1. A quote from plans
Send the kitchen plan with sizes, the sink and hob models and photos of the room. We send a first free quote and say which stones suit the job. From abroad that's email or WhatsApp, a few days.
2. Choosing the stone
Seeing the slabs is worth the trip. We're at 8 rue Joseph Marie Jacquard, La Chapelle-Saint-Luc, open Saturday 10:00 to 16:30, which suits a weekend visit. If your stone isn't in stock we order it from an importer, and that's where it can stretch. Italian, Spanish or Brazilian slabs go through distributors and the delay depends on the season. For small pieces there are offcuts.
3. The quote
It fixes the stone, thickness, finish, edges, cut-outs and fitting. Signing it, and the deposit if there is one, reserves your slab. See quotes and VAT.
4. The units
That's the kitchen fitter's job. The units must be fixed, level and final. Move one by 2 cm after we've measured and we measure again. If the dishwasher isn't in yet, its exact position has to be.
5. Measuring
We take the shape with thin boards or a digital system. An hour or two for a standard kitchen. Have the sink, the hob reference and the tap position ready. In old houses we follow walls that are rarely straight.
6. Cutting
The bridge saw cuts the slab, or the waterjet for curves and tight corners. Then the edges, the sink cut-out with its polished inside edge, the grooves and the tap holes. 3 cm stone is about 80 kg per m², so long runs are often in two pieces with the joint where it shows least.
Two to four weeks between measuring and fitting is common in the trade when the slab is in stock. Your date goes on our quote once the slab is confirmed.
7. Fitting day
Two to four of us carry the pieces in, level them, glue the joints with tinted resin and seal to the wall with neutral silicone. A standard kitchen takes a day. A waterfall island or a narrow staircase takes longer. Clear a path from the door, and if the house is empty, someone still has to let us in.
8. Plumber
The plumber reconnects the sink and the electrician the hob once the silicone has cured, about 24 hours. The resin joints reach full strength over a few days, so wait a bit for the big dinner.
The calendar
In August many firms, importers and Italian quarries close for two to three weeks, so a kitchen measured on 25 July may not be cut before September. May is thinned out by 1 May, 8 May, Ascension and the bridging days, and the last week of December is short everywhere.
Working back
If you come over for short stays, work back from the day you want to cook. Units, measuring, cutting, fitting, plumbing, each one needs the last one done. Book our visit only once the fitter confirms the units will be level, and avoid late July.
See also kitchen worktops, the vocabulary guide and buying from abroad. Call +33 7 45 20 76 39.
