Kitchen Cabinets and Granite

[Omar A.]

Hello,

I have a property that needs all new kitchen cabinets and counter-tops. In the past I have shopped at Home Depot and used the standard in stock cabinets with the granite counter tops. I have installed the cabinets myself and only had the counter-tops installed professionally through HD, which has been expensive. I have a few questions. 

• What suppliers do other investors in the Chicagoland area use, specifically for granite and kitchen cabinets?

• What is the typical cost per/SQ you are paying for granite? 

• Do you buy the slabs directly from the manufacturers and have a fabricator do the template and cutting for your counter-top?

I would love to hear others suggestions and recommendations. Thank you for your time!

[Marcus Auerbach]

Have you shopped for countertops at a contractor supply house? You have to look for them as they dont advertise to the general public. I have been looking for good kitchen cabinets for a long time and tried the different lines they have at HD and M, their in stock quality is junk and the ones you have to order take often six weeks and are not necessarily a bargain. I also tried Cabinets to Go, liked the concept, but had a horrible experience with partial, delayed and then damaged delivery. I finally found a small contractor supplier that specialses in kitchens. Great quality and very competitive prices, they also have two lines that are in stock. And of course they also have countertops and have relationships with stone suppliers. I got introduced through a friend who is a builder and they set up an account for me. They dont sell to individuals, so you have to have a business. Its pretty much like the paint stores, once you are set up with an account they give you 50% off or more. Personally I don't use granit, because in my market I don't get the return. I use high quality laminates instead. I source them through my cabinet supplier and they also hooked me up with great guy who does the installation.