Marble rewards careful preparation and punishes shortcuts. Here is what shapes the price, what a sound installation involves, and how to compare the independent specialists you talk to.
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Polished marble looks glassy but shows scratches and dull etch marks from lemon juice, vinegar and some cleaners. A honed finish hides wear better and is less slippery when wet, which matters in bathrooms and entries. Softer, heavily veined stones are lovely on a wall but can be a poor choice for a busy kitchen floor. Ask to see a full slab or a box of tile, not a single sample, because veining varies a lot.
Natural stone needs a stiffer, flatter floor than ceramic tile, and a floor that flexes will crack marble along the veins. Many Pomona homes sit on concrete slabs, which are usually stiff but can carry old shrinkage cracks that telegraph through new stone. Raised wood floors in older houses often need added plywood or framing before marble goes down. A good installer checks this before quoting, not after demolition.
Over a slab with existing cracks, an installer may recommend a crack isolation membrane under the stone. Marble is typically set in a white, polymer-modified thinset made for natural stone, because grey mortar and some green marbles react badly to the wrong product. Large tiles need a medium-bed mortar and full coverage so there are no hollow spots. Lippage, the uneven edge between tiles, is easier to prevent than to grind out later.
Marble is porous and is usually sealed after installation and again periodically, depending on the stone and how the room is used. Sealer slows staining but does not stop acid etching, so pH-neutral cleaners are part of living with marble. Ask the installer which sealer they use and how to test whether it needs renewing. Hard water spots are common in the area and are easier to wipe up than to polish out.
Replacing a floor finish often does not need a permit, but moving plumbing, changing a shower or altering structure usually does. Check with the City of Pomona building division before work starts if anything beyond the surface is changing. In houses built before 1978, disturbing old flooring or paint can raise lead concerns, and some old floor tile and mastic contained asbestos. Testing first is cheaper than cleaning up afterwards.
The usual problems are cracks from a flexing subfloor, hollow-sounding tiles from poor mortar coverage, uneven edges, and stains from grout or sealer applied in the wrong order. Another is ordering too little stone, then finding the next batch looks different. Buy enough for the job plus waste and a few spares from the same lot. Keep the spares for future repairs.
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