Countertop template to install: how long it takes

At this shop, 3 to 5 business days from the time it has your deposit and picked slabs. The three pages that rank for this question say up to 2 weeks, 2 to 4 weeks, and 10 days to 4 weeks, so get your date in writing.

None of the three names a source. Mr. Handyman says to wait up to two weeks for the top to be made and installed. Carpet Exchange says installs often happen 2 to 4 weeks after the template. SlabWise gives 10 to 14 days for a simple job with in-stock material, 3 to 4 weeks in peak season, 2 to 4 weeks for sintered stone, and 1 to 3 weeks more if the slab must be ordered.

The one manufacturer figure on this question is Caesarstone's, for fabrication alone: 1 to 2 days for simpler projects, 7 to 10 days for a very customized job. Ask every shop what date its count starts from.

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The cabinets, plus everything that cuts a hole in the stone. Cabinets must be set and level, the old tops dealt with, the counters cleared, and the sink, faucet and cooktop on site or their exact make and model known.

Cabinet flatness has a published limit. Cambria's installation requirements say cabinets must not be out of plane more than one eighth inch over 8 feet. If your run is worse, tell the cabinet installer first.

• Cabinets in final position and level. Cosentino's Dekton guide says to check this before detailed measuring. This shop's list says the same.
• Sink, faucet and cooktop in hand. This shop writes that every appliance going into the countertop, including sink, faucet, cooktop and downdraft, must be on site at template. Cambria's planning page allows model numbers instead; ask your shop.
• Old tops out. Cambria notes the installer will not remove existing countertops unless the purchase agreement says so. This shop says old tops have to be removed in most cases and that it will haul them away for an extra cost. One remodeling blog templated over existing granite, so ask which your shop needs.
• Counters cleared. Caesarstone also asks the client to clear top-level drawers and cupboards before install day.

Sources for this section: 1 3 4 5.

A technician measures the finished cabinets and turns the cutouts and edges into the pattern the shop cuts from. Cambria asks that the project decision-maker be present for the measurement and the installation, so plan for someone who can approve the dimensions to be home.

Caesarstone says the template shows how many slabs are required and where to place the seams. Templates come in two forms. UseNaturalStone describes physical patterns made from luan wood strips. One remodeling blog describes a laser measure feeding a digital template. Ask which your shop uses.

This shop writes that it could begin fabrication the same day it measures, and that the estimate is subject to change after template, depending on final measurements and material selections. It calls the day before the template date to confirm; changes after that call may delay the project and add charges. The same blog reports about 3.5 hours for templating over old granite and says bare cabinets go much faster, so ask your shop how long it needs.

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The shop cuts your slab to the template and finishes the edges and cutouts. Your job in this stretch is to change nothing: slab, edge and sink stay as approved. Caesarstone adds one fixed item for quartz. After cutting, slabs must sit to dry for 24 hours because the cut edges are extremely porous.

UseNaturalStone also notes that some stones are more challenging to work and take more time to produce. The table gives each stage, the time a source states for it, and what can hold it up.

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Cabinets that are not ready, appliances missing on template day, or a change after the template can each hold a job up. Slab supply and the shop's queue vary by shop, so ask about both. SlabWise names peak season and special-order slabs, without a source.

• More seams or supports than you expected. The template fixes slab count and seams. This shop says corbels, brackets or steel supports may be required where a top extends beyond the cabinet.
• Cabinets that may need work around the cutouts. Cambria's rule is for Cambria tops: added underside support within 3 inches of cutouts. Cambria gives no delay figure; treat it as a question for your cabinet installer.
• A slab that is not in hand. The shop's clock starts when it has both a deposit and picked slabs. Ask whether your slab needs ordering.
• A piece that needs adjusting. Caesarstone says a thorough template ideally makes on-site cutting unnecessary, and that an installer may cut into the drywall to fit a slightly large piece.

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Be home, clear the path and expect a few hours. This shop gives a 3 hour arrival window and says installation typically takes 2 to 4 hours. UseNaturalStone says most installations take four to eight hours with at least two installers; ask which applies to your layout.

On site, Caesarstone says the installer tests the fit, then corrects gaps or uneven pieces with shims and color-matched epoxy. It says an installer may need a diamond-tipped wet saw for small adjustments. It also says never to lift a slab without a second installer.

Plan the plumber before the stone arrives. This shop's checklist says to schedule a plumber to reconnect the next day, and to schedule any stove or gas hookup after install. It states it is not responsible for gas, plumbing or electrical work and does not remove tile backsplash, appliances or cabinets.

New Jersey Consumer Affairs says a municipal permit for permitted plumbing or electrical work must be signed and sealed by a New Jersey licensed master plumber or electrical contractor. Ask your plumber whether your sink reconnection needs a permit at all.

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A dated schedule. New Jersey Consumer Affairs says a home improvement contract above the state's written-contract threshold must be written and include a start date and a completion date, along with the contractor's name, a description of the work, the total price and the registration number. A date promised by phone is not a date. The same brief says not to pay for the whole job upfront and not to pay in cash. Bring these questions:

• What is the range from template to install, and what date does it count from?
• Does that range assume my slab is in hand, or does it need ordering?
• Who removes the old top, and who reconnects the sink?
• What happens to my date if the cabinets are not level, or I change the edge?

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More on this site: how the estimate, template and install steps work, finished kitchens and vanities, Dekton and book a template and ask for a date in writing.