Where to Find Wholesale Granite Countertops

There was once a time where only wealthy home owners had granite in their homes. Now, we do not have to go very far to find the material. Furthermore, the price of granite has dropped dramatically over the last decade and has made the once unattainable material affordable for all. Just as the consumer has searched for better deals, so has the professional builder and contractor. When looking for wholesale granite countertops, builders and contractors look for several factors including the quality of the material, the consistency of the granite colors, the reliability of the fabricator cutting and delivering the products, and of course the discounted price for purchasing large quantities. Typically, a professional builder will have anywhere from two to as many as hundreds of homes to supply countertops for. In instances like this, they have several choices for wholesale granite countertops that will not be available to consumers. The first choice the builder will have is to contact a quarry in China or Brazil to directly import the slabs himself.

The positive aspect of going down this route is that he will cut out nearly every mark up and save a considerable sum. The negative is that the builder or contractor will need to fully understand the importing process and how to move container loads of products. They will need to have proper bonding so that customs clears the items and allows them in to the country. Since it is not within their realm of expertise, many builders shy away from finding wholesale granite countertops this way.

Another option the trade professional may have is to purchase slabs from the countless granite fabricators closing their doors or going out of business. They can find these by contacting auction houses or by even reading the newspaper. Again, the positive aspect will be that they can purchase the materials for less than anyone this way. A business closing shop or an auctioneer selling products does not care what the original costs were. Instead, they are focused on simply converting assets to cash in order to pay debt. As a result, the savings can be incredible. The challenge is that once the builder or contract purchases wholesale granite countertops this way, they are responsible for physically transporting the slabs to their facility or to another granite fabricator. Remember, the material is still in its raw state and must be cut, polished, and shaped for its final destination.

A final consideration is that when professionals purchase products from auction houses or clearance companies, they should carefully inspect the consistency of the materials from one slab to another. It is not uncommon to see someone purchase white granite countertops only to find that the slabs near the middle of the pack are more beige or grey than white. This can create a problem as most homeowners will demand some consistency in the final installed countertops. Careful inspection before purchasing will find such issues. Most auctions have a pre-event date where they allow prospective buyers to come in and inspect what they are considering bidding on.

Related Articles:

• Granite Countertop Colors
  Find out the best granite countertop colors for you based from base colors and price levels ; helpful tips you may want to know when purhase granite counters.
  
  
• Granite Countertop Edges
  What are the factors you need to consider when selecting granite countertop edges? Find out here to help you start with your kitchen or bathroom tops project.