I'm so happy to be able to recommend my fabricator!

Like many, I went through the torture of trying to find an honest and reasonable fabricator. What a nightmare! After lots of help from people here, I learned to ask the right questions and found a wonderful company- Dominion Granite.

They have an incredible warranty on their work, they make seams disappear, use an impregnator instead of a sealer (so you don't have to reseal every year) and their prices are SO reasonable. They are also very willing to listen, answer questions and really involve you in the process. I can't say enough about the great job they did.

You can choose your stone from any yard you like, and they are great about giving you quotes with lots of options.

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Dominion's site

I recommend A&S Granite on S. Pickett Street in Alexandria, VA. I met with Christian. His e-mail is:
christian@asgranite.com

I am getting my honed VM from them. I think they get their VM slabs from MSI.

Here is a link that might be useful: A&S Granite

I recommend you find a fabricator who is a member of both the Marble Institute of America (MIA) and the International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA, formerly, SFA).

Here are some threads to check out:

Thread: Looking for granite fabricator in DC metro area
Thread: Countertops in Maryland
Thread: suburban Maryland granite yards, fabricators
Thread: Quartzite Yards in MD/DC/VA?
Thread: Granite fabs in NoVA?
Thread: Has Anyone Use ''Granite Source'' in Chatilly, VA?

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread: Stone Information and Advice (& Checklists)

Eight years ago I used International Marble, Granite and Tile on Lee Highway in Arlington. We did have a glitch...a misunderstanding that led to one of my two reserved slabs at Eurostones being released. But in terms of the fabrication it was easy as pie. Perfectly done, perfectly installed, reasonable price.
One other nice thing....these guys are practically next door to the Bray and Scarff appliance store (too expensive, but good for window shopping) and the Benjamin Moore store, so I could accomplish multiple tasks in one trip!

My experience with Rugo stone was terrible, despite it being a relatively simple job. The problems and mistakes were numerous.

If they will not give you a price on the spot per square foot installed they are not worth talking to.

I use several different fabricators for my kitchen business in Alexandria. If you want the names and phone numbers of people who will give you a exact price in less than 10 minutes that have done a lot of jobs for me where the customers are always happy email me.

There's something you also need to realize when pricing stone fabrication....it's not just the materials, it's also the details of your job. In many cases, the details will drive the price up significantly. Did you give them the actual layout of your counters, not just a verbal description like you gave in your original post?

If not, the fabricator may not be able to give you a quote yet, although it would be nice if he told you that. You probably will not find a straight "per square foot" price b/c the actual price is based on materials + the details of your job. Details such as... Number & size of cutouts needed
Which cutouts need to be "finished" (like undermount sink cutouts)
Number of holes (faucet, soap dispenser, airswitch, etc.)
Counter edge chosen (straight, ogee, bullnose, etc.)
Corner cuts (#, size, & angle)
Radius cuts (diagonal corners, curved overhangs and corners, etc.)
Window wells or similar
Etc.

Often, the "details" are what run the price up, not the materials.

When you start comparing quotes, to do a valid comparison, you need to get the quotes using your specific countertop layout & needs, not what someone quotes you here. If someone tells you they can give you a quote without the details, I would consider it a red flag unless they specifically tell you what their quote covers and/or specifically tell you the quote is a "rough quote" and may change significantly when they have all the details.

However, you should be able to find out what level your stone is and get the pricing for each level of stone...and that will be the starting point of your cost. Levels are only slightly related to quarry location. Other things come into play and may have a bigger impact on level/cost such as popularity of the stone, how much is actually coming out of the quarry, quality of the stone overall, type of stone, etc.

BTW...sometimes you'll find a fabricator that will include a sink cutout and up to 3 holes in the basic price. Any additional will cost you extra. If you do get a quote from someone who offers this type of "deal", remember to factor that into the price s/he quotes you.

Oh, and some places will charge you by the square foot while others will charge you by the slab. If they do the latter, ask for the remnants b/c you're paying for them!

International Marble, Granite and Tile on Lee Highway in Arlington.

I HIGHLY recommend them. Very professional. Even replaced a whole slab of kitchen granite due to dissatisfaction.

Ali is a very professional man. I would use them again....
Excellent job for us!

Thank you all, have pursued some of these leads already. Will follow up with what I learned and who we go with!

I also recommend Dominion Granite. They are highly recommended by sooo many people.

I had the same (bad) experience with ItalGranite as another poster--AND the installation was terrible. Avoid them!