Countertop cost

Countertops cost $20 to $175 per square foot installed depending on material. Quartz, the most common choice today, averages $75 to $95. A typical kitchen has 30 to 50 square feet of countertop, so most kitchens land between $2,500 and $5,000.

The number that matters is the installed price, not the slab price. For stone, fabrication and installation are 35% to 55% of the total, and a quote that shows only the material price is not a quote.

What each material costs installed

Granite has the widest spread of anything on this list because it is a natural material sold by the slab. Common colors are at the bottom of the range. Rare ones are at the top and there is no negotiating with geology.

Quartz against granite

This is the decision most kitchens come down to, and they cost roughly the same.

Quartz is ground stone bound with resin. Non-porous, so it never needs sealing, does not stain, and is more consistent from one end of the counter to the other. It can be damaged by heat: a pan straight off the burner can mark the resin. It also fades in direct sunlight, so it is a poor choice for an outdoor kitchen or a sun-blasted island.

Granite is quarried stone. Harder and genuinely heat-proof, so a hot pan does nothing. Porous, so it needs sealing, usually every one to three years, which is a ten minute job with a $25 bottle. Each slab is unique, which is either the appeal or the problem depending on your temperament.

If you want the counter to look exactly like the sample, choose quartz. If you want to put a roasting tin down without thinking, choose granite.

What is in the installed price, and what is not

Included in a normal quote:

• Templating, which is measuring the actual cabinets after they are set
• Fabrication: cutting to size, cutting the sink and hob openings, shaping the edge
• Delivery and installation
• A standard edge profile, usually eased or beveled

Charged separately, often:

• Tear-out and disposal of the old countertop: $100 to $400
• An upgraded edge profile such as ogee or bullnose: $10 to $30 per linear foot
• A cutout for an undermount sink: $100 to $350
• A drainboard, or draining grooves: $200 to $500
• A backsplash in the same material: $25 to $60 per linear foot
• Plumbing disconnect and reconnect: $150 to $400
• Cabinet reinforcement where the stone is heavy: $150 to $600

That last one catches people. Stone is heavy, and old or lightly built base cabinets sometimes need bracing before they can carry it.

Measuring yours

Multiply the length of each run by its depth. Standard base cabinets are 24 inches deep and countertops overhang to about 25.5 inches, so use 2.13 feet as the depth and measure the length in feet.

A run of 10 feet is 21.3 square feet. Add the island separately. Most kitchens total 30 to 50 square feet, and fabricators usually have a minimum charge around 25 to 30 square feet, so a small kitchen does not get proportionally cheaper.

Seams, and where to put them

Slabs come in finite sizes, commonly about 10 by 5 feet, so a long run has a seam. A seam is not a defect. Where it goes is a design decision and it is worth having before the fabricator decides for you.

Good places: over a cabinet division, at an inside corner, behind a hob. Bad places: across the middle of the sink cutout, in the visual center of an island. Ask to see the seam layout on the template before fabrication starts.

Frequently asked questions

Can I install countertops myself?

Laminate and butcher block, yes, with care and a good saw. Stone, no. Slabs weigh hundreds of pounds, crack if lifted wrong, and the cutting is done with wet diamond tooling in a shop. It is also the one material where a mistake cannot be patched.

How long does it take?

Templating happens after the cabinets are installed, then fabrication takes one to two weeks, then installation is half a day. Plan for a week or two of living without a counter, which is worth knowing before demolition day rather than after.

Does quartz stain?

Not from ordinary use, since it is non-porous. It can be discolored permanently by strong solvents, oven cleaner and prolonged UV. Wipe spills of anything harsh rather than trusting the marketing.

Is granite out of fashion?

Quartz outsells it now, but granite has not gone anywhere and the plainer, less-speckled slabs read as contemporary. Buying a countertop on fashion is a way to spend $4,000 twice.

What is the cheapest way to get a stone look?

Porcelain slab in a stone pattern, or a quartz remnant if your kitchen is small enough. Fabricators keep offcuts from large jobs and sell them cheaply; a bathroom vanity or a small kitchen can often be done entirely from remnants at half price. Ask.