Eight questions that separate a real fabrication partner from a slab trader. Use it on any stone supplier in India — including us. No sign-up, nothing gated.
Why it matters
Almost every stone disaster traces back to how the supplier was vetted.
Ask these eight questions before you release an advance and you sidestep the shade mismatches, on-site cutting, breakage, customs delays and surprise charges that quietly eat a stone package. Works the same whether you are buying from the next state or the other side of an ocean. Here is the exact list we would use — take it with you.
1
Fabrication to your drawings
Do they fabricate to your drawings — or just sell you slabs?
A slab trader hands the hardest part — cutting to size, edge profiles and holding tolerances — back to you, your contractor, or a mason with a cutting machine standing in your client’s living room. Every extra hand-off is another place for the detail to drift and for accountability to blur.
Ask for: Ask to see shop and set-out drawings from a past order. Confirm they work cut-to-size to your dimensions, finishes and tolerances, and that they read DWG or PDF in whichever units your studio works in.
2
Inspection before dispatch
Is the stone inspected before it is dispatched — or only after it lands on site?
Finding a dimension, thickness or shade problem after the truck has been unloaded is slow, expensive and awkward — especially once the labour is already booked. Inspection has to happen while the material is still on the factory floor.
Ask for: Ask for their pre-dispatch inspection process and for QC photos measured against the cutting list, not just glamour shots of a polished slab.
3
Matched to what you approved
How do they guarantee the stone matches the lot you approved?
Natural stone varies block to block, and "same material" is not the same as "same lot". Without control samples and block or batch matching, what reaches site can look nothing like the piece that won the client’s approval — and phase two can look nothing like phase one.
Ask for: Ask how they lock colour and veining: control samples, numbered photos of your actual lot, and block or batch matching for larger runs. Ask whether they will reserve a block for a later phase.
4
One point of contact
Who actually owns communication and coordination?
When sourcing, fabrication and transport sit with different vendors, the coordination — and the blame — lands back on you. A vendor saying "it is done" is not a schedule, and chasing three numbers to locate one consignment is not project management.
Ask for: Confirm you get one named coordinator. Test how quickly and clearly they answer before you commit to anything, and ask whether they will talk to your site engineer directly.
5
Packed for the journey
How is the stone packed for the journey to your site?
Most damage is a packing failure, not bad luck. Stone loaded loose on an open truck arrives chipped, cracked and out of sequence — and a replacement piece for one broken tread can cost you a fortnight.
Ask for: Ask for packing photos: foam-lined, strapped timber crates with pieces numbered to your set-out. Ask specifically how they load, not just how they pack.
6
Rates, taxes & paperwork
Is the rate all-inclusive, and will you get a proper GST invoice?
Add-on charges for cutting, polishing, edge work, loading, wastage and freight are how a good rate quietly becomes a bad one — usually after the order is already in production. And a rate without a proper tax invoice leaves your client unable to account for the spend, which reflects on you.
Ask for: Get an all-inclusive rate in writing, stating exactly what is included and where delivery ends. Confirm GST-compliant invoicing. For export, ask which Incoterms they quote (FOB / CIF) and who handles the documents.
7
A written breakage policy
What happens — in writing — if material breaks, falls short or is wrong?
A verbal "don’t worry, we will manage" is worthless when a crate arrives short or cracked and your labour is standing idle. You need the remedy agreed before you release an advance, not negotiated in the middle of a dispute.
Ask for: Get their replacement, re-fabrication and shortfall policy in writing, with a timeline attached, before the order is confirmed.
8
A provable track record
Can they prove a real track record — not just a nice showroom?
Anyone can photograph a good slab or rent a showroom on the highway. Delivered, installed projects and contactable references are what tell you a supplier can actually carry a job to completion.
Ask for: Ask for photos of installed work, years in operation, and references you can genuinely call. Ask what went wrong on a job and how they fixed it — the answer tells you more than the portfolio.
The short version
We put ourselves through our own checklist.
We built this list from the exact failures we exist to remove. Here is how Karma Stone Engineering answers all eight.
Fabrication to your drawings
We prepare shop and set-out drawings for your approval, then fabricate cut-to-size, CNC and waterjet to that exact specification.
Inspection before dispatch
Every order is checked for dimension and surface quality against your drawings, and photographed, before it is packed.
Matched to what you approved
You approve control samples and photos of your actual lot before production, and we block or batch match wherever consistency matters — including across phases.
One point of contact
One named coordinator stays with you from drawings to delivery, and will work directly with your site team so you are not the messenger.
Packed for the journey
We pack in foam-lined, strapped timber crates numbered to the set-out, built for road transport or container export. Never loose-loaded.
Rates, taxes & paperwork
For Indian orders we quote all-inclusive rates on a GST tax invoice. For export we quote FOB or CIF, load the container and handle the documentation end to end.
A written breakage policy
We agree the exact handling of any breakage, shortfall or discrepancy with you in writing before the order is confirmed.
A provable track record
Leadership brings 20+ years delivering installed stone projects to demanding Gulf specifications, with real project photography and references available.
