European Stone Concepts, Inc.

We had a kitchen fire and everything had to be replaced. We decided to replace our laminate countertops with granite. I went to numerous places including ESC. ESC had beautiful slabs and their estimate was much lower than the others for the same type of granite. They were great to work with and our countertop is beautiful! Thank you Glenn and Heather!

When I decided to remodel my kitchen and a small apartment kitchen in my house in June, I contacted 3 area companies to get estimates since I knew I wanted granite or quartz to replace my old countertops but didn't know what would be involved in the replacement. One of the companies was European Stone. I ended up choosing ESC because of their excellent customer service. Their staff was all very helpful and knowledgeable. The owner, Glenn Laskin, was extremely responsive even when I would think of questions in the evenings and send him emails to clarify. He would respond almost immediately and was very patient when I had to change something and/or coordinate responsibilities with the remodeler. Their pricing was competitive and their workmanship was excellent. It was evident that even the installers took pride in their work. I love my new countertops and highly recommend European Stone!

European Stone Concepts replaced our kitchen counters a few years ago and we were very happy with them, so when we wanted to replace Formica counters in two bathrooms, we didn't hesitate to contact Glenn Laskin & co. They came and measured within a few days, then came back to install the counters and sinks a week or two later after custom cutting the counters. Everyone we have dealt with at European Stone Concepts has been professional and caring. I highly recommend them.

The owner, Glenn Laskin’s was wonderful to work with in their sales office for the estimates and sales processes. He was able to answer all of our questions in a timely manner as well. Phil came to complete our templates when scheduled, he was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. We were able to have the same installer for both of our projects, Jose was absolutely fantastic to work with. He had a great sense of humor and always had a smile on his face. Jose was so pleased with how beautiful our kitchen had turned out, he actually took pictures of the finished product to show others how beautiful this project had turned out. In all of the years of remodeling I have never had an installer take so much pride in their work and then ask permission to take pictures to show them to others. Since we chose a new stone that European had just started carrying for our kitchen, we were naturally nervous and I have to say Glenn did a fantastic job recommending this stone. My husband and I were so pleased with the entire team at European Stone Concepts during these projects. We cannot wait to complete our last two bathroom remodeling projects over the next two months in which European Stone will once again install the new granite vanity tops. Thank you Glenn, Phil and Jose for all your assistance. We are looking forward to using them for many years to come as we will be building our next home in the near future.

First we visited the yard to view the slabs and picked out one we liked. After measuring, we received an estimate for the work. The estimate was received promptly and was complete. Glenn (owner) anticipated some difficulty in removing our old counter top but that went smoothly. Two days later our new counter tops were installed by a team of 5 professionals who were in an out in 4 hours. It looks fantastic--much more beautiful than expected! The whole process was absolutely effortless. We can't say enough about the courtesy and professionalism of the installation team. The carpenters who took out the old counter top were FAST and professional. The construction mess from both removal and installation was minimal. Next we plan to have our bathroom shower and bathroom counter tops redone and will definitely use European Stone concepts.

They provided a really great product which was installed without any fuss. It's been 2 years since our renovations of everything is still in great shape.

Nice folks, willing to help and dig through old inventory. Just didn't give up like the other shops that I went to.

Went great. They are open on Saturday (unlike most competitors) and have a yard full of stone and people willing to help. We exchanged several emails leading up to purchase and same with lead-up to installation. Very knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly

The work that European Stone Concepts did was top quality! Kitchen was transformed instantly. There were some hiccups in communication along the way but overall, the overall work made up for it and then some. I would definitely hire them again.

Sent an email asking about inventory and within 30 days this project was completed...WOW! Large selection in stock. The installers were prompt, courteous and efficient with their time and for that I am grateful. This bathroom vanity looks fantastic! This company is at the top of our list for our next project.

European stone did a great job -- as someone who had never gone through this process before, however, it was a learning experience for us. Essentially, we had to have the right expectations going in. Their price was better than the competitors and they were more responsive overall. Glen is very professional and courteous as are the installers. If you have never had countertops installed before, here are the steps: 1. Measure your counters, take pictures if needed, and ask for a quote (Glen will probably respond within the week if not sooner) 2. OK the quote that you get (may need a deposit) 3. Pick out the store -- you go to the European Concepts lot and pick out the actual slab(s) that you will use 4. Pick faucets (European Stone has a good catalog; generic ones are available at Lowes or Amazon; Specialty faucets can be found at Ferguson's on 29 North ) -- this can add $200 - $800 to the price, depending on what you pick. 5. Templating -- folks from European Stone will visit to measure everything, including the faucet dimensions and style to make sure they drill the right holes. So this happens after you have the faucets. After templating, they will schedule your stone to be cut. 6. Once the install date is set, you have to get your old appliances, faucets etc. unhooked prior to the removal of the old countertops. This may require an electrician (electric range) , plumber (faucets), etc. You can ask Glen about specifics. This will add another set of expenses. Sometimes lead times for such services can be pretty long; we have found Rooterman in Charlottesville to have the shortest lead times. 7. On the day of the install, European Stone installers will pull out the old countertops and backsplash and put in the new countertop. At that time, they will glue the new sink (often included in the quote) to the countertop. This sink will need 24 hours to set before you can have the new faucets installed. 8. Backsplashes will likely take a second visit to install. The specific measurements of the backsplash are not always even (they may be 3'5/8 on one edge and 3'3/4 on the other edge). After installing the counters, installers will remeasure the backsplash heights. Both times, we had the installers return on a later date (a few days to a week later) with the correct sized backsplashes. So, you should keep in mind that the counters may not be finished in one day. 9. Get a plumber, electrician, etc. back to hook up the new faucets and any appliances, 24 hours after the install. And you're done! As I mentioned, we had no idea about these steps before we started. A few pain points include: Scheduling with European Stone: The scheduling for appointments is not very smooth. They will put in a tentative date for the templating and the person coming in for that appointment doesn't realize that the date was not confirmed by you. Instead, you can be proactive and call in to set what day you want the templating to be (once you have the faucets). Similarly for the install and the second visit (backsplash install). Coordinating multiple service people: Between the plumber/electrician before, the installers the day of, and the plumber/electrician after, you are juggling multiple service calls and appointments. Unusable/unfinished periods: It may be 2-3 days while you cannot use the sink (you can use the countertops after an hour) and, depending on the backsplash install, you may have a few days where the drywall is an eyesore before the new backsplashes are installed. So you don't want the install date a day or two before you are going to have guests arrive at the house. Lead times from quote to finished install. European Stone is usually busy (a good problem to have) but as a customer this means you do not have a good handle on when the actual install will happen. Our jobs were relatively small and we were willing to wait (we had no constraints). That said, it may be anywhere between 1 - 3 months from start to finish of the process described in the 9 steps listed above. Hopefully, this helps first-time customers; I wish I had known all this before I started because it would have saved us from learning this on the go through the process. Now, we have used them twice (and we have two more jobs scheduled) and have a better idea of what to expect.

I worked with the contractor, who showed up on time and did a great job. The installation only took one day and the quality was very good. After everything was done, they made sure to clean up well. They were very professional, but a little pricey.

Very efficient process and finished product turned out as planned. Two minor call-backs - one side-splash was not delivered with the rest of the material and the kitchen faucet needed to be rotated so that the lever has the full range of operation (to full hot setting).

My wife and I are thrilled with everything about ESC. Glenn promised fast turn around time and met and exceeded my expectations. The installers were very neat and polite and I will use them on future projects. With so much competition out there, I am glad we used ESC, they really stand behind their work!

Dealing w European Stone Concepts was easy. They did a great job showing me slabs and offering to get others in stock to look at. Glenn the owner educated me on the positives and negatives of granite v marble as was going for a marble look. (Ended going w White Macabus granite) They called me ahead to confirm install dates/info. The dates actually hd to be pushed back as we added on some construction details so wasn't ready for install on original date. They managed the Change date without any issues and made sure we didn't loose time as we were working against a deadline. Was a great experience and I love my kitchen and stone

All was done correctly and in a timely manner. The price for all was below all of our other quotes. We did get estimates as I felt was necessary.

They had a good quality granite, but the problem was, with the actual installation, what you were told versus what happened, there was a lot of miscommunication. There were several places that were not put in very well. When they cut the stone, they cut part of it wrong and they had to go back and re-cut. They left a gap in the counter that you can't correct. We wouldn't go back to them. They were mid road on pricing. There was a lot of, "he said, she said, we didn't say," type of stuff going on. They did a lot of defending. They said, "We're going to come out on this day," and I took that day off from work and it turns out, "Oh no, we're not coming out on that day, we're coming on the next day. I'm a registered nurse. I can't just not show up to work. The people that actually came out to put it in were actually kind of embarrassed by some of the stuff that happened and they were very apologetic. The owners of the company sort of did a lot of back-pedaling, "that was never said," or ,"that was never promised," or, "we never said we would be out here on such and such a day, it was just an estimate," when I had explicitly made sure they knew that I have a schedule and I cannot miss work. I blame it all on the higher-ups, not on the people that came out.

Our experience with European Stone was great. I was a little nervous as I've wanted granite countertops for years but just never figured we had the budget to pursue it - but when I saw the deal offered on Angie's List I was intrigued. The pricing was solid and European Stone was great to work with - they took the time to answer my question, discuss how pricing would be handled since we had more square footage than offered in the deal, etc. Very strong customer service attitude with an obvious interest in making sure we got something with which we'd be happy. We went out to their storefront and found a very nice setup and some great looking granite. The overall process was incredibly easy and European Stone tried to work as quickly as possible - but they were very understanding when I had some scheduling delays and Glenn really tried to go over and above to get my job completed as soon as possible. The staff I spoke to on the phone as well as the guys who came to measure for the template and install the granite were great - solid professionals, friendly and willing to answer questions to make sure I was comfortable.

Initial scheduling went well except that the next day a different person called me to schedule the work on a different day (he did not realize someone else had already set it up). No big deal. I was told someone would be there between 10:30-12 noon, but when I called at 1:15, I was told he was tied up on another job in Richmond, and he arrived at 2:45 pm. I certainly understand when things are delayed, but in the future it would be nice to receive a phone call when it becomes apparent that the previously scheduled time will be delayed. Everything after this was perfect. Phil did a wonderful job. Very professional, polite, meticulous, knowledgeable, and cleaned up afterwards. I really liked the fact that he noticed the cracked seam between 2 pieces of granite and the poor caulking job (done initially by another company), and that he returned a few days later to take care of both of those things as well at no extra charge. I would definitely use this company again.

It was good. They did a good job. We checked the higher level granites so it cost more than that. They gave us a discount. They came out soon after we did everything. They had the whole thing done within about 6 weeks.

The template guy and installation people were very professional and left the house very clean. The countertop and sink are gorgeous. There was a mix-up with the faucet, and when Glenn learned we had a problem, he sent his guy over first thing the next morning after hearing from us the night before, and he made it right. I was very impressed with the fact that he cared that we had an issue and with how responsive he was. I definitely would use them again and would recommend them to friends.

Matt and his team were right on time as scheduled. They took great care to survey the site again after their previous inspection. They made sure that their feet were clean and protected our floors to prevent damage. The installation took much less time than expected. They were professional and left the location cleaner than when they found it. They left but took the time to come back after 15 minutes, because my wife had a question!! Highly recommended.

On time for installation. Excellent job in the install. From arrival to departure was 2-1/2 hours. Would use again!

The staff was very helpful selecting and estimating the granite countertops and sink configuration. The price seemed very competitive on the front end with other local businesses. However, after the initial measurements were made, multiple issues began to arise. When the technician arrived to measure he informed us of the need for supports along an overhang (never mentioned by the salesperson, although we were very specific about the countertop design), and priced those out as an addition. When the installation crew arrived, they said they had no idea they had to remove the existing countertops (again, never mentioned/questioned by the salesperson or technician, both of whom had seen the kitchen and knew it was a replacement), and so removal had to be priced out and added to the estimate). The installation from the top looked great. Under the counter where the brackets were installed was a mess. Shims and scraps of wood were left between the cabinetry and counters. I had to hire a contractor to come clean it up and special cut molding to cover the gaps they made in the cabinetry. Moreover, no one had mentioned we needed to have a plumber available immediately after the install to reconfigure the piping for the sink to work. Since our install was on a Friday, I had to pay a plumber overtime -- $1,000 -- to come hook up the faucet and drain so we could use our kitchen over the weekend. And when the final bill arrived, the five metal brackets which had originally been priced at 50/each were changed 75/each (an "oversight" apparently). It would have been less stressful and likely the same price in the end to have worked with the competitor in Charlottesville who is known for higher quality work. That said, the countertops do look really nice. Perhaps ESC is more used to dealing with contractors instead of home owners and that's how so many things fell through the cracks.

I had all of the measurements and details of what I wanted and sent them to ESC via their web page. I got a very prompt response and a quote within a day or two. The pricing was in line with what I expected for a smaller job. There were a couple of changes along the way with recutting the wet bar that increased the price. It was initially priced to recut on site, but the guy doing the on-site measurements suggested against it and I agreed that a shop cut for an undermount sink would be better. ESC came and removed the top and took it back to their shop. Once there, they determined the sink I had purchased would leave some of the cuts made by the original installer exposed on the undermount face. ESC provided pictures and a very clear explanation in a phone call of what the problem was and what the options were. We decided on a slightly larger sink and ESC was able to provide the larger sink at a reasonable price. The sink shuffle cost a little extra money, but only delayed installation from morning to afternoon. The delivery / installation crew was very friendly and professional. They ensured we were happy with the new island top and the positioning before they siliconed it to the counters. The wet bar sink recut was flawless and the exposed granite in the sink cut out was smooth and polished - no residual cuts from the original install. The sink fit perfectly in the cut out and looks great. I wanted a professional job since both of these surfaces are prominent in their rooms and I got one. The price may be a little higher than some places, but you get a real quality job from start to finish.