The Countertop Factory

These people know their stuff. Their salespeople are knowledgeable and helpful. Michael Dean was wonderful! The template guy was very nice and conscientious. And the installers were great too. They are all very committed to getting it right. From start of the job to the end, I was so happy to be working with them. I've had countertop disasters with other companies in the past, so it was SO NICE to be working with lovely people who are total pros. I'd use them again hands down.

From choosing the materials to installation, the countertop factory's service was excellent. The installation only took about 2 hours and the installers left very little to clean up. I would definitely use them again.

It went very well from start to finish.

The countertop factory really hit a homer for me. Michael was my designer who recommended a great supplier to work with. He was very patient with our different requests and changes through out the entire process. The installation team were extremely helpful and very professional tradesman. I felt great about the whole process but knew we made the right decision when the installers showed up on time as the said the would. Were extremely professional. And spoke very highly of the team back at the factory. You could really tell that the Countertop Factory has assembled a good team. I also appreciated Michael recommended Flow-Rite plumbing. The were able to coordinate the reconnection of the plumbing within hours of the counter top installation.

I was very impressed with The Countertop Factory in our recent kitchen countertop install. We hired them to remove the old corian countertops and put in new quartz, including an undermount sink. They were very helpful in making a decision on which material and color to go with, and I felt like the price was competitive. They did a great job of explaining how the cost was determined and helped put me in a product that would require no seams and that maximized the use of each slab of quartz. On the day of install, there was minimal hassle and very little mess. They had the old countertops out and the new ones in within 2 hours - and we have a fair amount of counter space, including a large island. Both the office staff, as well as the guys who came out on the job site, were friendly and professional. I would definitely use them again.

We had issues with another contractor's work in 3 bathrooms involving Corian. They fixed all of the issues.

Absolutely fantastic, Michael and Eric are GREAT!

We had looked up several countertop businesses in the triangle area to get some different quotes for new quartz countertops. The CTF had a nice wide selection of different countertops (quartz, granite, corian, etc.) and Mr. Dean was very helpful with all of our questions. We started looking more than a year in advance and let him know that we were not quite ready at the time we started looking, which he understood and did not push us into something before we were ready. He did keep in touch every couple of months by e-mail. When the time was near, we went back to the CTF and made our final decision on the exact pattern we wanted. That style was on back order, which he informed us of immediately, and gave us an approximate date for delivery. After the stone had been delivered to the CTF, someone from the CTF called and made an appointment for someone to come and do the templates for the countertops. He was very friendly, on time and definitely knew all about different countertops and their installation. Exactly one week later, the installers arrived to put the countertops in our kitchen. They were very nice and the first thing they did was to come in the house putting down cardboard runners all over the kitchen area so as to not mess up the floor. They were very professional and they were finished with the installation before lunch. With the exception of new countertops, you could not even tell anyone had been working in the kitchen area. Our total experience with The Countertop Factory was indeed a pleasure and we would definitely use them again.

They did a great job when we used them in the past so we didn't hesitate to use them again. I liked their price and the wide variety of materials the have. They are very timely and work efficiently. After they install the new countertop, they have a plumber come in exactly two hours after they scheduled the work to fix all the plumbing, and they are done. It is one week exactly from the measurement to the installation and they make that timeline very clear. They are responsive with emails and make sure it is exactly what you want before they proceed. The workmanship is beautiful.

It went great. No one could be sure how long the repairs would take so they came up with a reasonable hourly charge. They sent out two very experienced guys who were punctual and worked hard as if being paid by the job and not by the hour. They tackled every tricky repair issue including sanding down the threshold of the Corian shower pan so any water on it would drain into the pan. They removed a recessed shower caddy and used a router to contour the sides and bottom so it too would drain water into the tub instead of holding water, and they added a pitch to the Corian top of a knee wall portion of the shower surround so it would properly drain water into the shower pan. I thought the job might take twice as long and cost twice as much.

Michael Dean was very knowledgeable and helpful, providing pros and cons for various aspects of the choice of countertop and sink. The Countertop Factory workmen arrived exactly on schedule, took out the old counters, disconnected the water and took out the old sink, installed the new sink (bought through them) and put new counters in place with (as advertised) an invisible seam, the perfect color caulk, no damage to surrounding cabinets and walls, all neatly and quickly done. We used our own plumber to hook up the new faucet and reconnect the dishwasher and garbage disposal. When we (stupidly) scratched the surface a week later, most of the scratch came out easily, but a very faint part did not. Michael came right over during his lunch hour (from Durham to central Raleigh) with a rotary sander, removed the scratch, and spent 30 minutes carefully sanding out a tiny dark dot beneath the surface (visible after removing the scratch) with feathering technique to ensure an invisible result. Once again it looks superb. Michael gave us (gratis) a coarse and a fine pad, not so easy to get at the store, I found. He recommended buying a small rotary sander, which we now have just in case, and a cleaning product for the occasional shine. He was customer service personified! We are very happy with every aspect of our experience with The Countertop Factory.

From the beginning working with the Countertop Factory was an enjoyable experience. Michael Dean was a major help in planning our project, discussing the options, and answering our many questions. After the scope of work was established and the quote accepted we headed into the install phase. The first step was a contact from Wes Brantley the Production Manager. He was the one to coordinate job-site activities and the production of our new countertops. The first person out was Vince the template maker. He was the one who made the final measurements. He too was very knowledgeable and offered up many ideas and suggestions. A week later the installers came out and removed the old countertop and installed the new. From start to final hook-up by the plumber it took a little over 7 hours and the job was beautiful. They started on time and cleaned up their mess. It was a FLAWLESS install. Every member of the Countertop Factory team that we met was professional, courteous, knowledgeable, and experienced. One group of people I never met but should be recognized are the people who actually made the countertops in the factory. They were flawless and fit perfectly. Overall, The Countertop Factory is a great company to do business with.

GOOD EXPERIENCE: Bathroom = countertop went very well, very pleased; Arrived on time, workers were polite, experienced, cleaned up afterwards, corian top looks great & very easy to maintain; plumbing installation was also smooth and no leaks. BAD EXPERIENCE: Quartz Kitchen countertop installers were different crew than the bathroom Corian installers. They arrived on time but that's were the good report ends. They were rude / defensive when we began asking questions about problems we were seeing (this was when we heard a lot of chatter in Russian -and a lot of jimmying of the counters in different spots). First, they caused major leak from the sink because they did something funky to the plumbing-even though I had it shut off as instructed. I just happened to come into the kitchen to see how things were going when I saw them laughing about it and minimally dabbing at the water. That infuriated me but I tried to remain calm and I ended up cleaning up to stop water damage while they watched. The quartz back-splash installation is ugly - some parts are done very well, other parts seam is horrible.They had difficulty leveling the counter but never bothered to tell me about it then blamed me/walls when I asked why it was done relatively poorly in spots. They did some rigging under the sink that looks like high school wood shop hack job. Used old wood under sink, wood was discolored; they cut out big holes on each side of cabinet underneath sink, one right up next to my dishwasher & exposed dishwasher insulation. They did not replace/cover hole cut outs afterwards. Did not speak English well and blamed us for miscommunications. Fact is they did not communicate at all problems they were having during counter installation. I simply "discovered" them in walk-thru check-ups as they were working. They chipped counter and had to repair it in places (now feels rough but luckily the pattern of the quartz hides the flaws ). I found another chip a day later, called the sales rep and he accused me of chipping it. Mind you, this is quartz, supposedly very difficult to damage. Wrong. In any case, he said the warranty wouldn't cover repairs (although it is supposed to be guaranteed for something like 20 years of "normal" use) and they would come back and fix the new chip but we would have to pay for the repair. This rep was no longer the nice and friendly guy who sold us this countertop but he did offer to come back & rip out the entire counter and replace free of charge-but with no guarantee we would have a more competent team, I decided against that. PLUMBING for both sinks: plumber contracted from the Countertop Factory instead of our regular plumber. Pleasant man but now we have plumbing "smell" issues in all sinks he installed faucets in. Never had this problem with older faucets and we had 3 different sets in 20 years prior. For kitchen plumbing, worse. Had to call back the plumber to fix leak in the initial kitchen sink plumbing installation- at least he was pleasant about it and came back within an hour to fix, then had to come back the next day to fix yet again. Unfortunately, now we have a stinky kitchen sink - no garbage disposal, but dual sink. Big mistake as water backs up between the 2 sinks and doesn't drain properly. After nearly a year of this, I'm now going to call my regular plumber and see if the draining can be improved. PRO/CON: Plumbing installation is done immediately after countertop installation as it is coordinated by the Countertop Sales Rep. Although numerous websites say NOT to install plumbing on same day ==>leaks/problems, we don't know if that's why we had issues or not. Countertop sales rep/plumber said did not need to wait and "have never had problems". Well...maybe I am the first to report these types of problems? PROS: Corian Bathroom counter top great - excellent installation team; easy to maintain, still looks like new. Kitchen Quartz counter very easy to maintain and lives up to no-stain, heat resistant, etc. CONS: get your own trusted plumber, not the one they use -but, will likely delay the completion of your job. Don't get Hans Quartz countertop for Kitchen. Either It chips too easily during the installation process or they have reckless installers (ours were). We were originally going to go with a higher priced Quartz (Zodiac) but we liked this particular pattern and sales rep was really pushing the Hans. Should have gone with Zodiac-Has better user reviews. But in the end, the installers were not the most careful guys so could just have been them and not Hans.

Good service, prompt with estimate.

I was very satisfied with my experiences with Countertop Factory. They installed a quartz countertop and a fairly large square footage. We did have one issue with their quality but they came back out and fixed it.

No problems. Worked with us on scheduling to fit our needs, able to go to show room to see good example of granite. Left no mess and were on time.

Sales/contracting: The sales process went very well. It included an on-site visit to help with selection and initial measurements. We also went out to the showroom/production facility off of Glenwood. They did offer to match a competitors quote. They were very responsive to email and telephone. Template and Installation: The template measurement visit was very professional and went off without a hitch. On the day of the installation, the installers were prompt, respectful, and hardworking. They took care to protect the flooring, furniture, and walls. The demo'd the old counters and removed them. They then installed the countertops. That went OK. We had some plumbing and other issues (See more on that later). They also did a good job of cleaning up too. Plumbing: We used the plumber they recommended. THANK GOODNESS. First the plumber had to cancel and without a beat the Countertop Factory team set up another plumber for us. The plumber was on-time to do all the reconnections. However, the holes made in the counters were not big enough to fit the faucet back in. Then the other fixtures would not fit back in because of the depth of the counter. It required us to make a couple runs to HomeDepot to replace the faucet and instant hot water heater. To everyones credit, the plumber stayed all day until it was repaired. I mean ALL DAY. That was GREAT customer service. In addition, the Countertop factory team came back out the same day to enlarge the holes. I am sure if I did not use their referred plumber, it would have been a very different experience. Concerns: The plumbing items that I indicated above that was resolved to my complete satisfaction. The caulking of the countertops. These are a dark brown counter. I addition, I had an existing brown tile backsplash. The countertops were caulked in with a bright white caulk. A VERY poor finish and it really made it look unprofessional. They originally said that it was what it was, but after a couple calls they sent someone out that caulked it all in with a brown sanded caulk that matched it all very nicely and was what I would have expected from the start. This was resolved to my satisfaction, but in my opinion was a preventable matter that should not have occurred. During the installation, it was found that my cabinets were not level. This caused them to wedge the counters level. I am OK with that. However, the wedges are right at the end of the counter and are visible. Again, it takes away from that professional installation feel. They indicated that nothing can be done about this. However, I have been paying attention to other installations I see and I never see any wedges underneath. I would not say this was completely resolved to my satisfaction unless I was told by multiple installers that "Yup you will see the wedges, that is normal" This 4th one is my BIGGEST issue and the primary driver behind my no recommend opinion. In a very visible part of the counter there is a .5 X 1 cm white defect. It just stands out on the counters. It drives me nuts. I went with an engineered stone to get consistency. In addition, I went with CTF because they said they had a high volume. I figured if any defect would have been noticed in the stone that they would have not used that piece. Nope, their quality selection process said "Nope lets go with this piece for this small residential project and then lets cut it so that it sits right out on the counter". When I reached back out to the company, they said that unless it was a quarter size defect that was to be expected. REALLY - In an engineered product? Maybe if you are installing all the counters in a hotel, but in a small residential installation? I would think that they would be more careful. I would search for a place that has more attention to the stone selection or go with a cheaper product, so that at least you got what you paid for. I posted pictures so that you could decide if these issues would be a concern for you or if I am just too fussy. I did send in their customer satisfaction survey with my comments and heard nothing back. They did not say they would respond to the survey, so I cannot really hold that against them July 2012 Update - We had a crack develop in part of the stone. Not sure what that means so short into the lifespan of the product. However, I can say that The Countertop Factory did come out promptly - First with the manufacturer representative to evaluate it and then out soon after that to repair it. They stand behind the warranty! That is a positive sign and we were glad to see that. An update on the white defect. They recommended covering it with black permanent marker. Interesting solution. I can say that it DOES hide it. It wipes off about once a month and then you just cover over it again. It is a good work around. So while you are spending 4K on new countertops; pick yourself up a Sharpie to ensure a finished product that you will show to your friends.

Their prices were not the lowest, but we were referred to them. We decided to go with a different company. We would take another quote from them in the future.

I don’t remember the price I spent. They were very good. They had a better choice in granite. They let my husband go watch them cut the granite; so he could tell them which parts he wanted for which part of the counter. The installers were good. They broke a piece, but they took it right back to the shop and repaired it. They were back that same afternoon to install it. They were responsive too.

Good communication and seemed very professional.

After looking extensively at granite countertops and talking with both "big box" and another small company re: purchase and installation, I called Ken at The Countertop Factory (TCF) to discuss replacing our countertops. I gave him the approximate measurements and within a minute he had an estimate that was almost exact once the installation was complete. I went over to the store and picked out the slab onsite. At Ken's suggestion, I brought a small door from one of our cabinets to see how it would look against several of the types and patterns of stone. The one I selected was perfect, and, surprisingly, was the least expensive of the selections. Ken arranged for someone to come out to measure. He arrived on time and was very helpful in describing a couple of places in our old house where the wall was not straight. He took the new sink that was to be installed with him so that the hole would be cut to exactly the right size. It was an odd shaped sink and he took no chances with simply making measurements or using online specs. The installation a week later was flawless. A team of 3 installers arrived exactly on time, and within 2 hours had the new countertops installed. They removed and carried away the old countertops. An hour later, the plumber (arranged by TCF) arrived to install the undermount sink and single-hole faucet. My husband and I really appreciated having the plumber scheduled by TCF to come in just after the installers left. He was thorough and did a very nice job of clearing out a lot of extraneous pipes and other odd connections from the original under-the-sink plumbing. By the way, you can use your own plumber, but it was easier to have TCF schedule the plumber, who works with them often. He called the day before to confirm the address and location, and asked some questions re: our plumbing to make sure that he had with him what he needed. We are long-time homeowners and have used a lot of professional services over time. This was one of the best experiences in terms of high quality service, timeliness, professionalism and price we have ever had. I recommend TCF most highly.

Michael came out to assess the current layout and to discuss options. We already knew we wanted the corian but were also considering butcher block for the other counter. He gave us prices for all the options within a couple of days. The corian color turned out to be a delay, but the whole project was completed within a month. About 10 days before installation someone came to make a template which took about an hour. I am extremely impressed with the workmanship, especially the butcher block, which had to be fitted between two columns. They told me ahead of time that the drywall might be marred, but it was barely touched even though the joint fits tightly. The installation only took 2 hours. They protected the floor and cleaned up afterwards.

They were excellent. They had good reviews online. They were responsive when I called them. I would recommend them. They were quick and reasonably priced. They did a really good job and it was really high quality work. I would definitely use their services in the future too.

They helped me realize that the pattern I had choosen would not make me happy since the seams would show. I really like the professionalism and pride they showed in doing this job.

We went to the showroom where salesperson Michael Dean was patient, professional and thorough in helping us choose our material (they offer Corian, Granite and Zodiac). We chose a grade of Corian. He also walked us through edge options, backsplash options, helped us pick a sink, etc. We felt we had his full attention and all the time we needed. He was very generous in giving us good sized samples to take home. Then the template person came to measure for our counters. He was punctual, pleasant, informative and thorough. A week later, Jim and Dave showed up right on time to do the install. They were awesome. Completely prepared, completely professional, worked quickly but with great precision. They were tidy, and also fun to have around. At one point they had some difficulty fitting a piece because the walls of the kitchen aren't straight. We all agreed on the solution, and they made a bad situation, that was not their fault at all, work for us. After the install, I decided I wanted a minor adjustment made so that a seam would face in a different direction. Michael sent the guys right back out and they redid that section at no extra cost for either labor or materials, and were just as pleasant as the first time. I am completely satisfied with the service and quality of product I received from The Countertop Factory, and I highly recommend them. They are a tight, professional organization with a great product, and they go the extra mile to make sure the customer is completely satisfied.