Granite Grannies

We would highly recommend Granite Grannies. We were having some work done in our kitchen and were lucky to find GG. From the first outreach to them for a quote/appointment, their customer service was impeccable. We met with Kimi at the showroom and her knowledge and enthusiasm was obvious and appreciated. When we went in, we weren't sure whether we wanted a darker or lighter granite. She talked to us about color schemes and showed us several options that might work (from "budget" to "exotic"). She even gave us large samples to take home and consider. We talked to a couple of other places and visited at least one other showroom. The prices seemed comparable, but by far, we were so impressed with the customer service that we chose GG. And, we are so pleased with the result. They gave us an understanding of the timeframe and everything was done when we were told it would be completed. From beginning to end, we were never disappointed.

It went great. Lori (owner) is very responsive and customer oriented. She's a good listener and truly did her best to meet our requests. She promptly returned calls and searched extensively to find us the right stone. She also went out of her way to give us several options, but never tried to pressure us into a course of action. Her craftsmen were professional and very skilled. They did a great job measuring the stone (our counters are very irregular) and picking the best veining to show off the best and most interesting aspects. Upon installation, they did a great job and even went the extra step of wrapping a column base in the same marble as the backsplash - just because it completed the look and was aesthetically pleasing. It is evident that they truly care about their work and take pride in the job. Their prices are very competitive and considering that they were the best bid, I am also convinced that we received excellent quality for the price.

Initially our experience with Granite Grannies was good, but unfortuneatly our windowsill and desktop granite had not been measured correctly. We knew the windowsill measurement was not on the paperwork (we made a copy of the paperwork) and I called Lori, the owner to tell her we were concerned and she assured me that everything would be allright. When the installers came to install the granite, the windowsill was not the correct size just as my husband and I had predicted. We talked extensively with the installer/fabricator about what could be done with windowsill and when he came to install the "new" sill, it was still the wrong size. He led us to believe that he had made us another sill, but what we realized after he left was he had gone outside to his truck and glued on some "ears" on each side of the original sill to make it wide enough to fit the window. He had also cut down the width of the sill way too much (I wanted to be able to have herb pots on the sill) and now I have puny windowsill that is not at all what I wanted. The desktop was was a few inches short, but we had our carpenter move the desk cabinet (at our expense) to take care of that problem. Bottom line is there was not enough granite left over to make a new sill and I was told by Kimi" The only they can make another sill would be if they got another customer who ordered the same type of granite and IF there was enough granite left over"... So, today I spent the whole day waiting for someone from Granite Grannies to come to my house and remeasure for a new windowsill and no one showed up. Lori called me late this afternoon to tell me she didn't have anyone available and her guy was at the MVA and she had no idea when he would get here and informed me that she was going to "replace my perfectly good sill" and was incredibly nasty. The guy from Granite Grannies finally showed up at 7:00pm (the MVA closes at 4:30pm) and I just told him to leave after he told me what a mess replacing the sill was going to be. This is typical of Granite Grannies Customer Service-if they make a mistake YOU are to blame. For almost $10,000.00 we got what Lori claims was "good enough". Lori also charged us for a piece of granite that was included in our contract. She had lowered her price to compete with another bid, then claimed she had to charge us extra "to make up for our discount". She claimed the way she had lowered our price was to "buy back some of our granite"-but we had already paid for our granite. So what she really did was hold our granite hostage and made us pay for it. I am sure Lori will write a rebuttal statement and claim that I have misrepresented her company, but I have talked to other employees at Granite Grannies including Lori's son and they agreed that communication within the company is a huge problem and mistakes with measurement happen frequently. If you decide to allow Granite Grannies in your house here are some good guidelines: 1. Make sure they make templates at your house. Lori told me that wouldn't be necessary that my kitchen was "easy". Yet they managed to screw up 4 measurements out of 7. 2. Don't let Lori charge "extra" for anything included in your contract. 3. DO NOT MAKE YOUR FINAL PAYMENT UNTIL ALL YOUR WORK IS COMPLETED AND IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU AGREED UPON.

Ironically, I saw the sign for Granite Grannies on the side of the road. The unusual name stuck, so when I got home I looked them up online and the majority of their reviews were positive. There was also a video of how a typical installation would go. We compared prices with two other companies and GG was mid-range. They were very responsive to my inquiries and answered all my questions. They also took the extra time to send me many pictures from a lot of granite distributors. I was concerned that the granite I had on existing counter tops would not match the new installation. They were the only company that seemed to truly understand my desire to match the granite I already had. The process was pretty standard. They set up a time for measuring and creating a template and then a time for fabrication and installation. I received a picture of what the template would look like on my granite slab. Once I saw that, I was able to adjust the template so that the veining was front and center on the island. I appreciated that attention to detail from the company. What makes this company so wonderful are its amazing employees. The young lady that interacted with me via phone was always polite and very knowledgeable. The gentleman who came out to measure for the template was personable, yet professional. He gave me suggestions about what edging would look good and even noticed that there was one section of the island that needed an adjustment to make the granite fit properly. The two gentlemen who came to install the granite were very efficient and professional. There was a slight issue with the template (One side was too short, but as the customer I will take responsibility for that. Once the template was initially completed, I asked that two inches be added to an edge. It was written on the template, but must have been missed when the granite was cut.) The installers offered a reasonable solution, but it involved them taking a piece of granite back to have it re-cut. This would have delayed the installation, which we did not want to do. We were able to retrofit the granite by making adjustments to the island itself. (My husband had assembled the cabinets to create the island, so he did the fix). Possible crisis averted. The installers were pleasant and jovial the entire time. Even when it appeared that the granite would not fit, they remained professional and courteous. I love my new island and have recommended this company to many neighbors and friends. We are looking to add a bar to a media room. Granite Grannies will be the only company I call.

*This top section is a response to the company's response.* Please do me a favor and point out one thing that I said that was inaccurate. In addition, please stop using incorrect numbers in your responses. Your Yelp reply states that I never paid you $1,500. This is a lie. I paid you all but $845. That $845 went to the plumber your company forced me to call. This also means that you did not pay "$1,000" out of pocket for a plumber. At the very least, please at least use the correct numbers involved. And to state that you were "quick to pay" is yet another lie. Simply look at the timeline in my review below for your definition of "quick." My reviews are not meant for revenge. They are simply to enlighten others about what happened to me when I chose your company. Let them decide how they should proceed. Mistakes happen. How you handled the mistake is where I, and I'm sure others, have a problem. I am more than willing to back up all of my claims in a court of law. I doubt you'd do the same since so many of your statements are false. ****** WARNING - the following details my horrible experience with Granite Grannies and their poor customer service. It is long, but worth reading if you are considering buying from them. January 14 - Thomas Hamlett and Meagan Hobgood visited Granite Grannies and were given an estimate for the total cost and a sample of one of the countertops. January 17 - We agreed to purchase the countertops and paid the deposit of $1325. January 19 - Granite Grannies were scheduled to measure for the countertops on this day. On the morning of January 19th, they informed Meagan Hobgood of a need to reschedule. January 23 - Leo Brown, one of the installers for Granite Grannies, arrived to measure kitchen for new countertops. Meagan Hobgood requested the name and phone number of the plumber they use. Leo informed Meagan that it was not necessary, that he and his colleague, Arben Maliqi, another installer for Granite Grannies, were very capable of disconnecting and reconnecting plumbing lines. Meagan informed Leo that hiring a plumber was no problem and her only concern was it being completed correctly. Leo assured Meagan that Arben had many years of experience with plumbing and could handle it without problem. January 26 - Countertops were originally scheduled to be installed at 9:00 am and Granite Grannies informed Thomas that he would be the first call of the day. However, that morning Thomas received an email (but no phone call) stating that they would need to push the time back because they were behind on another project. We were told our countertops would be installed by 11:00 am. At 11:00 am, an employee from the shop called and said that the installers were running late and would be at our home at noon. At almost noon, Meagan received another call stating they were still running late and would not be finished before 4 pm, when Meagan had to leave. They requested to begin the job and complete it independently. Meagan declined and the install was scheduled for the next day (January 27). January 27 - At 9:00 am, the installers had not yet arrived. Meagan attempted to contact the store to no avail. Meagan then contacted Leo Brown via cell phone directly. Leo stated that he “could not find” the file and therefore did not know the address. Meagan provided the address and directions and Leo and Arben arrived shortly after 9:00 am. Upon arrival Leo asked Arben to check the plumbing under the sink. At this time Meagan asked Arben directly if she should contact a plumber before proceeding. Arben and Leo both stated that it was not necessary and Arben was very sure he could handle the plumbing. Meagan reiterated that her only concern was for it to be completed correctly and Arben stated that “a plumber will charge you $400 for the same thing I can do.” Arben and Leo then began the process to remove the old countertop. As the installers were removing the large countertop containing the sink, a pipe was broken and the kitchen began to flood. Arben yelled for Meagan and Leo to find the house shutoff valve. As both were looking for the shutoff water began to leak through the kitchen floor into the basement. Once the water was shut off Leo and Arben began using towels to soak up the water that had leaked. Leo apologized profusely and stated that he felt resistance while removing the countertop which was unusual. At this time Meagan contacted Thomas, the homeowner, who then contacted his homeowner’s insurance. Thomas requested Leo and Arben end the installation as a water mitigation team had to survey the damage and begin the drying process. Thomas also had to contact an emergency plumber to repair the broken plumbing and restore water to the home. The water mitigation team had to remove one base cabinet and left several dryers and dehumidifiers throughout our home for five days in order to dry the damaged areas of the home. The dining room floor was permanently damaged and had to be partially removed as a result. On the day of the incident Thomas attempted to contact owner Lori Hethmon three times before finally making contact at roughly 7:30 pm. Lori spoke with both Thomas and Meagan and reported that her employees stated it was “not a big deal.” February 2 - Thomas sent Lori an email stating that he was extremely dissatisfied with the installation that led to the flooding, provided a video and several pictures describing the living situation in the home since 1/27/12, and stated that he would like a significant discount on the entire cost of the granite installation. In this email he stated that if this was not possible he was requesting his deposit be returned in order to seek another company to work with. Lori returned the email stating “Of course we will have to work out something on the granite for your troubles.” February 6 - Thomas and Lori spoke via phone the evening of February 6th. At this time they discussed a discount on the granite countertops. Lori stated “We’re not taking any more of your money. I’m going to try to write off your countertops on my insurance. If I can’t, then it will suck for me, not for you guys.” Lori also sent Thomas an email on February 6th stating that she would feel “so distressed” in our situation. February 8 - Countertops were installed by original installers Leo and Arben. After the installation was complete, the installers did not request any payment for services. They provided a final invoice for Meagan Hobgood to sign which had the remaining balance scratched out. February 15 - Thomas and Lori spoke via phone the evening of February 15th. At this time Lori asked Thomas what compensation he felt would be fair. He stated that if he was “being honest” he would like to pay $0. He clarified this to say that ideally he would like his original deposit back given everything he and Meagan, as well as his home have been through since January 27. Lori stated that this was “ridiculous.” Lori stated that she would contact Thomas on Thursday, January 16 to discuss the matter further. February 16 - At 10:53 pm, after waiting all day for Lori to call, Thomas texted Lori’s cell phone and stated, “Going to bed now, guess you’ll call tomorrow instead.” February 17 - Still no communication. February 18 - At 10:22 am, Thomas texted Lori’s cell phone and stated, “Still waiting for your call from Thursday.” At 6:13 pm, Lori texted Thomas stating, “Call me if u r free. I will be available till 7:15 tonight.” Because Thomas wanted a written record of their communication, he texted Lori stating, “Please email me with whatever updates you have and I will get back to you.” Lori responded via text with “Don’t have any updates better to talk.” Thomas then responded via text “Ok, well please email with whatever you would like to discuss.” Again, Lori responded via text stating “Call me when you are free.” At this point, Thomas realized that she likely didn’t want any written record and he had no other choice but to speak to her on the phone. At 7:58 pm, Thomas called Lori’s cell phone. At this time, Lori stated that the most she is willing to offer as compensation is $200 off the entire cost. Thomas inquired about the balance being removed from the final invoice and Lori stated, “I don’t know anything about that.” Thomas then requested a copy of the final invoice. Lori refused to provide this stating “No, I’m not willing to do that. You should have your original invoice, but I won’t send you this one.” Conclusion as of May 31, 2012 - No repayment of the plumber cost was ever issued. Instead, after requesting that I pay the entire remaining balance of $1125, I told them that they would not see a dime from me until that payment was issued. After a couple weeks, they sent me a new invoice with the $845 plumber cost subtracted from remaining balance, leaving $280. No mention was made of the $200 Lori offered to take off from the final bill. Instead of dragging this on any further and in hopes of being done with this company for the rest of my life, I ended up just paying the $280. Note to all - know what you are getting yourself into when going with this granite company. There are many others out there to choose from so do your research. They are horrible with communication and do not have any integrity when it comes to their word. They refused to honor multiple statements that were made so make sure you get EVERYTHING in writing should you go with this company. Also, they replied to my review on Yelp saying that I only paid for half of the original price. This is a flat out lie. Just because $845 of my money went to a plumber DOES NOT MEAN I RECEIVED A DISCOUNT. I paid the entire original price, with part of it going to the plumber I was forced to call as a result of their mistake. Mistakes happen. I understand that fact. Their handling of the mistake afterward is what left me highly unsatisfied.

I found the staff to be very easy to work with, well versed in their trade and happy in it. The installers are able to make decisions on their own to get the job done right the first time. They're GREAT!!!

During the installation the granite was broken. They tried to repair the broken section, but it was not to my satisfaction. They had to order a new piece of granite. They replaced the broken section to my satisfaction. It looks beautiful.

Everything went very well. They were efficient and worked with well with me in relation to the choices I made. They came back out to fix things that needed to be dealt with fairly quickly.

Very professional company. We went to Granite Grannies, saw a countertop we liked, and it was installed in less than two weeks with no drama. In addition, they quoted us a price in the store, and stuck with this price until the job was done...no hidden fees. We picked a more expensive type of granite, and have a fairly large bar in the basement, that is why the price is so high.

They did a wonderful job and I couldn't have asked for anything better. I would highly recommend them.

The pricing process was very easy. We brought in a sketch of the kitchen with sizes of each piece of the counter top. We just used a tape measure and very simply drew a sketch. With this data, we received a firm price in just a few minutes based on 3 grade levels of granite. We then walked the selection that they had in stock. If we had not seen a piece that we loved, we could have gone to another granite warehouse. We saw many beautiful pieces and selected a pair. After we paid a deposit, when of the installers came and developed precise measurements suitable for cutting the granite. The next step was the "design" session. Lori, the owner, worked with us to identify the portions of the slab that we loved the most. They designed the fabrication to optimize the portions that we loved. She also showed us photos of some full back splash installations. She quickly priced a full back splash. I realized that a full back splash was only about $900 more than a tile back splash. This decision was the smartest one in the whole process. Lori also suggested a change to the edge which we accepted. The actual installation was a bit rockier than we or the owner hoped. Two human errors introduced several challenges. The first was that the kitchen counters showed up with the wrong edge (because of the change in our order). Amazingly, Lori didn't try to pressure us to keep the wrong edge. They took the counters back out, re-polished them to put the proper edge on, and brought them back the next day. In addition, one back splash section was incorrectly sized. When the piece was installed, the beautiful curved edge ran right through an electrical outlet. Because of the careful match that we were trying to achieve, it took several rounds of new pieces to match well enough. Again, the owner was truly committed to getting it right, not asking us to compromise. Even so, she did provide a discount for all of the inconvenience. I rated the promptness as a C because they were often late. Because of the craftsmanship required for installation and final cutting, often the installation prior to our appointment would run over. I have already recommended Granite Grannies to several of my friends. I plan to use them again to install a desk top next year when I redesign my office. The quality of the stone, the fabrication, the installation, and the design ideas were amazing!

We visited the Granite Grannies warehouse, and received wonderful assistance from the owner, who helped us identify a lovely granite remnant that would work for a job in our small kitchen. We then had somebody out to measure for the job, and they showed up on time and wasted no time getting the job done. After the measurement, we wanted to make some changes in the original order. These changes were no problem. Though we used a granite remnant for our job, it was very obvious when it was installed that there was a great deal of thought and care that went into how the slab was cut to maximize the look of the veins in the granite, and the worked was absolutely beautiful. Installation was quick and easy. Overall we couldn't have been happier.

They were fabulous. The owner had great taste and helped me in picking out materials. She wasn't overbearing though, completely let me make the decisions but offered great opinions. Her installation and cutting team were great. One person doing the installation did crack a piece. It wasn't horrible, but Lorrie, the owner, replaced it immediately. I would highly recommend them and use them again if I ever needed.

I would highly suggest that people go elsewhere. The mismatch of color and pattern at the joint (in a prominent place) is so glaring it destroys the artistry of the stone.

We visited Granite Grannites know knowing anything other than wanting to update a 30 year old home. What an awesome experience! After talking with Kimmie and Laurie we were sold on finding the perfect piece of granite for kitchen counters and two vanities for the bathrooms. Kimmie and Laurie suggested a number of companies to find the granite we liked. After visiting two places we ended up falling in love with a great big slab of granite that had just arrived at Granite Grannies. We first visited Granite Grannies on a Tuesday, Chuck was at our house that week laying out the template and by the following Thursday Chuck, Mike and Andrew were installing the granite. The entire process was so much fun! Everyone was friendly, informative and professional. I have even told friends and family when you want something really fun to do go visit companies that carry granite. What an awesome experience seeing the slabs and learning how they get transformed into a thing of beauty! I would recommend Granite Grannies to any and every one.

The piece of granite was cut to size and the edges finished according to my request.

We found a different granite that we liked as well for a lower price at another shop.

They did a magnificent job! Our stunningly unique countertops are like nothing we have ever seen. Every single person who walks through the door remarks on how incredible and gorgeous they are. My husband and I were afraid to make this leap, but Lori encouraged us to take a chance and really make a statement. We will never buy our granite anywhere else! I was planning to replace one of our bathroom vanities because we dislike the top. The vanity is solid oak and great quality, so now I'm thinking we'll just get a nice piece of granite at Granite Grannies and new a sink instead. They do large projects and small. Their prices are competitive, which really surprised us. Plus, you will get something unique and gorgeous, instead of the ubiquitous products the big box stores are offering. Also, the personalized service you will receive at Granite Grannies is top notch! I don't know about you, but I'm sick of sitting in chair, waiting for someone to be paged to come to help me. Half the time they never show up at those huge stores. That's not how it goes down at Granite Grannies. So, here's my advice, RUN, DON'T WALK TO GRANITE GRANNIES. You'll be glad you did and you'll come away delighted. This is a small business, so show them your support folks. Every single employee there loves their job and it shows. Thanks again to Granite Grannies for a job well done! We appreciate it! We'll be back!

The owner, Lori, was outgoing, extremely intelligent, friendly, and helpful. Her knowledge of granite is tremendous. She even travels to Europe herself to select granite pieces, and has a very high quality selection. Some people would consider the granite expensive, but the pieces we are talking about are very high quality.

Granite Grannies was helpful and pressure-free during the sale and installed the countertop without problems. We were very satisfied with the quality and the price.

I disccovered Granite Grannies when I went to the state home and garden show. They had unusual granite and marble for much less than quotes from other vendors. I went to their shop/warehouse to pick out my granite. It was little hard to connect with the owner and only sales person. Best time to call her was at night. It was fun experience walking thru the warehouse. She had lots of different styles in big slabs. I chose Desert Fire. She had five slabs and I only need one. Several customers wanted the same design and I was on a waiting list for one particular slab. When I went to finalize the deal, I was told there was a mistake by the installers and they had installed my slab for another customer. There were still slabs left, but not the one I chose. I went ahead and chose another one, but was disappointed. They had two sinks and faucets to choose from. Both were stainless steel and nice designs. It took about 2-3 weeks to get the granite cut and installed. Unfortunately, I was unable to be there during the installation. My husband was home. They called me about which side of the sink to put the faucet. I chose the right side by phone. Unfortunately, that side had the plumbing pipes and I continue to have problems pulling the facuet out to spay. It should have gone on the left side where nothing impeded the pull weight. When I can home, I also found the backsplash behind the sink was cut in two pieces. In the design and drawings on my slab, that was always one piece. It was nicely joined behind the sink. The granite is beautiful and they have always come back to correct any correctable problems.

We went with granite grannies after having a bad experience with another granite company, which left us in the lurch a nd we needed to find someone who could work with us quickly to finish our bathroom remodel. I had spoke with them months before when the remodel was in the planning stage. I was trying to find a specific type of granite and they had it. After determining that the one remnant was not big enough we discussed another piece that was promised to another customer, but that might leave a viable remnant. Kimmie was going to try and find out if there would be enough leftover from the other job. She was nice, but I had to keep calling her back to get information. She said she would call me, but then I would not hear anything. She did not have an answer for some time and in the end I decided I would move on as they could not determine if there would be a remnant. Months later I contacted them again after the granite company we had been working with failed to order our countertop material and we only found out the day before the scheduled instal. I called Granite Grannies and spoke with Kimmie, it turned out they did have a piece of granite that would work. I explained the time constraints and that project was paused because we need the shower threshold before the glass guys would measure. She told me she would send me a picture of the granite that day. When I had not heard from her the next day, I called them back. It was Kimmie's day off so I spoke with Lori. Loribwas helpful and responsive and understood the time constraints. She said she would speed up the process to squeeze us in, my discussion with her went really well. The price was higher than other companies estimate by $400, but I need the granite and they were willing to work with our schedule. I had to leave work early to be home in time so they could measure and they did not show up on time. I called and was told they were running late. In the end they did not even come that day, but came early the following morning. On the day they were to install, they said the installation would be that afternoon. My husband waited at home and I had to call them to find out when they were going to get there. Another job kept them from showing up at all that day. We had a very difficult time getting any updates and it was not until after 8 PM that night that we were finally told they were not coming. They did come on Saturday, which they do no normally do since they did not show up on Friday. I was told that a kitchen job worth a lot more money was prioritized over my small job. I guess that was an explanation for not showing up, but I would have preferred not to know how little my job matter. It made me feel like I was a problem for them. The shower threshold was not installed properly and had to be reinstalled, one of the sinks was not properly sealed, the door threshold cracked, which I asked them not to install in the first place because my contractor wanted to do it, and so was supposed be replaced. They did not show up to fix the threshold when they said they would and then they cracked the new one and just ended up repairing the one already installed since they did not have another piece available. They had problems with my contractor, who might not have acted as professionally as I would have liked.

I was more than pleased with the time and attention I received, the quality of the workmanship, her installers and overall service.

Granite Grannies was a wonderful experience. They got everything done right away, on time, no hidden costs or fees. A year or two later, I had a small opening that occurred in the seam grouting. They came out fixed it checked the other seams and no charge. Awesome. I keep trying to find another way to use their services. I’m thinking bathroom counters.

When we were dealing with them and getting estimates, they were very, very good. My sister actually had her whole house done by Granite Grannies including the kitchen and 4 bathrooms. I was impressed with them and I recommend them.