United Granite Countertops — Local services in Arbutus

Countertop installation companies can be as ubiquitous as pizza shops and like them, come in national franchise variety, regional chains or local establishments. Unlike pizza, the cost is often thousands of dollars and you're worried about more than taste, temperature, and speed of delivery.

My husband and I like to research and investigate our purchases and our decision to buy new granite countertops for our townhouse was no exception; we spent several weeks and compared three different companies, including United Granite. All three were reputable and one was a distributor vetted by COSTCO, of which we are members. We knew our rough budget and were mindful that we wanted quality but did not want to overspend on a townhouse. We visited United's showroom one Saturday with our nearly three-year old and 10 month old. We were met by Tim who was patient and attentive, despite the antics of our kids. We were given a tour and provided with an introduction to how the company prices, cuts, delivers, installs, and bills for their products. There are a dizzying array of options out there for granite as far as patterns, colors, geographic origin, and lastly, finishing/edging.

United Granite's price was NOT the lowest, but lower than another company that was giving us a special "referral deal" at a much higher percentage discount. We would later find out that their strengths as a company are their attention to detail, straightforward pricing and customer service. We were met with a level of candor that you don't see as often anymore; buying any improvement services for the home has become akin to the mind games encountered at a car dealership. We were given three sets of prices depending on our chosen method of payment. Cash and check are cheapest and credit cards follow in two tiers based upon their interchange (swipe) fees charged- if you save them money in fees, they pass that on to you. We paid a deposit and the balance was paid in two installments, once when our particular stone was chosen in the yard and upon installation. We chose to use VISA for personal reasons, but customers are free to do otherwise.

United Granite uses common industry names for various granite but labels them "A" through "E" in ascending price per square foot. The lowest prices are dense patterns of limited color variety and the most expensive are "exotics" with large veins, color variations and degrees of luminescence. We found that their pricing structure made it easier to make an informed decision.

We were able to pick and choose our sink and wrapped up the plumbing work with the job's price with United Granite using a subcontractor who arrived on the same day. A technician came out and took electronic measurements for the cutting machines; he was professional, efficient, and clearly knew what he was doing.

Of note is that they charge less for some premium edges (full bullnose, ogee, double ogee, etc.) than other companies. This may not seem like much but when you see the price per linear foot for a premium edge and you get your heart set on the "look" for your kitchen, it can amount to hundreds of dollars saved over the course of the entire job.

With a competitive price in hand, we proceeded with United Granite. They arrived on the date and time range agreed upon, tore out the old countertops, installed the new ones, and hauled away the debris. The plumber also arrived and installed a new sink garbage disposal and faucet that we had bought on our own.

As to customer service, United Granite accommodated us on a backsplash replacement request. While granite is natural and can vary in color and pattern, the backsplash near one corner of the kitchen was a smaller piece that did not transition well color-wise with the rest of the counter. The contrast was obvious and undesirable. We called to have it replaced with a lighter stone; they cut a new piece and installed it at no extra charge, making "everything right."

In sum, we are pleased and highly recommend...

My husband and I only have positive things to say about our experience using United Granite and Marble for our kitchen re-do. The proprietors obviously take pride in the great selection of granite they have available, and are happy to answer all your questions about the marks of quality in each piece. As comparison shoppers, we can say the prices are extremely competitive. Measuring was scheduled promptly after our slabs were reserved, and installation was a few days after that - very quick and painless.

Our only mess-up was one small section of wall where we only realized after the fact that the kitchen would look unbalanced without one more section of backsplash. That was installed promptly and graciously.

If you work with United, my only piece of advice is to remember that you're dealing with a supplier and installer, and bypassing the middleman by cutting out a design consultant. Whatever you ask for they'll address in terms of whether they can install it the way you've requested, or cut it with corners and edges just as you've requested. In other words, don't count on United to tell you, "We won't install it the way you asked for because it would look stupid." They'll confine their input to whether the project is doable (for instance, if you want the granite coming out more than 10" over a counter, you'll need brackets to bear the weight).

That's not meant as a criticism -- on the contrary, it's nice to know that they'll have your back in terms of keeping you from doing anything that's structurally unsound. But if you aren't known for your innate sense of design, you should probably call on design experts first, to give you a really clear idea of what you need where. Come in to United Granite with a clear idea of what you need where, and whether you're committed to doing the maintenance involved with different surfaces, and I guarantee they'll deliver what you want.

One other thing: we chose very uniform slabs of granite, with evenly distributed flecks in it - no big color variations, so we didn't have any issues about "where should we place that lovely streak in the granite for optimum effect?" But United has some stunningly beautiful pieces with dramatic streaks and variations. We saw some slabs that customers had picked out, and there were extremely precise marking to show exactly where to cut a hole for the sink and exactly what angle to cut the slab on, as indicated by the buyers. If you like taking that level of control in a project, instead of saying "I don't know - surprise me!." you will love working with United.

Finally: ask to see Tim's "Van Gogh" slab, if it's still there. Better yet, bring a bottle of wine, a few lawn chairs, and just park yourself in front of that slab for a few hours admiring it. If you're an atheist, you might change your mind after contemplating the wonderful forces of nature that could create...

When I have research to do I turn to the Internet and the Google search engine. I place a lot of faith in the prior experience of my fellow man and feel this is the best advertisement money cannot buy. If the reviews are not good I move on. I found the reviews for United Granite to be very favorable and my wife and I paid them a visit. We worked with Eddie, the owner of the Eldkridge location, and he guided us through the process of purchasing a granite counter top. We were most impressed by their large selection and after many walk arounds through their wharehouse we made out choice. We also elected to purchase matching backsplash as well. They also carry a variety of high quality sinks and faucets and pass on their buying discount to their customers. I brought a fairly accurate drawing of our existing kitchen layout and Eddie drafted an estimate. We placed a deposit to reserve our stone selection. I am fairly handy so elected to do all of the preperation work myself. When I completed the removal of the old backsplash and counter tops I called Eddie back and he sent someone to take measurements. To say that the equipment they use to develop a CAD drawing is a little more accurate than a tape measure would be an understatement. The homowner is part of this process as well and is asked to be there to answer questions that will lead to decisions that will have an impact on the final product. Once the CAD diagram was complete my wife and I returned to take part in the layout of the stone for the cutting stage so that our opinion became part of the esthetics related to each piece. As we purchased the backsplash as well the installation was scheduled for two different days with a one day gap in between. The counter tops were installed first and then the backsplash measurements were reverified to insure nothing changed with the installation of the counter top. My wife and I are simply elated with the outcome. The entire staff at United Granite is very professional. From Eddie the owner to Omar the installer crew chief, they are all dedicated to making sure the customer experience is very satisfactory which strengthens your belief that you made the right decision for such an expensive project. They show a high degree of respect for your property and make sure they left the job site neat and clean. Their installation work is impecable. My wife and I were so pleased with our kitchen that we elected to purchase granite counter tops for our master bathroom as well. You can trust these reviews and...