Virginia Marble and Granite Inc

We love it. What we didn't love about the whole project and process is the length of time it took to complete (admittedly partly due to our changes in tile and marble selection early in the process). There were also several instances of miscommunication and/or misunderstanding that led to further delays. From the time of initial contact, in May, to selection of the tile and marble and signing of the contract in June, to completion of the project, in September, there were just too many instances that made us less than completely comfortable with the way things were going. But, as I said before, the outcome was very nice and we are more than pleased with the final result. It was getting to that good result that wasn't so great.

Showed up on time and performed excellently. Was worried about a pass through space window in the kitchen. They the granite for that, which made my wife happy. They even re-engineered part of the wood frame with me to get it looking just right. The rest of this was made to look easy. As a nosey handy man (in my own mind), I learned quite a bit today. Thanks to all of the team from Virginia Marble and Granite. Our time line was critical to selling the house, and they just improved it for us.

The crew members came on time and worked very hard and the plumber came to finish the work. Everything went very well.

On Saturday 8/31, we stopped in to the showroom. It was set back in a commercial park, but the sign above the door was very obvious. After a brief wait for a sales associate, we went back to the warehouse and explored the gallery of slabs available. There was no pressure on the sale and the prices per square foot were all comparable and better than others we had researched. We identified a slab and scheduled a visit for the template the following Wednesday (9/4). The gentleman doing the measurements was prompt and friendly. He took his time and discussed the options for the corners, overhang and other nuances and provided his advice on what does and does not look good or work. The final quote/contract was available on Thursday morning and included clear pricing. I stopped by the showroom and looked at the slab. There was no rush as I was shown the slab and was told where different edges would be and where the sink would be. The install was on Monday, the 9th and everything went smoothly. The installers arrived promptly. There were no issues as the team laid the stone and assembled the backsplash. The plumber took his time to go over the shutoffs with me and hooked up my garbage disposal. Final installation ended up being around 2.5 to 3 hours. At every point, the team was professional and represented their company in a positive manner. Overall, I was very happy with the process from start to finish. From the initial visit to final install, I felt treated as a valuable customer and never pushed into unnecessary upgrades or charges. The turnaround time was also very impressive. Nine days including a holiday from showroom to completion. Every step of the process left me happy with my decision to use this company over the larger retailers.

We first contacted VA. Marble & Granite on June 21, 2013, and met with Anna Koutchmar, the senior designer. She came to our home and provided a free estimate. Once we agreed to the initial price of approximate $6,000.00 for a basic remodel, we then went to their showroom to select materials. Once in the showroom ,and seeing the materials that were going to be used, we decided to upgrade to some special order products, which increase the price of course. The showroom has a large selection of everything that would be needed for not only a bathroom remodel but also kitchens, fireplace surrounds, floors, etc. They have an outstanding stone yard where you are allowed to walk-around and select what stone best suits your project. We selected Florentine Carrara stone (upgraded from granite) for both walls and floor. We chose Cambria Whitney stone (upgraded from granite) for the vanity top. This is a one-stop shop for your entire project which is what we wanted. All cabinets (upgraded), hardware (upgraded), Shower door, and mirror (upgraded) were selected from the showroom, and Anna was excellent at providing advice as to what matched best with what we were selecting. We never felt rushed or pressured. Once the job started, (approximately 3 weeks from June 21st), a problem was found with mole, pipes, and electrical which had to be address immediately and that delayed the installation of walls, cabinets and floor and also increased cost by ($2000.00). The lead project manager (Mr. Gustavo) however, guided us through the steps which had to be taken to elevate the problems and the unexpected work was performed professionally and in a timely manner. Anytime we had a question or wanted to make a change in design, there was never a problem and the company was most accommodating. We would have rated the company an "A", but the work started 3 weeks late do to back order of cabinets and a heavy work load. Cabinets being back order is not the company's fault, but heavy work load should have been mentioned in the beginning so that we would have been pre-warned about the 3-week delay in the starting schedule. This delay did not cause us a problem and I only mention it to justify our "B" rating of the company. We do plan to use the company again to do another bathroom and will be recommending them to our family and friends. Overall this company is a pleasure to do business with. Honest, professional, and fair-priced for what they offer. William and Patricia Johnson

Contractor was knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. Work was completed with care. Workers who came in the home were especially courteous and considerate. Would use this business again and recommend them to others.

Everything fit perfectly and bathroom looks great!

Good price. Zero sales pressure. I just walked into their showroom and granite warehouse and they let me look at all the slabs and helped me choose something that matched my samples. They had a nice selection, lots of variety. Then they gave me an estimate according to my kitchen floorplan. Easy! Out of the two granite contractors I was looking at they came in at the best price. They were accommodating to my schedule when I had to delay for a couple of days. The countertop they cut was of good craftsmanship: smooth top, one small chip on the side which they filled, smooth edges and corners. They were able to make my counters seamless. A very nice fit with hardly any gaps where the granite meets the wall. I'm very happy with my granite countertops!

How'd it go? The end result was pretty good but I watched the workers closely. The VMGI project manager rarely made an appearance. The sales person, Anna, was fairly reasonable to work with but I found a $1000 error (overcharge) she made on the final invoice. Anna's written proposal was very good. It was categorized and itemized, well organized and easy to read. The proposal was a shell game though. In addition to the work described above I had Anna bid on hardwood flooring for the living room, dining room, bedroom and closets and painting. I eliminated hardwood flooring installation and painting from her final proposal. She was reasonable on the kitchen and bathroom renovation work and gouge priced the flooring and painting. I gave that work to Carpet & More and University Painters. All new kitchen appliances were supplied by Bray & Scarff and their delivery/installation crew was awful. The reason I will not use VMGI again is that it was too time consuming and too much effort managing them.

My husband and I compared prices for our 70 sq. ft. kitchen remodel among Home Depot, IKEA, and VA Marble & Granite. VA Marble & Granite ran a sale for a kitchen remodel for 9K (for smaller kitchens like ours). Virginia Marble & Granite was very responsive, came to us to measure for free, and gave us a quote within a few days. They remembered our names and the details of our project every time we called, which automatically made them much more attractive than Home Depot or IKEA. Additionally, they took care of almost all of the details of our project (except for the appliances, hardware, and light fixture purchases; they did the install however), which also automatically made them much more attractive. At the end of our shopping, we discovered that the difference in cost between all of the providers was similar enough (IKEA's looking cheapest) that we felt comfortable choosing VA Marble & Granite. Had we chosen either of the other providers, we would have ended up acting as our own general contractors, even though they advertised "full service" options. VA Marble & Granite has an "A" rating with the Better Business Bureau, an expansive covered showroom and shop, and salesmen who are clearly professionals. My husband and I felt comfortable walking around their showroom and had our questions answered satisfactorily. Apparently, their showroom is one of the few covered granite shops in NOVA. There were a couple of communication issues between the sales department and the construction department once the project began. For example, I felt the need to remind the crew of the "extras" we added to the original sales contract when it didn't seem like they were being done. It could have been that they knew, but since they spoke little English (and I didn't see the plans or contract pinned anywhere) I couldn't tell for sure. There was also a spacing issue, which I mentioned to our sales person, who told me that she'd make a notation in the contract. I thought we were going to discuss how it would be resolved before the fact, but we didn't. So the contractors ended up shaving down some of the window trim, which in hindsight could have been resolved by recessing the gas stove line into the wall. The construction manager did not take responsibility for the mistake, even though I mentioned the spacing issue in writing at the very beginning. I was disappointed that the construction manager said, "there's nothing we can do about it. Code requires such-and-such space between the stove and dishwasher." It was their responsibility to identify and resolve the spacing issue before the job began. And, again, in hindsight some creative thinking could have resolved the issue satisfactorily to all parties (by recessing the gas line into the wall, which we discovered when we replaced the gas stove later). The only other complaint we have is that there were a couple of last-minute schedule changes that kept us waiting at home to let people in for 45-90 minutes. Mostly, however, they were on time. Regardless, the project was completed within two weeks. It would have been 5-6 days, but we ran into an asbestos abatement issue over a holiday weekend. The actual time that the contractors were in our home was 6 days. They accomplished a lot each day that they were here, traveling from Maryland and the other side of the VA beltway. We live on the third level of a garden-style, colonial condo building with no elevator. So they carried all of the cabinets, granite tops, and construction tools up 6 flights of stairs (There was no extra charge for this service unlike IKEA.). They were sure to cover everything with plastic during the days they were creating dust and vacuumed every day. They coordinated water shut-off (for the dishwasher install) with our maintenance department, which took a load of stress off of us (and reduced phone calls). They also included a few "free" upgrades for us, including a pantry cabinet, glass-front cabinets, diagonal ceramic tile (normally 10-20% more), replacement of our new ceiling light, and re-installing of door hardware. Overall, it was clear to us that the project managers were professionals. They insisted on handling a couple of unexpected issues in a way that added a little extra time but prevented problems in the future (adjusting for poor craftsmanship done long before we purchased the unit); and also promised that they could then warranty their work. I like that they've been in business for a while and have good reviews. Overall, our experience was very positive. I did a lot of research before hand and am convinced that we received a great price -- really not much more than a DIY provider -- and ended up with a much nicer product. I will try to post photos so you can see what I mean.

Overall I was very happy with the product and service. I would recommend this company to a friend and would use them again. They were a slight bit slow in responding with pricing due to an illegible e-mail address written down. I also had to negotiate to get the best price. The only other down side was that they were an hour and fifteen minutes later than they said and I was the first of the day. They definitely knew what they were doing and I got a great result on the morning scheduled at a good price. I would recommend them and use them again.

The warehouse is a bit far out and slightly tricky to find, in the back of an office park. There's a small showroom then a very large area full of granite slabs, rows and rows worth. It's a bit difficult to remember which ones you like as you navigate up and down and through the rows; and some don't have any labels, so it's hard to go back to the ones you like, or to know if they're in your price range. However, it's great that you can see full slabs of the stone and really get an idea of what the finished counter will look like. They came to our house within a week to measure for an estimate, and the install was less than 2 weeks after we made our decision. They were on time, professional, and efficient.

Overall the job was done well. They do have a large selection of granite surfaces to choose from and it is particularly useful if you have a small job that requires the use of remnants. We found a remnant piece that we liked. It was perfect for our area and we could get a seamless finish. The salesperson Matt was easy to work with. There was an issue during the 1st install attempt since the correct edging was not performed on the granite. The salesperson took responsibility for the error and promptly got the edging fixed and the countertop was installed within 2 days of the 1st attempt.

Matt Bidgood, our sales rep was one of the calming voices in my "home remodel gone crazy" universe. Due to the fault of the cabinet manufacturer (delivery problems and defective cabinet being replaced very late) , I had to reschedule my granite three times! Matt was very accommodating, and kept all of my records on file. All I had to do, after the initial visit to pick out my granite, was contact Matt by phone or e-mail. Matt was incredibly accommodating, and helpful in many ways. Jay, the templating guy, was also top notch. He was on time. He kept me informed of where the sink would normally go (I had wanted it shifted to the right) and had kept the location of the center in his notes so that all I had to do was contact Matt and Jay after I changed my mind (off-center sink would not look right on my counter). Jay contacted me back to answer my questions and reassured me that he has already made my requested changes, based on his notes from the visit. Raul was my lead install guy, and Norman was the assistant installation guy. These guys were on time, professional, and very good at what they do. All four people I have had to work with from VA Marble and Granite have been exceptional. And, of course, my Peacock Green Granite Kitchen looks BEAUTIFUL!

Va Marble has an excellent variety of marble to choose from. We tagged the piece we wanted and that is what we received. They left the scrap marble with us in case we wanted to use as ?accent? pieces later. Their price was better than estimates I received from two other more ?advertised? companies. We were also offered a good price on the undercounter sink and faucet, better than what we could get at the ?box stores,? so we went with them. Delivery went smoothly (and quickly). The lower ranking on responsiveness was because they did not initiate any engagement including follow-up call to see how things went or advice on how to care for the countertop, which I?ve come to expect from superior companies.

It went well. There was a problem and they fixed it even though it resulted in granite edging being throw out and replaced. They never asked for additional money and were only concerned that the job was done right.

It is beautiful! The general manager of the company was very helpful. We would use them again in the future.

They had a nice selection of granite to choose from The contract signing, measuring and installation all went smoothly. My price included a free sink. On the install day they were able to make adjustments and cuts to make the counters fit nicely. We were very happy wit h this company and highly recommend them. Absolutely no problems or negatives.

Very nice experience. The folks in the showroom and warehouse were extremely helpful. The estimation and install process was easy. The company sent out a plumber after the counters were installed - he was very helpful and patient as I had to run to home depot to get a correct type of faucet. The countertops look lovely and were a great selling feature!

The professionals at Virginia Marble and Granite helped design how replacement kitchen cabinetry should be configured (taking out an old bulkhead and installing taller cabinets). They ordered the cabinets, which came in on time in about 3-4 weeks. They took out all old cabinets and damaged drywall and disposed of them. At end of each work day, all debris and dust was cleaned up, and the workers used a plastic runner to protect the carpet. The entire job was done quickly, right on schedule, in about a week for the kitchen, and then in about another two weeks total for the additional work. Virginia Marble and Granite was a joy to work with. They were very professional, responsible, and skilled. I do not hesitate to recommend them for these kinds of renovation work.

Called Virginia Marble and Granite (VAMG) after a friend saw their special on the web. My understanding is that they also operate under M&T marble and granite. The designer came to the home on time, saw the space, took pictures/measurements and said she would be in touch with a design in a few days. She was very professional and presentable during this meeting. She came back with a proposed design in a few days which we said would be agreeable to. However, we noted concern about the ability to implement such a design given the space, we were assured that it was doable. We were asked to go to the showroom in Rockville to pick out tile, granite and vanity. We picked out a vanity (not in the showroom), granite and they had no tile available to pick from at the showroom(?). The company's project manager came out to view the space prior to starting the project and said the design could not be completed given the existing space. He was on time and professional. The design had to be changed numerous times before we could begin. They brought three floor tiles for us to choose from and two shower floor tiles (not a wide selection). We choose from the selection. We were told that there would be a crew of at least 4 persons working on the project. He estimated the project to take between 1.5 and 2 weeks. Before signing a contract the homeowners sent a scope of work, in order to detail the major items they wished to be included in the quote as well as the type and number of supplies to be provided by the homeowner. The company provided a quote (refused to detail the quote by major function i.e. tile, paint) which the homeowners agreed to and the project began. The project foreman estimated the project to take 1.5 weeks on the first day. The workers showed up between 7:30am and 11am each day, with no guidance or warning as to what time they would come. One day the office called to say they would come at 1pm, I arrived home to an email at 1:30pm saying they would not be coming at all that day. When we mentioned concern about this, the response from the designer was that we did not have to be home for them to get in and work. The construction foreman, who was bi-lingual, was at the project every other day on average for 1 or 2 hours. The designer never came back to the project and the project manager came back the last day or two of the project. Except for a few exceptions there were only one or two workers at the project each day, despite the suggestion of a 4 person crew. Most of the workers spoke Spanish, some spoke a little English. We felt as if we had to manage the project as there was little or no oversight. It took about 4 weeks to complete the 1.5 to 2 weeks project, ruining our holiday dinner because of the dust, debris, supplies and trash we had to move/clean. Many times the workers ran out of supplies and would not be able to work because the project foreman was absent who seemed to be the only person who could purchase supplies. At the end of the project the company left trash in our backyard, in the basement, collateral damage to our home unrepaired (drywall holes, paint ruined in hallway, dust throughout the entire home). The homeowners offered to take care of these items after they left the final day as we simply did not want them back in our home. They did however help themselves to the homeowners tools and supplies (we viewed them utilizing 5 gal paint buckets, hammers, wrenches, insulation, square, broom) without asking to do so. The buckets were taken/thrown away, insulation disappeared, and they broke the broom handle and dust pan and never mentioned it. There were numerous design issues. The scope of work the homeowners sent seemed to be ignored. The designer indicated after signing the contract that the homeowner was to supply materials above and beyond those detailed in the homeowners scope of work and requested we pay for those materials. The homeowner agreed to do so as we choose to view it as a misunderstanding. The cabinet selected in the showroom was not the cabinet installed in the home. When we asked for this to be fixed, we were told by the designer "the cabinet you paid for is the cabinet you received". We were offered the cabinet we selected for additional cost beyond the quote. The homeowner had to point out to the construction foreman the "final design" measurements did not match the work to date. When they were asked to correct this, the designer said the design was "wrong", but they could make the change for additional cost. After a few hours of arguing the project manager finally made the measurement fix at no cost. We had requested 4 lights in the scope of work provided by the homeowner, only to have them ask for additional cost when we pointed out the lights were missing. Again, after some arguing they installed the lights. We had to ask for tile work to be re-done as they had laid the tile with no spacing for grout in some places. The construction foreman did fix this with no argument. The project foreman did install a vapor barrier behind the cement board after some argument about it. Vapor barrier is recommended by the cement board manufacturer for wet areas and the vapor barriers were included in the scope of work provided by the homeowners. When the project foreman was around he would try to work out any issues, only to have the designer or project manager later call and override his decision. It was unclear who was in charge and who to speak to when problems or questions arose. The project manager, probably feeling sympathetic, did buy and install door knobs at the comapny's expense, I am told these are not included in their basic scope of work. The homeowners were extremely frustrated at the end of the project, which unfortunately takes away from the beautiful materials and bathroom. We spoke to three references, all who were extremely satisfied. When asked about the quality of the work, the project management, and the final result they spoke very highly of the company and did not reference the issues we had with design, quote, or work. I don't know if we had a different crew, caught them at a busy time, but our experience was challenging. Wish we had done more investigating beforehand.

Company did a great job installing granite countertops. I had tile countertops that needed to be pulled out--a difficult task. They did it while preserving my existing tile backsplash, which I wished to keep. Stone selection was fantastic, really happy with our selection. They are very busy, but always responsive.

A neighbor recommended them. Overall the result was okay. They quoted some different prices and I asked for some changes and I didn't get them. They cut the wrong thing at one point so they had to come back with another piece to replace it. We might use them again if the price was right.

The process was fast and went smoothly. I paid on Monday and it was installed on Friday. The guy they sent to measure the countertop smelled like he just came from Happy Hour. He had to come twice and both times it was the same smell. I doubt it was his aftershave. In hindsight, I should have asked for a different guy to measure the second time. The measurements were a little off so the installers had to do a few adjustments to make it fit properly. The installers stated that they face similar problems with that Happy Hour guy's past 3 measurements. The installers were professional and did a good job. They took extra time and care to do the job right. I gave them some tip $$$ for a job well done. Overall, I would buy from Virginia Marble and Granite again.

They provided expert personal service. They were attentive to the price sensitivity, seeking out even scrap pieces at a very reasonable to help me my budget. The finish of the sink was beautiful. I spent about $2000 on that work. The people that came out were very respectful of the house and of us and very exact with the installation. They had a good selection. I went to the store and told them that I was having price problems. They told us since this was a small project and for a kitchen there were a lot of very good left over?s that may work. They were very very good about the consultation and it was also nice that they helped us with the design.