the laundry room (assuming we do not like what he finds) it is okay. Thanks everyone for your help, advice and support!

That sounds like a very reasonable response to your problem.

Yay! (reserving woohoo for when it's all done) ;)

Oh, hope it works out. When it's done, pictures, please!

OMG this is so darn stressful! So yesterday he told me he was not going to do the laundry room until the very very end and that he would definitely do both sides from the same slab. OKay, sounded fair. I happened to stop by there today and he is there working. One side of the laundry room has the original granite already installed and he has this piece of a slab in the garage that is the "slightly darker" color. It looks to me like he is about to install it on the other side.

When he saw me there he said, "I was going to ask you before I did this but is this piece okay to go on the other side? It is a little darker but it is better than the one I showed you on Friday." Ummm, so it's obvious he was about to install it and wasn't expecting me to show up.

He wanted me to decide on the spot. It is definitely not the same slab. The original granite has more cream and light grey. This one has more grey, less cream and the patterning is different. I hemmed and hawwed for 20 minutes and could not decide. I told him I need another day to think about it. I hate this pressure! He has backed me into a corner. He wants to go ahead and install it and "if you don't like it I'll take it out." I have found that in this business that is their favorite line because they know you are not going to hold them to it!

My only 2 options are #1 I am going to the original place tomorrow to look at the slab they have. It has a giant crack going through it so its likely not going to work. If it is no good, then option #2 is to allow him to install the slightly darker one and try to get some money back from my GC for compromising. I think we chose a very fragile granite.

Thanks for letting me vent here guys. My friends & family can't hear it anymore!

The answer is simple. I would kindly remind him of the earlier conversation about moving the laundry room granite to the bar and waiting to do the laundry room granite until you find a piece you are satisfied with. Then tell him he cannot install the darker piece and if he does, you will ask him to remove it. Don't let these guys bully you into this, but be reasonable when working out the solution.

I was so shocked that he already installed the laundry room piece. Yesterday when I asked him if he was redoing both laundry pieces he said of course! They have to match. Now he is trying to get me to agree to a different one because it is only slightly different.

His leverage is that he could have finished all of the granite for the whole house today. These guys know that I am under pressure to finish and move in by September and every time something comes up it is between compromising and staying on schedule or getting what I want and getting more behind than we already are!!!!

I am not strong enough to stand up to these guys! In hindsight, I realize building a house is not for me. But we are too far in at this point!

You can do it! They are modern day pirates and they smell fear. Make 'em walk the plank. YARRRRR!!!!!!

LOL!!!!!! You crack me up kiwigem. On top of it, I am the WORST at making decisions in general so this has been a nightmare for me! I have been getting absolutely nothing done except for obsessing over this!! I will think of pirates from now on when I go in there! I try to think of "they are working for me" but that is so not my personality!

I feel so bad for you, this is NO way to do business. Yet, more and more, it is. :/

You said in the beginning post "we", so, could the other half step in and take over?

(and this is the very reason I reserved the "woohoo")

Oh cpartist you are exactly right. I know it. I have been walked all over this entire process. As I said earlier, this is not for me. I am not sure if it is the builder we chose or just the entire industry. I do not know how to stand up to people and I always feel bad for them. If you knew some of the other things we have compromised on . . . it makes me sick (I need to make a list so I can let builder know how much I have conceded) but they are such smooth talkers that they make me feel like there is no other option at the time when the decision needs to be made. Esp. our project manager who if I never see again it will be too soon! The amount of stress I have gone through in this process is unbelievable, I almost would rather just stay in our old, small, falling apart house. :-( Thanks for the pep talk though!

I am also so worn out by now! I just want to be done!!! Dragging to the finish line.

Call the GC and have him kick their bubba b-hinds to the curb.

Sophie easier said than done. All slabs already bought, fabricated and installed. With the exception of laundry room and the small touch ups they need to do. I think this whole process would have been easier had we been our own GC. I don't feel he has done anything besides arrange for people to show up.

Hmm, have him call me. I'll let him know how things are supposed to be done. I'll do it in my typical Nu Yawk way. ;)

Don't let them smooth talk you. Write down exactly what you want and how you want it and don't back down.

Can you come over? ;-)

Ok here's what I also said in your thread in the building a home forum:

NO it is not too late! You let them know it is Unacceptable and you want it out and done correctly. Let your GC know that if he doesn't take it out, and fire these hacks you will not be paying him another dime until he makes it right!

then go find a new granite and a new fabricator and make sure your GC does his job.

And I don't care when you are supposed to move in. Better to have to live in a hotel for a week or two and have them make it right then to live with crap you will be crying over for years.

You know the old saying, Balls said the Queen. If I had them I'd be King. Be the king.

I echo cp's sentiment.

And think about it this way. The short amount of time it will take to say, "This is what we agreed to, now let's do it", is nothing compared to years of looking at things you didn't want and didn't agree to. Think about looking at this problem day in and day out. Do you want that? Can you really enjoy your home like that?

Stand up for yourself (yes, you CAN do it!). My guess is, once you "find your voice", things will change quickly. ;)

I just went to the house. Overall everything looks good. I do not want them to rip it all out. Here are the photos of the things that bug me. I think they can be fixed with the exception of maybe one. Please let me know if I am being too picky or if this is a crap job. The only thing left that they can really screw up is the cooktop cut out. They want to wait until we have the actual cooktop to cut it exactly. That is the same granite that has broken and if they break that piece I am really screwed, they will not find more and I am in love with it!!

Dining Room buffet edge. Chip at the bottom.

Back of the kitchen sink. This one bugs me but its hard to see in the picture. There is a chip right above where that dark line on the left side of the sink. I can tell they tried to smooth it out and it did not work!

^^^^ Should there be this big of a gap between the granite and the wall? I know they will caulk it but it seems rather large to me.

There are a couple of other places I could not get to because they are covered in plastic.

Is there going to be a side splash there? The chips should be fixable and not noticeable, especially since your granite has so much going on.

No

Latest update!! I just came back from the original granite yard and saw the last remaining slab. It does have a crack going all the way through but it is far enough to one side that they can cut my laundry counter with it. I am SO GLAD I did not agree to the darker one going in yesterday before I saw this. It is a PERFECT MATCH to my existing granite.

I must admit I feel terrible that the fabricator has to spend $$ on a whole new slab for one piece but then again I am spending over 11K on him and want to be happy. (Whoever mentioned to me that I will have to look at it for the rest of my life - that's what I keep thinking!)

I had a realtor friend who used to be a construction supervisor come over this morning and look at everything. He said it all looks good with the exception of the chip in the sink and the 5/16" gap between the granite and the wall. He thinks they should replace both of those. I may use those as bargaining points for something else because there are no more slabs. Meeting with GC tomorrow, we'll see what he says.

Thanks everyone for all of your advice and support this weekend!! I'll post pictures when its all done!!

Why would you feel terrible for the fabricator? If he had done his job correctly the first time he would not have to buy the new slab.

I am a fine artist who once in a while will get a request for a commission. In fact I am doing one now. You can bet your bottom dollar if I screwed up, I would start over and make it right before ever trying to pass off crappy work as ok. I want every drawing I do to reflect the best work I do. Your fabricator needs to learn that lesson too. You don't cut corners and you take all the time you can to make sure it's right.

I'm so happy to hear that the slab will work for you. Now hopefully your fabricator won't screw it up this time.

but then again I am spending over 11K on him and want to be happy. (Whoever mentioned to me that I will have to look at it for the rest of my life - that's what I keep thinking!)

Way to go! Now just keep remembering that until this job is finished. ;) So happy for you!

Do not feel bad about them having to spend $$ on a whole new slab. That's part of their cost of doing business and coverage for those types of situations is included in their quotes. I'm pretty sure, based on other conversations here at GW, that most have some kind of insurance to cover most of the expenses in these situations anyway. And if the fabricator takes the slab, he may very well sell it to somebody else in the future.

Putting up with a slab you don't like and that doesn't match is far costlier to you than it is to them. You paid for matching slabs and you should get what you pay for.

Please take cpartist's good advice to heart and quit feeling bad for people who are screwing with you.

ETA: I'm thrilled you found a slab that will work for you!

Every fabrication contract includes some amount that goes into the pot for covering the fabricator's mistakes. You might be the one paying an "extra" 10% and having no problems, or you might not, but a certain percentage of cutting mistakes is to be expected. In our last house, they showed up with our counters and then came in and asked me "how many sinks do you have?" It turns out they cut the larger sink where the prep sink was supposed to be (unfixable), and didn't cut any sink at all where the large sink was supposed to go (easy to fix). By the time I got to calling the slab yard to see if the next slab was still available (it was), the fabricator had already called and reserved it.

That's an awesome fabricator you had!!