Countertops
Set a new top, scribe the splash, and reconnect the sink. We do this across Monmouth and Ocean County from Ocean Township. Call and we come look before we write the scope.
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Countertops, on one written scope.
Set a new top, scribe the splash, and reconnect the sink.
What’s included on a countertops visit.
We inspect the cause, check what else it touched, and leave a written scope with materials and timing. The visit is free and there is no obligation to book the work.
What to know before the visit.
Have ready
Empty the cabinets under and around the top and clear the counter entirely. Have the sink, the faucet, and any cooktop on site with the cutout template, because the holes are drilled for those exact parts. We check three things before the top is set: the level of the cabinet run, the condition of the cabinet rails that carry the top, and the square and the dimensions of the opening against the template. A short top cannot be caulked longer.
- Templated fits checked on site
- Sink cutouts
- Faucet holes
- Level and fastened
The visit
We set the top level even when the cabinets are not, with shims we can point to. Sinks get clipped and sealed. The faucet holes are drilled for the faucet you actually bought, not a guess from the box photo. The splash gets scribed to a wavy backsplash wall.
A common miss is an undermount sink that was hung on clips into a wet cutout and dropped a year later. We seal the cut edge and use the clip layout the sink maker specifies.
Permit
Setting a new countertop on existing cabinets normally requires no permit in New Jersey. A permit is triggered when the work involves new plumbing, such as relocating a sink drain or adding a dishwasher connection, or new electrical for a cooktop or an outlet in the island. The countertop itself is a finish scope. If the sink and the faucet are reconnected exactly where they were, that is plumbing work on existing lines.
On the Shore
Shore kitchens fight moisture at the sink and at every seam. Humidity swells a particle board cabinet and moves the rail that the top sits on, which is how a top that was level in spring rocks by fall. An undermount sink is the weak point: water that gets past the cut edge wicks into the core of the counter and swells it. We seal the cut edges and the cabinet top before the sink goes on, and we keep the seams out of the splash zone where we can.
When we leave
The handover is a set of checks at the sink and the seams. We fill the sink and drain it while watching the basket strainer and the trap for a weep. The faucet runs at full flow, and both supply lines and the sprayer get checked. We confirm the top is level and does not rock, and seal the joint at the wall. A hot pan never goes straight onto the surface.
Built with
The counter material is stone, quartz, solid surface, or laminate, and the edges and the backsplash shape are decided before fabrication. Under it, the cabinet rails get shimmed and the top is set in a bead of sealant rather than a hard adhesive, so it can be lifted later. An undermount sink gets its clips and a sealant at the rim, with the cut edge sealed. The faucet holes are drilled to the faucet's own template, and the wall splash is scribed to the wall.
Do you template?
For stone, the fabricator templates. We confirm the field measurements and the sink model before that visit so the cutout is not a surprise.
Can you set a laminate top we bought?
Yes, if it fits the boxes. A top that is short gets sent back, not caulked to look longer.
What about a cooktop cutout?
We cut laminate. Stone cutouts belong to the fabricator, with the cooktop model in hand.
Will you reconnect the sink?
Yes. New supply lines if the old ones are stiff, and a new basket strainer if the old one is crusted shut.
Do you remove the old top?
Yes, and we check the cabinet rails before the new one goes down. A rotted rail will not hold an undermount.
How long is the kitchen out of service?
A set-and-connect on an existing cabinet run is a day. A templated stone top has a shop gap we do not control, and we schedule the plumber around it.
Can I keep my existing sink in a new top?
Yes, if the sink is sound and the cutout can be templated to it. We check the rim for a flat edge and the clips for a proper seat. A bent or rounded rim may not seal to a new top.
How do you handle a wall that is not straight?
The backsplash gets scribed to the wall rather than set against it and caulked to hide the gap. A scribed splash follows the wall, and the joint gets a flexible sealant. A thick bead along a wavy wall always reads as a thick bead.
Do you cut the hole for the cooktop?
On laminate, yes. On stone and quartz, the fabricator makes that cut with the cooktop model and the template in hand, because a stone cutout is not a job to improvise on site. We confirm the model and the clearances before the counter is templated.
What is the difference between an undermount and a drop-in sink?
A drop-in sink sits on the counter with a visible rim, which makes it easier to replace later. An undermount hangs below the surface for a cleaner wipe, but it loads the clips and the cut edge more heavily.
Other carpentry jobs we handle
Cabinets
Install, adjust, and refacing-level repairs for kitchens that stick and doors that will not close.
Curtain and Picture Hanging
The small job. Anchors in the stud when the art is heavy, plaster anchors when it is not.
Deck Installation and Repair
New decks and the boards, rails, and ledgers that fail first on the Shore.
Door and Window Installation
Prehung doors, sliders, and the rot under the sill.
Tell us what is wrong. We will tell you what it takes.
(732) 333-7800- Call24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Shop7 Brook Dr, Ocean Township, NJ 07712
- EmailInfo@wedoitallhandyman.com
- EstimateFree on-site look. Written scope before work starts.
Licensed & insured · NJ HIC # 13VH09886800
Free on-site look · No obligation