Granite Countertop Pricing
Cabinetmakers discuss the granite countertop market. February 6, 2007
Question
Is it just me, or does $59 per foot sound ridiculously low for granite countertops installed? That is what they are advertising on a website I viewed recently. I am new to the granite scene, and that sounds awfully hard to compete with if it is true. The same company seems to be promoting these 2cm pre-cut, pre-built up edge, pre-bullnosed kitchen depth tops, and claiming that you can save a fortune. Do any of you have experience with doing granite this way, or do most of you just fabricate from raw slabs? Will you share fair granite pricing on a basic kitchen?
Forum Responses
(Business and Management Forum)
From contributor S:
I'm in Southern California, and that is in line with the guy I have directed a couple of customers to. (I don't handle the granite/tile/countertop thing personally.) It's also in the ballpark for what the Big Box stores advertise in this area. $50-75 a sf is typical depending on stone and details.
From contributor T:
I carry that cheap stone. It comes by the container from overseas pre-machined. You just chop it up to length and install it. I would not start doing this without prior stone experience. And there are limitations to what you can do because it's pre-cut for wall cab and island runs in depth.
From contributor J:
I sub out my granite, but it's available in our area for as low as $42 sf and up to cabinet shops. That's 2cm installed. I usually mark it up and sell it with the job, but I'm having so many problems with the subs that I think I'm getting out of the SS, granite and quartz top business completely. It's not worth the hassle.
From contributor F:
There's a granite importer here in town. Most every slab is 10' x 30" with a bullnose on the front and 2 sides. Ready to go, you cut out the sink holes, length, and the extra depth allows for a back splash. Prices are $350, $400, and for the fancy stuff $500 per slab. Some wing it on their own or call an installer/fabricator dude. There's a large slab with 4 sides done for islands and Penn cabinets. Lots of nice stone and marble, mostly from China and Brazil. I'm sure the stone people have something to say about the imports. You get what you pay for, but you can sure sell a house, as people have to have granite countertops these days.
From contributor W:
Above post talks about a fabricator. What is going rate for fabrication? Or is that regional also?
From contributor C:
Does the edge get built up to 4 CM and then shaped and re-polished, or is it 2cm shaped and polished? The thin top job sounds like a good price with your details for $59. But seems low if glued and built up edges are in the job.
From contributor A:
Here prices go as low as $35.00 per foot. They tack a little on for trip charge, bullnose edging, couple hundred for an undermount. Dirt cheap...
From contributor R:
I talked to a fabricator in Harahan (a New Orleans suburb) that is selling 2cm for $29 psf installed and 4cm laminated full bullnose for $40 psf. He is obviously using prefab imported tops, but he will do matching slab islands and peninsulas. The dirty little secret that most stone fabricators don't want you to know is that most granite costs about $7-12 psf in slab form. Do you get a 700% + markup over your material price? Probably not.
