Granite Design of Midwest

I couldn't be more pleased with my experience. Bart was thorough, followed up promptly, offered suggestions and his work was perfect. I told him I would refer him to my friends. This is a very well run business and the prices were very fair too.

My dad's words, again: Bottom line -- "We are thrilled with this vendor's work, pricing, and customer support". After a couple of days in showrooms, and one visit to our renovation site by an independent contractor, we had lots of estimates, from lots of stone shops and contractors. They ranged from $1200 to $2500, and none of them seemed to want to do the cut we needed -- they all tried to sell us out of what we knew would be the only general approach that had a chance of looking good. Finally, we thought of Angie's List (doh!), and found that Bart at Granite Design of Illinois sounded really good, and was right in our neighborhood. Granite Design of Illinois was clearly mostly a workshop, with just enough showroom to display current stock and transact business. We showed our drawings and described the stone we wanted to Bart's assistant, who took us in the back and had a fork-lift pull a slab of Tan Brown granite out for us. Her preliminary quote was 50% to 75% less than any of the other quotes we'd received! We liked what we saw, and made arrangements to have Bart come out, measure, and give us a final quote. In setting up the first visit, and during the visit, we really started feeling good about Bart, because of one of his policies: he never answers his cell phone while he is on a customer call. During the measurement, planning, price discussion, etc., Bart's cell rang many times. When we said, "do you need to get that?", he answered, "yes, but I'll do that after we're done" -- we had his full attention. Bart understood exactly what we were trying to do. His response to the request for the cut was, "no problem" -- he even made a suggestion for improving our basic idea. He saw what we were trying to do in the kitchen, design- and color-wise, and gave us some additional hints. And, best of all, he confirmed the original (and best, by far) estimate. So a week later, while I was in another state, Bart's delivery guys came to carry the stone up 1-1/2 floors and set it on the counter frames for the installers. The ceramic Ikea sink was already sitting in the frame, unattached. My daughter watched in horror as the delivery guys set the stone on top of the sink -- "Crack!" -- broken sink. My daughter called me very upset -- I called Bart's cell, ready for a fight. He was in his car, and immediately said, "I'm on my way out to Ikea Schaumberg to pick up a new sink for you -- the job will still be finished today". That was it. No fuss, no fight, and a great-looking, cleanly-installed countertop, with the cuts we wanted, executed better than we expected, for the best price around. We were really impressed. We'll skip the fancy showroom/slick salespeople, and go with straight talk, good product and smart, hard work any time.

We contacted Bart, the owner, by telephone and he promptly returned our call. We talked about what we thought we wanted, and then went out to a warehouse in Elk Grove Village Bart suggested in order to look at slabs. Bart told us the approx. sq. foot cost of the standard choices for the slab and installation (there were about 18 different standard granite choices at this price point, and about 5 edge choices.) Bart told us to call him if we found an exotic slab that we really liked because he could tell us about the different types. Bart also warned us in advance the price point would be a bit higher if we chose an exotic product. When I had narrowed my choices to two (exotics, of course: they were irresistable), I called Bart from the warehouse (on a Saturday) and he gave me all the information I wanted about these two granite types. He warned me away from one based on the size of slab I needed and the pattern irregularities, and his advice was great. I was pleasantly surpised to learn the exotic we chose would run us only an additional $300-400 more than the price he quoted me for the more "Standard" granite (these are the patterns you see in the big box chain stores). We reserved a slab we liked and thought about whether or not we would proceed (which is apparenlty how these things are done). Once we decided to use Bart, he sent us a simple contract to review which required a 40% down payment (you could pay by credit card.) After we sent our contract back, Bart came out the following week to measure the cabinet and island surfaces and we discussed the fact that the level of my floor would cause my dishwasher to be stuck forever in its location if we failed to somehow raise the surface the countertop would rest upon. It was no problem. Bart measured all the cabinets and then had his carpenter attach wood around the perimiter of the cabinets on the day of the install giving us the clearance we needed to remove the dishwasher for repair/replacement. After Bart measured, the slab was ready about 10 days later. We paid the deposit after he took the measurments and confirmed the price with us. The whole process took about 15 days from the day we first called to the day the countertops went in, and it was seamless, smooth and very easy. I have the most gorgeous countertops! The granite is minotaures ("sp?") and it is fantastic!!. Bart is very pleasant and returned every call promptly. I was prepared to pay far more than I did for a product that would likely be far inferior to the one I got. My estimate is that the material, being ONLY the exotic granite and installation (not the sink, plumber or carpentry which I did pay for) was about $43 sq. foot for 1 1/4 inch granite installed. That price CANNOT be beat for the exotic product I received. This is a bit of an odd pattern and I have an L shaped kitchen and the granite seam was cut to match the pattern; the seam is invisible. The $2400 price includes ALL of the above services.

Great! Bart provided guidance in selecting granite and marble slabs, referring me to various suppliers who offer a good selection of quality material at low prices. He also voiced his opinion on various edges, showed me where the seams would be in my kitchen (fairly large kitchen and I picked a small piece of granite). I have recommended him to family members and to a custom-home builder who has now used him several times.

Very nicely. We had also talked to a big box store and they wanted a $4000 deposit to just do the estimate. This group came out and did detailed measurements, gave us some good ideas, and performed work on time and at estimate.

Over all very good the price was better than other places and the work was great. The only recommendatio I woue make is to keep in contact as there were some response time isues. I will use them again so I was very pleased.

These guys have the best pricing around for granite/marble countertops. All of the other quotes we got were at least twice what we paid Granite Design. At $475, we paid roughly $34.50 per sq ft, plus $75 for the ogee edge. Our other quotes were up around $55-$58 per sq ft plus extra charges for cutouts and such. We did use a remnant, but they have a decent selection of "standard colors" to choose from that would not have been more expensive if we had not found a remnant. The quality is great too, the vanity top looks fantastic. My only complaint, which is minor, is that it can be difficult to get a hold of Bart, the owner(I think?)who does the estimating and sales. The turnaround is quick, 1 week after measurement we had it installed, but they tend to wait until the last minute to set an exact time and it involved a few calls and messages through the office manager. Having to go through the office manager is a little annoying, would be great if I could have just called Bart directly. Again, I am really reaching to find a negative. The install crew was on time, friendly and even had a pleasant sense of humor. All in all, a great experience and tremendous value for your dollar. We will be using Granite Design to redo our ugly kitchen counters soon. I would encourage everyone to use them.

I did a number of remodeling projects last years and used all of the A list companies from Angie's List. Granite Design of IL is the best of all of the A list companies I used. Bart and Andy came and did measurement and gave me a quote the next day via email. His price is excellent compared to other places. I added up selecting a higher priced slab and Bart was able to give me a price break on it. After I first selected the slab, I still was not so sure and Bart gave me great opinions. His crew is clean and prompt. After they left, we had some problems with opening some of our drawers and they came and fixed the problem the next day.

They were excellent. They came and measured for the one I picked out. Once ready they installed it and did a excellent job.

After looking at the reviews on Angie's List I called Bart and he was so nice. I actually went to his office to leave a drawing of my kitchen for an estimate to replace the kitchen countertop and sink. I wanted to see samples but it wasn't necessary. Bart gave me an awesome quote and came to the house with samples and to measure. We then went out to Elk Grove Village to pick out our slab and the countertop and sink were installed 10 days later. He even scheduled a plumber (good, good price) to come the same day to hookup the faucet and disposal. During his measuring visit he noted that he would need extra guys to get the slab in and up the stairs, but did not charge extra for it. His crew came as scheduled; there were NO issues, whatsoever. I talked to his office worker, Maya, a few times and she was always helpful and followed up. I would recommend him to anyone.

I found this company on Angie's List and called because the reports were outstanding. I was not disappointed. Bart, the owner, was always prompt, polite, and very knowledgeable. During our first appointment, we shared ideas and he measured. I received a contract via email shortly thereafter. He also told me where to go to select the granite. It took me at least two months to have other work in the house finished and begin this project. I went to the granite warehouse. The woman I worked with was very patient and helpful. I was able to see the two large pieces of granite that I would be getting to make sure I was satisfied. All my phone calls to Bart were promptly answered. He came to the house to do final measurements and installation was to be in 7-10 days. The installers appeared right on time and the work was done very efficiently. The work space was cleaned and by that afternoon I had a beautiful kitchen.

After my initial phone call Andy came out to my home within 2 days based on our availability. He was very professional and came well prepared with granite samples, a list of stone yards that they deal with, edging examples, a list of standard stones, and also a catalog of sinks that they also install. Andy took the necessary measurements and had an estimate within hours. They were far more reasonable and better prepared than the previous two estimates that I had received. I'd say about $400-600 more reasonable, but also just a good feel that you're dealing with someone who knows what he's doing and at the same time trying to save you some money. Andy came out one other time for a second measurement after I had picked out a stone at the stone yard and from our initial appointment we had our new counter tops within 6 days. Granite Design's installers came on a Wednesday morning about 10:00 am to do the counter tops and under-mount sink. Our window box was an off measurement and they hadn't brought the stone for it until later in the afternoon, but were done in no time and left my kitchen cleaner than they had initially found it. Super nice crew. Just one thing. They don't do plumbing. This was something we may have misunderstood, but Andy sent over his plumber before the second visit from his installers arrived. It was a huge help and he was again very reasonable. I highly recommend Granite Design of IL to anyone who is looking to have granite/stone work for their kitchen or bath. Not only are they reasonable, but they're work from start to finish is completely professional.

Bart came out to our house the very next day after we called him. He measured our cabinets and gave us an estimate. Such an amazing price, significantly below the competitors, that we were able to add a detail, an ogee edge profile, that would have been outside our budget, and saved some money we could use for a tiled back splash. I was still skeptical, but the reviews on Angie's List were so positive, that we went for it anyway. We called him back to our house and he made a template. And his team came to install within a week after that. The whole process was painless, and only two weeks start to finish. And the work is top quality. The stone looks great. His team was so careful to blend the seam that you barely see it. And the crew worked quickly the whole job took just a few hours start to finish. Great communication, great cleanup. Bart was the find of our whole project.

This is BY FAR the best person I've ever found on Angie's List! I emailed Bart to see if he had the type of granite that we currently had in our kitchen. He emailed back to say yes, and that he'd like us to come view the slab he had - he quoted me a price upfront and never wavered from that fee. Due to a busy schedule, I could not get to his showroom, so Bart took several pictures of the granite slab for me and emailed me the photos. We scheduled a measure - he was prompt and professional. We scheduled the install - again, very prompt and professional. He even reminded me to get a gromet for the computer/phone wires so that he could cut a custom hole in the stone - again, no up charges and very consultative. In addition, we'd shopped in a large tools/dept store for the granite initially for the same space and were quoted $1400 for the exact same stone, size and not nearly the hands-on service that Bart provided.

Great! Arrived on time for initial estimate, on subsequent visits always on time-or even slightly early. Very polite. Easily reachable by email or phone. Adjusted his work appointments to my availability. Finished the job when he said he would.

The main contact, Bart, is extremely thorough and professional. As a construction project manager in Chicago, I have overseen the installation of hundreds of granite countertops; however, to avoid any conflict of interest, I utilized Angie's List to find Bart and Granite Design of IL. Granite Design of Il's quality and installation is second to none. I am thoroughly impressed. In addition to an excellent quote on quality granite, Bart offered undermount sinks at a great price. His measurements and fabrication were flawless. The only glitch was when the sink arrived without the basket drain assembly to which the plumber connects. Bart explained this is an additional cost, but when I pointed out this was never previously explained to me and the item was in the image of the sink that he showed to me, Bart offered to reimburse the plumber for the assembly as well as sent out his guy that same day to provide the grates that were also shown on the image (and an upgrade). I would recommend to both Bart and future customers that this piece of scope is discussed prior to contract to ensure no confusion - but this is minor to big picture. Overall great experience and I would certainly use them again and recommend them to anyone else.

We found this company on Angie's List after another granite installer left us high and dry with a partially finished installation. (The previous guy attempted to install an already chipped countertop and refused to replace it when brought to his attention). We contacted Bart and explained the situation. First, we tried to match the granite that had already been installed. We realized that would be impossible. Plus, Bart gave us such a phenomenal price that we decided to go with all new countertops. We couldn't be happier!!!

I had a wonderful experience with these guys. They were prompt, patient and extremely helpful. They brought samples to my home although I ended up using a stone I found in a granite yard. Bart even went to the granite yard to see if he could cut the granite from one slab. I went to their studio and they spent a lot of time with me working with me to cut the stone in the best possible way. The countertops look absolutely beautiful. I have already given their name to a friend of mine who is looking for a granite installer.

I was going to use another fabricator that my contractor recommended but got a quote of about $5500. So I checked Angie's List and saw all of the good reviews that Granite Design got so I called Bart. He was very helpful and told me where to pick out my slabs. I picked out the slabs and sent my kitchen design to Bart and got a quote $2600 the next day. I called my contractor and he said it must be a scam. He even called around to other granite guys and they all said there was no way anyone could do it for that price. Bart came out on a Friday night at 6:00 and measured and installed the counters a week and a half later. We could not be happier. Great experience!! Would highly recommend Granite Design to anyone.

It went really well. They did a very good job and were extremely meticulous in the their work. It turned out great!

I am very happy with all the work Andy and his crew did, from the estimates and measurements to the removal of the old and installation of the new. Everything fit into place perfectly and looks great. The plumber subcontractor also did a great job and showed up about 1 hour after the new countertops went in. From start to finish the entire job (removal, installation, plumbing) only took 3.5 hours. Great price, great work. Highly recommended.

Bart, the owner, was fantastic he was about half the price of most of the competition. He worked very fast and he did a nice job. He cleaned up very well and swept everything up. It was totally seemless all the way through.

They were super. They were really really good. From the beginning the fellow who was our contact was really responsive via email and phone. Their price was better than other estimates we'd had. Their installation was really well done.

When I selected the company on Angie's List, I got a message that they did not service my location. the company had an excellent rating so I contacted them anyway and asked them to please make an exception. Bart immediately agreed to come out an provide an estimate. He was professional and prompt. He took the measurements and provided an estimate within a few days. I would email him my questions about the scope of the work and he answered all my questions promptly. The installers did an outstanding job and the countertops are gorgeous and exceed my expectations.

He did an excellent job. The price was very reasonable.