Choosing the right granite slab for your kitchen or bathroom is fun. You see the slab in the showroom, you take a sample home and see how it looks on your counters, then go back to the store and make the purchase.

After buying the most appealing countertop slab, you move onto the next stage—finding the best granite installers. The contractor you hire can make or break your project; therefore, you should take your time and ensure you hire the right one.

What should you pay attention to when hiring?

References

Has the contractor worked with other homeowners in the past? This is vital as it will give you peace of mind that the contractor knows what they are doing. An experienced contractor will have references of people they have worked with before.

Ask for their contacts and go ahead and reach out to them. Ask them about their experience with the contractor, how long the contractor took to complete the project, and any other details that will help you make an informed decision.

While an installer affiliated with a showroom will be experienced, you should avoid them as the showroom often pays them less; hence they are less likely to give you an excellent service. If you have the budget, you are better off finding your contractor.

Photos of previous work

In addition to asking for people the contractor has worked with before, you also should ask to see pictures of projects they have handled before. Experienced contractors will be eager to show you their work, and this is a good sign.

Carefully go through the photos and confirm they aren’t all the same. If they are similar, it means the contractor is only experienced at installing pre-cut counters, which isn’t good. You want an all-around contractor.

You also should be on the lookout for the nature of the installation. If most of them are counter installations, that is a good sign, but if most of them are flooring installations, you have a reason to worry. For a great experience, go with a contractor who is more concerned with countertop projects.

Ask about cuts, edging, and seams

The granite batch you buy from determines how the contractors will handle the project. If the batch requires the contractors to join many slabs, you should discuss it in length before the project commences.

Experienced installers will be excited telling you about the different joining options that will result in a seamless surface based on the pattern variations on the slabs.

When discussing the edges, the experts will present ideas that are not only possible for the grade of stone you bought, but those that will also be aesthetically pleasing depending on your kitchen cabinets.

You also should get to see their equipment. Modern equipment creates accurate and clean cuts and beautiful seams. Even if you have never seen any granite cutting tool, you can easily tell a modern from an antique tool, so don’t be scared about asking to see the tools of work.

Area of expertise

Granite technicians can specialize in two areas: installation and fabrication. While you will be more interested in a person who specializes in countertop installation, you also want someone with fabrication experience.

This is because you are bound to come across areas that the contractor will need to fabricate.

Price

How much is the contractor charging for their services? The amount charged greatly determines whether you will hire the contractor or not. You should note that high fees don’t always mean the contractor will give you an excellent service.

At the same time, you shouldn’t go for the cheapest contractor as they are most likely inexperienced; hence they will most likely provide you with substandard services.

The best way out is to identify a contractor who provides you with excellent service at an affordable price.

You should note that some contractors will give you a low quotation but end up selling you later on, so the project ends up being too expensive.

To lock the price, get a written quotation from the contractor.

When you are searching for good granite countertop installers Potomac, you should get quotations from two or more contractors. This way, you have an opportunity of comparing their services and fees.