I am in the middle of a soapstone & marble search right now & here are the places I have been to in metro detroit:

Dwyer Marble & Stone in Farmington Hills (recommended by a couple people I know) - they will give you some fabricator names if you don't have one. I am playing phone tag with someone right now to get a quote

PMP Marble & Granite in Troy (recommended by one person I know) - but I have not gotten a quote out of them yet

My builder has his own recommended granite guy who gave me a quote on soapstone & marble already, but I only have this guy's cell number & have not been to his warehouse (it is not a showroom).

Pascucci's on Pontiac Trail in Wixom. (They also have another store in Wyoming, Michigan.) Beautiful choices, great remnants at a good price, professional installation, family run business for decades. Be sure to read the two testimonial letters on the wall.

Anne

Here is a link that might be useful: Pascucci's link

We stopped by PMP Marble and Granite and were not impressed. The sales person we spoke to was not overly friendly or knowledgeable. And it seemed they deal mostly with builders.

Although we found some negative information regarding Rock Tops, we know several people who have used them with great success and their pricing was more affordable. We originally went to their Holly store, and were not impressed but then followed it up by visiting their corporate store in Macomb where we found them to be very responsive and helpful. At this point, we only have our measuring appointment scheduled for next week but so far so good.

Thanks everyone for the information. I have heard some good things about RockTops. I also stopped by CSW (Custom Stone Works), and they seemed to be knowledgeable, prices were reasonable, but the selections were not great. Please keep the suggestions coming. I know that my design counter design is slightly more complex because I have a lovely support beam dead smack in the middle of my island!
D.

I would highly recommend Pascuccis in Wixom. I am very pleased with the installation, beautiful seams. We were looking for something different, Costa Esmerelda, very happy. Good luck!

The Pascuccis website does look impressive. I particularly like the lighter granites like the Juperana Delicatus..I will definitely stop by, and get a quote. Was the pricing for Pascuccis higher than your typical Rock Tops or CSW?

annekando- any luck on the soapstone/granite search? I'm thinking about mixing soapstone and granite too. Soapstone on the island, and granite on the counter tops
Lukkiirish- Any luck with Rock Tops? I understand they are having a sale.
I called Pascuccis today, and they told me to fax over my layout, I'll do that tomorrow. They sound expensive though!

annemarolla, we got Costa Esmerelda from Pascucci's, too! I agree that the seams are beautifully done. We had to piece the peninsula through the center at the sink since it was too long (10') for one slab, and you can only see the seam if the light shines on it at a certain angle. We talked to the guy who runs their computer driven machine that held the 2 granite slabs up next to each other and manipulated them up and down until he was happy with the matching where the seam would be. Since the Costa Esmerelda pattern is so irregular, I was amazed that he was able to match the 2 slabs so well.

sweet313, you might try going over to Pascucci's to see what they have in remnants. When we got ours last year, the cost for ANY remnant including installation, sink holes, polished under edge, --everything-- was $25/sf. We got the Costa Esmerelda (they had 5 slabs that were cracked which is why they had them with the remnants, but my layout worked with the smaller parts of the slabs) which was $125/sf elsewhere, and Juparana Persia (1 slab which we used for 2 bath vanities) which was also normally a more expensive granite at the other places we looked. They had a remnant piece of Sagebrush granite with an ogee edge that had been cut for a larger vanity. We got it trimmed down for the powder room--and they didn't charge us extra for the ogee edge. They had multiple slabs of some other granites in their remnant section, as well as many single slabs, and quite a few counter size pieces.

Pascucci's had a lot of regularly priced slabs that I hadn't seen elsewhere--several different marbles (we got a honed one for our island called Hauteville Gold that is a borderline marble/limestone--only thing we paid full price for since DH fell in love with it), some gorgeous onyx, and many beautiful granites.

I decided I'd rather spend less and buy the remnants, rather than have my first choices and pay more. However, Costa Esmerelda had always been a granite that appealed to me, and DH had always liked the Juparana Persia, so we got lucky at Pascucci's!

Anne

Hi Sweet313, Have gotten measured but have not experienced the install yet. I do have a friend who is going to be installed on the 25th and when I hear back as to how it went, I'll let you know! -- Lukki

Thanks for the feedback Anne and Lukki! I am definitely going to stop by Pascucci's. I spoke with someone over there today, and they were very professional and helpful. I will definitely look into their remnants as I need granite for the kitchen and both my bathrooms.
Lukki- definitely keep me posted on your friend's progress! I probably won't choose the granite company for another week or two.
D.

D - So far I haven't had any luck finding soapstone I like. I am looking for something not too dark. More in the grey/green family with some veining. Everything I have seen has been very dark with no veining. Some fancy place at Coolidge & Maple in Troy had some with crazy, huge green crystal veins. Not what I wanted. I am heading to the Marble & Granite Gallery in Southfield tomorrow because someone recommended it and then I will continue my search next week. I'll let you know what I find.

Well, I am headed out to Pascucci's and Rock Tops today. Hopefully, they will have something that I like, and of course I will report back.
Annekendo, it seems that although soapstone is really popular on this site, it hasn't quite caught on in the Detroit area? Most places that I have called said that they only have one or two pieces of soapstone! Please keep me posted in the "soapstone quest"! LOL!

Sweet313, I have heard back from my friend and the install was flawless, she's estatic, however that said, I have found out some things about Rock Tops that has me leary about referring them. Although they are one of the bigger installers in the area, it appears they may not be as customer friendly as some of the other smaller retailers. Hence, lower pricing, great sales, but sucky service. I personally, have not experienced this thus far, but wanted to make you aware. Google RockTops and you'll see what I'm talking about. Additionally, they have some bad news with the BBB.

At this time, we've been told that we can schedule our install as early as the week of 10/6. On the 29th I'm going to go and change slabs because in our original viewing I had seen a crack in the slab of choice which they promised they wouldn't use. However, after reading some of the comments I've decided not to take them at their word and rather find a slab that's crack free instead. DH thinks I'm WAY over reacting, but I have a little voice inside that has never steared me wrong and it's saying "Change out the slab", so that's what I'm going to do. When I told our tile installer who we have to install the counter tops, he was able to confirm some of the nightmare stories I've since read about, which also is not a good sign.

Again, at this point, I personally haven't experienced anything negative AT ALL, but .... at the same time I'm not very trusting in their word. I would feel really terrible if you trusted my reference as a stepping stone to using them and then ended up having a negative experience, especially after knowing what I know now. Wish us luck on our install and of course I'll advise on the results once our granite is installed. --Lukki

Lukki,Good luck on your install! You must post pics when the job is complete! I'm with you..you should definitely have them change out that slab. I'm always a proponent of following that inner voice. I did go to Rock Tops and Pascuccis today. Pascuccis was definitely more expensive, but they seemed to be very professional, and had a great selection. Rock Tops on the other hand was certainly not as professional as Pascuccis, but friendly none the less. The selection at RockTops was limited, and I was surprised that they didn't offer more variety. The guy that I worked with was very willing to work with me, and definitely wanted our business. My plan now is to go to a few other stores, and see what they have as well. Pascuccis is sending me a quote, but I'm sure that it will be outrageous, as the stone by itself was $60 a sq. ft w/o installation!
Annekendo, if you're still around...Pascuccis did have a few slabs of soapstone, so you may want to give them a call..

Oh, so glad you saw my message before you made a decision, yes, I feel better knowing the slabs will be changed. Which store did you go to? We live north of Troy and originally went to the Holly store, which did not leave us with a good feeling at all. However, we later went to the Corporate Store in Macomb and obviously had a better result and it seemed they had more to choose from. Actually, there are two other granite stores on 23 mile by Hayes or Schroener. I went into one, and was really impressed, but have no clue about the prices. I'll get the names tomorrow when I drive past there and let you know.

--Lukki

Lukki,
I went to the RockTops in Wixom. They did mention that the Macomb store had a larger supply. I stopped by great lakes granite and marble today, and they have a nice selection. I'm definitely leaning towards them. We'll see..I figure I still have a week or two before it becomes critical!
Thanks for the information! Don't forget to update us on the install progress.
D.

D - I am heading to Great Lakes G&M tomorrow (and maybe a couple others). They have soapstone (which I want) but they will only sell it through Home Depot. I am heading there anyway to see it even though I prefer to avoid HD. Have you been to Dwyer Marble yet? I have been there twice already looking for tile floors, backsplash & marble & they were really nice & their recommended installers both got my quotes very quickly.

Hi Sweet, Hadn't heard of Great Lakes, but am glad that you have found a place with a good selection. Wixom is the store our friend went through, it was installed on the 25th and they're estatic with it. Last Tuesday, I went back to the Macomb store to look at other slabs, but was not happy with the two lots they showed me. Decided to stick with the one(s) we have (which we both loved) and say my prayers. I was upfront with the sales rep about my reservations with the slab and he's reassured me that if there was a crack, they would absolutely not use it...they're going to send a pic of the layout first, then schedule the install, could be a few weeks. Will definately update when it's installed. In the meantime, give a shout when you finally decide which place and granite you've decided on! Would love to know what you finally end up doing!

Annekendo, I went to Great Lakes granite the other day, and they told me they didn't have soapstone! Also, they were willing to work with me w/o Home Depot. They had a really good selection, and I found a few pieces that I like. I'll probably post some pics because I will need help making the final decision. Annekendo, I definitely saw some soapstone at Pascuccis.
Lukki,
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you! I'm sure that it will turn out just great!!
I am hoping to make a decsion really soon! I can't wait!

I was just sorting through some old kitchen files, and I realized I'd made a big mistake in my comments above. In fairness to Pascucci's, I thought I'd better correct the record here. I had forgotten that they had said the installation costs on the remnants would be the normal price and in addition to the per square foot cost which, of course, was what we paid. So installation was NOT included in the price I quoted above.

Sorry if I sent anyone on a wild goose chase. The per square foot price for the remnants was still excellent. The memory starts to play tricks when you're older and/or on overload!

Anne

Very timely post for me as I am in Detroit area too...Any other recommendations out there? I went to Rocktops in Macomb based on a referral from a friend. Staff was nice, but I did not find a granite that said BUY ME. Anything else in Oakland or Macomb county?

out there are lots of Granite places to choose from

merimom,

You're in luck! I'm just coming to the end of my granite search (narrowed it down to Pascucci's and Terrazzo Tile)
check out these places:
Dwyer- Farmington Hills- great customer service, great selection..once I found a fabricator, their prices were on par with the others.
Mont Granite- Farmington Hills- Great exotic selection..they definitely had your more out of the ordinary granites
Terrazzo Tile (Farmington)- great selection..customer service was just OK, but it was closing time.
Pascucci's - great selection and customer service
Great Lakes Granite and Marble-Redford You can go here w/o working with home depot. They will ask you if you're working with HD, I'm not sure if that's a price thing, but I just said that I'm not working with anyone.
Ciot- New Store in Troy. Not sure about their prices yet, but they had a decent selection, with more exotic granites.
CSW- Limited selection- Basic granites, which I didn't want. But, I will say they had great customer service.
Rocktops- Limited selection- Basic granites, which I didn't want. I wasn't crazy about their customer service...but it wasn't terrible.
I did find stones that I like at Ciot, Pascucci's and Terazzo. I would say that these are the finalists. I'm hoping to FINALLY make my decision this week! All the prices were comprable at the places that I mentioned above, with the exception of Pascucci's- they were definitely higher, by about $800...but I may be willing to pay the extra based on previous recommendations.

Hey Sweet313! I've been thinking about you, and wondering what became of your granite search...sounds like you've been busy!

We finally had our install a little over a week ago and it went so much better than anticipated! Lovely, absolutely lovely. The only glich was we weren't informed that the undermount sink would need 24 hours to cure before installation of the faucet. Since the granite install was on a Thursday afternoon, and our plumber couldn't come later in the day on Friday, we had to wait the weekend before having water again in the kitchen. The installers did a really good job though and we're happy with how it turned out.

You're right about the selections available at Rocktops, they are more limited but for us that was fine, we just stuck with our original decision, Green Peacock. I would have loved to have something with more life, but in our area that would have been considered an over improvement.

Oh well, let us know what you end up deciding to get! good luck! Lukki

Lukki! I am so glad to hear that the install went well!! Yea! You must post pics soon, if you haven't already.
I actually stopped by PMP marble today..the salesperson was really friendly, and they had a few slabs that I liked-Oh no! Just when I thought I was close to making a decision! I will be posting all of my finalists soon- I need some help with this decision (stay tuned and weigh in). I must must must get this granite installed soon. There is no way DH is going to spend any more weekends at granite yards! LOL!!

Thanks, Sweet313! Still knee deep in our search. DH does not like anything very exotic so the basics are probably good for us. Therefore, price and customer service will probably guide us. With the real estate market as it is in Detroit, we are probably already overimproving just by doing the kitchen in the first place. I will check out a couple of the places you listed.

I went to PMP Marble and Granite on Big Beaver in Troy and they had a large selection of granite and marble. Customer service was just "ok". I think their prices are high. Compared to RockTops, they were $500 more for Tan Brown and $1000 more for Uba Tuba...How is this possible? I have a call into RockTops to verify their quote included sink cut out and mounting of our undermount sink.

Yes, will post pics soon...I totally understand about DH and the weekend hunts for granite...mine was a BEAR! Please show us what you're considering, after all that shopping I bet the final contenders are wonderful!

Merimom, you and I had the same feelings about PMP...In regards to Rocktops, pricing usually does include fabricating and sink mount. That's who did ours, the Peacock we got is very simular to the Uba tuba, and they did a very good job with the install. The only store I worked with was Macomb, but my daughter's friend went through Wixom with good results as well (selection is greater at Macomb though). Good luck!

Well, I should be getting a quote from PMP Monday or Tues. They had a good selection, and the customer service was good the second time that I went. The granite that I really like is from Ciot, but all of the quotes that I have received are ridiculous! Hopefully, I will get more quotes on that granite this week...Decisions, decisions, decisions...I will post pics soon ( I have to research how to do it- LOL)

Not surprised about Ciot...That place just LOOKS expensive! Good luck. We have it narrowed down to a few rather safe and boring choices that we could get just about anywhere...Tropical brown, tan brown, brown pearl, santa fe brown. Most of our neighborhood is formica, so we are sticking with the basics, plus that seems to be what my husband likes anyway.

I am contemplating marble counters in a smallish kitchen remodel and am looking for updates from all of you. Any further reports? I' went to Dwyer and Pascucci's yesterday and liked them both. Dwyer gave me two installers and I stopped by the one close to them. Quotes from him (Stone Works) and Pascucci's were very close.

As I understand it, Rock Tops went out of business . . .

Wantakitchen,

Did you try Genesee? Here's their information. They sell as well as install the stone. I used them for soapstone and was happy with how everything turned out.

GENESEE CUT STONE & MARBLE CO.
5276 S. Saginaw Road â Flint, Michigan 48507
Phone (810) 743-1800

Thanks. I'll call them. Did you drive up there to pick out your slabs?

I keep seeing postings on Craigslist for incredibly cheap offers, but am leery of someone without a recommendation. I'm off to Great Lakes and the Marble and Granite place in Southfield today.

Yes, Rock Tops went OOB leaving employees and customers high and dry. Another one bites the dust in Michigan. Wonder which tropical island its owners are on? (I'm not cynical...much!)

Since we are getting a basic color/stone, I think we are going to go through a big box store...Sadly, I am kinda afraid of giving a deposit to small business right now...Hope things turn around soon.

Genesse has been around a long time. Yes, I went and picked out my stone. I also went for the templating (although clearly not many people do this bc they were a little surprised by my request).

Well, I just had my granite installed today by Great Lakes. One piece of the island wasn't fabricated correctly (even though the guy that came out to measure, really took his time to get it right), so they have to redo that piece. The perimeter looks good though, including the seams ( I think- maybe I'll post and let you be the judge). To be honest, I wasn't overly impressed by the professionalism of the install group. It wasn't terrible, but could've been better. I'm not ready to give them a thumbs up or down yet, I'll have to see the finished product.

Please do post some pictures, sweetd313! I visited Great Lakes, Marble and Granite in Southfield and PMP in Troy yesterday. I am waiting for a quote from PMP and I plan to call Genesse Monday.

One thing I find interesting/worrisome: how they figure square feet. The Dwyer installer said it would be about 54 square feet. The guy at Great Lakes said 60. I should be able to figure out square feet myself, I know, but obviously, there's something to it that is escaping me.

I will definitely post some pictures. I spoke with the manager yesterday at Great Lakes, and he was very helpful, and concerned- I'm hoping that he follows through and my granite is finished perfectly next week! You went to all of the places that I have been. I found PMP to be very expensive, but I have heard good things about them (actually from someone at another granite store).
I had the same problem with the sq. footage. The biggest difference between the companies was the island overhang. To compute the square footage, you take the length*width and divide by 144-a 27 inch cabinet that is 36 inches high would be (27*36)/144=6.75 sq ft (at least that's the formula that the granite stores gave me! LOL!!)

LOL! I was just reading my own post- that should be width not height! I believe the standard width is 26. So, that would be 27 (counter length) *26/144 for a standard cabinet. I probably just made it more confusing! : )

Well, that's interesting. Using the formula you gave me, it's exactly 60 sq. feet, as the guys at Friday's stop suggested. The installer Dwyer recommended seemed to think it was less. i better confirm his price is good whatever it ultimately measures out to be. Ditto Pascucci's.

I'll look forward to pictures!

Thanks detroitburb for this link!

Is there anyone left out there from this posting? I would love to know how each "story" turned out! It would be helpful to know some post install recommendations for those of us still on the hunt in the D!