Countertop Replacement Cost: What Moves the Price

The new stone: five things that move the number

This is the bigger part of the price, and it is the part you control. Each of these moves the number on its own.

• The slab. Quartz, granite, quartzite and marble each have ordinary slabs and rare ones, and the gap inside one material is often larger than the gap between materials
• Size and shape. An L or U shaped kitchen with an island takes more layout and more seam work than a straight run of the same area
• The edge. An eased edge is the standard. A mitered edge is built from two pieces of your stone and takes more material and more shop time
• Cutouts. The sink, the cooktop, faucet holes and soap dispensers are each real work, and an undermount sink needs its opening polished
• Extras. A stone backsplash, a full height splash or a waterfall end all need more stone, sometimes a second slab

Taking the old counters off

This is the part people forget to ask about, and the part that causes surprises on demolition day when nobody priced it up front.

• What the old tops are made of. Laminate lifts off in pieces. Old granite or tile set in mortar is heavier, slower work
• How they were attached. Glued, screwed or set on a mortar bed all come off differently
• Disposal. The old material has to leave the house and go somewhere
• The wall behind. An old backsplash can pull paint or drywall with it when it comes off, and that repair is not stone work

We remove and dispose of your old counters, and it is quoted as its own line so you can see exactly what it costs before you agree to anything.

What is outside a countertop replacement

These are real costs, but they belong to other trades. Plan for them early so they do not hold up the install.

• Plumbing. We do not disconnect or reconnect plumbing. Book a licensed plumber for the week of the install
• Electrical, if an outlet or a cooktop has to move
• Tile backsplash, when the splash is tile rather than stone
• Paint and wall repair after the old splash comes off
• Cabinet repair, if a cabinet is out of level or too weak to carry stone. We check this at the measure so you hear about it before the stone is cut

Replacing only the counters: what to check first

Keeping your cabinets is the most common way to refresh a kitchen without a full remodel. It works well when three things are true.

• The cabinets are level and solid. Stone is heavy, and a sagging base cabinet will crack a slab
• The new sink fits the sink base. A larger or undermount sink may need a different cabinet opening
• You are happy with the layout. If you are moving the sink or the range, that is a remodel, not a replacement

Why a price per square foot does not answer it

A rate per square foot covers the stone and little else. It leaves out the removal, assumes the simplest edge and says nothing about cutouts or a backsplash. Two shops can quote the same rate and land far apart on the final total.

The number worth comparing is the written total for your kitchen, with removal shown on its own line. Ask for that from every shop you talk to.

How our replacement price works

We measure on site for free. You see and approve your slab and the seam layout. Then you get one all inclusive price in writing for the stone, templating, fabrication, delivery, install and sealing where the material needs it, with removal of the old counters on its own line.

We install in one day, 1 to 2 weeks after we measure. Your old counters stay in place and your kitchen keeps working until the morning we arrive.

For a ballpark before anyone comes out, our online estimate gives you a range in about a minute.