Countertop Fabricator vs. Installer: Who Does What
Published •5 min read
A fabricator turns a slab into your countertop: templating the cabinets, cutting the stone, shaping edges and making sink and cooktop cutouts. An installer sets the finished pieces on the cabinets, fits seams and secures the sink. Many companies do both; others hand off between shops. The cabinet installer comes first, because stone can only be templated on level, secured cabinets.
Who Does What
| Step | Who usually does it |
|---|---|
| Cabinets set, level and secured | Cabinet installer |
| Slab selection | Homeowner or builder, often with the fabricator or stone yard |
| Templating | Fabricator |
| Cutting, edges, cutouts, polishing | Fabricator (in the shop) |
| Delivery and installation, seams, sink mounting | Installer (often the fabricator's crew) |
| Sealing natural stone, if needed | Fabricator or installer |
| Faucet, disposal and sink plumbing | Plumber |
| Backsplash tile | Tile installer, unless the backsplash is stone |
See the countertop installation process and countertop templating for each step in detail.
Where Things Fall Between Trades
- Cabinets not level at the template visit, so the templater has to come back.
- The sink or cooktop model not on site, so cutouts can't be cut.
- Overhang supports not installed before templating. See island overhangs and supports.
- No one assigned to disconnect and reconnect the plumbing.
- Damage to new stone or cabinets after install, with no clear record of who caused it.
Questions to Ask
- Do you template, fabricate and install yourselves, or use other companies?
- Who checks the cabinets before templating, and who fixes them if they aren't ready?
- Who handles plumbing disconnection and reconnection?
- How are seams placed and approved? See countertop seams.
- How do you control silica dust during fabrication? See engineered stone and silica safety.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a countertop fabricator and an installer?
The fabricator templates and cuts the stone into finished pieces; the installer sets those pieces on the cabinets, fits seams and secures the sink. Many companies do both.
Who installs the sink with new countertops?
The countertop installer usually mounts an undermount sink to the stone; a plumber connects the faucet, drain and disposal.
Does Mega Solutions install both cabinets and countertops?
Yes. Mega Solutions installs cabinets and granite, quartz, quartzite and marble countertops, so the cabinet-to-countertop handoff is handled by one team.
Cabinets and Stone in One Quote
Mega Solutions installs cabinets and stone countertops for homeowners, builders and businesses across metro Atlanta. Request a quote for your project.
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