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Because it's much easier to handle and doesn't require a lot of finishing or special tools to cut. It's also less likely to be damaged during cutting and installation, thus lowering the cost potentially.
Here's my advice - from experience. Any counter top or flooring or whatever has two costs - the cost of the material, and the cost of installation. You won't know the total cost till you have the cost of BOTH steps of the process.
Ah, none of the shops around here do that. They have the pricing all inclusive because you can't buy stone wholesale here.
Because it's much easier to handle and doesn't require a lot of finishing or special tools to cut. It's also less likely to be damaged during cutting and installation, thus lowering the cost potentially.
Here's my advice - from experience. Any counter top or flooring or whatever has two costs - the cost of the material, and the cost of installation. You won't know the total cost till you have the cost of BOTH steps of the process.
Thanks, I'll re-consider this option and do some more investigating.
Ah, none of the shops around here do that. They have the pricing all inclusive because you can't buy stone wholesale here.
What? You mean you can't go to stone places and pick out a slab and have your contractor, or you, or whoever install it?
Around here we have tons and tons of stone places. You go there, you pick out a slab, and they deliver it to your home and whoever you want installs it. There's a wholesale price for contractors but anyone walking off the street can buy stone there. I honestly didn't know that some areas don't have that option. I mean, we have a few stone places here, but the best selections are in Dallas (an hour or so drive) so we went there, but if we'd wanted to buy locally we could have.
I have multiple friends who have DIY'd their own concrete counters and they turned out well. Not something you should take on if you are not a confident DIYer with a little know-how though.
What? You mean you can't go to stone places and pick out a slab and have your contractor, or you, or whoever install it?
Around here we have tons and tons of stone places. You go there, you pick out a slab, and they deliver it to your home and whoever you want installs it. There's a wholesale price for contractors but anyone walking off the street can buy stone there. I honestly didn't know that some areas don't have that option. I mean, we have a few stone places here, but the best selections are in Dallas (an hour or so drive) so we went there, but if we'd wanted to buy locally we could have.
You can. But you cannot buy the slab yourself from the wholesaler. They only offer them in tier pricing which is unknown to me, the consumer. So, I get a quote from a fabricator for a specific tier of stone. Then I go to the warehouse and pick a stone/slab from that tier. But no, the cost of the slab itself is hidden from us. So, I have to keep shopping various fabricators to get their quotes which tend to range all over the map. Since I'm putting in stone counters right now, I've had quite the lesson on this. So far, for the exact same stone, the prices have varied by over $1000. It's not ideal to say the least.
You can. But you cannot buy the slab yourself from the wholesaler. They only offer them in tier pricing which is unknown to me, the consumer. So, I get a quote from a fabricator for a specific tier of stone. Then I go to the warehouse and pick a stone/slab from that tier. But no, the cost of the slab itself is hidden from us. So, I have to keep shopping various fabricators to get their quotes which tend to range all over the map. Since I'm putting in stone counters right now, I've had quite the lesson on this. So far, for the exact same stone, the prices have varied by over $1000. It's not ideal to say the least.
Interesting.
Our contractor made it very clear to us that she was going to sell us material at wholesale prices - she charged a percentage of the total (materials and labor) as her fee, which was fine with us. So we went with her to the stone/materials sources, picked out stuff, she paid for it and sold it to us at her price, then she made the commission on the whole deal. We ended up paying about ten percent more than if we'd hired people out "piece meal" to do the various steps of the project, but that was the best ten percent I've ever paid for anything!
We got the wholesale price on things, and then her quote for labor, so it was easy for us to figure out the exact cost. She specifically told us the labor on soapstone was going to be less than some other materials, since it's apparently very easy to work with.
So we paid wholesale prices for any materials that we bought through her - which was most of them. I think about the only things we didn't buy that way were a couple of light fixtures and a faucet.
Our contractor made it very clear to us that she was going to sell us material at wholesale prices - she charged a percentage of the total (materials and labor) as her fee, which was fine with us. So we went with her to the stone/materials sources, picked out stuff, she paid for it and sold it to us at her price, then she made the commission on the whole deal. We ended up paying about ten percent more than if we'd hired people out "piece meal" to do the various steps of the project, but that was the best ten percent I've ever paid for anything!
We got the wholesale price on things, and then her quote for labor, so it was easy for us to figure out the exact cost. She specifically told us the labor on soapstone was going to be less than some other materials, since it's apparently very easy to work with.
So we paid wholesale prices for any materials that we bought through her - which was most of them. I think about the only things we didn't buy that way were a couple of light fixtures and a faucet.
I often wish we had the option to do this. I'm not sure if it's because that's just how people are used to doing business her, our huge building boom going on right now, or they're being pressed to do this by the wholesaler. Either way, it kind of blows because I am seeing prices all over the map and without any understanding of what is labor and what is material, it's hard to gauge where I'm getting a good deal or where I'm getting nickel and dimed. Here I thought getting my stone would be the easy part because I was hiring it out. HA! Since we're a port town, it's not like we're hurting for wholesalers either. There are a ton of them. They just will not divulge pricing and only allow the consumer to see tiers and that is all with the tier price set by the fabricator who also does not divulge material costs. Ack.
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