Determining the True Granite Counter Cost
Granite countertops are a popular component of today’s kitchen design. However, keeping their cost in mind when choosing the material can help keep to the design budget.
Granite counters have a wide range of styles, colors, and prices. Homeowner’s planning a kitchen renovation may select a stone they feel will work well with their design and budget, only to be surprised when the estimate comes in much higher than initially thought. Keeping the selection process and the budget in mind when selecting the kitchen counter can help homeowners choose a counter that beautifully fits their style, budget, and kitchen design.
Gather Information about the Kitchen Design
To make sure that the right counter is chosen, not just in color and style but also in price, homeowners need to be informed. To facilitate the stone selection process, homeowners should be prepared before visiting the stone yard by determining their budget, the type or style of kitchen they hope to achieve, and at least a sense of the colors they would like.
Stone prices can range widely, with some stone yards offering a range of stones starting at $25 a square foot for a stone-like Bianco Sardo and going up to $400 a square foot for Azul Macumba. To determine what stone prices will fit the budget, more components besides the cost of the stone itself are required. To truly get a sense of what stones will fit a budget, it helps to know how much material is needed, how much edging is needed, and what each stone yard charges for installation.
To determine how much stone will be required, break the kitchen counter into sections, and measure each section’s length and width in inches. Combine them and divide by 144 to get the required square footage. Then, in inches, measure the length of the edging, or front of the stone, taking care to include peninsulas and islands, and divide by 12 to get the linear feet. So, for example, a galley kitchen with two sections of the kitchen counter, each one measuring 25″ deep and 6′ long, with one side of one counter open and the other ending in two walls, will require 25 square feet of material and just over 14 linear feet of edging.
Next, determine how many cutouts are required, such as sinks or stovetop cutouts. For example, slide-in ranges will require an additional 2′ 2″ of edging, while a cutout will be a fixed price.
Gather Edging and Installation Costs
When visiting the stone yard to begin the granite selection process, begin by selecting the edge type and finding out installation costs. Several different edge styles are available, from the least expensive eased edge, which gently curves at the top, to the decorative, but much more costly Dupont edge. When the edge has been chosen and its cost obtained, multiply the cost by the number of linear feet required to get the edge price.
Remember to factor in additional edging for areas around a stove. Next, ask how much installation per square foot is, and multiply by the amount of square footage determined. Undermount sinks, stovetop cutouts, and faucet drilling may have additional fixed pricing, so be sure to get that up front. At this time, it is possible to look at the budget made before choosing the stone and determine how much of the budget is left for the stone itself.
For example, they are going back to the galley kitchen above, which requires a kitchen that needs 25 square feet of stone and just over 14 feet of edging without a slide-in stove. And the stone yard charges $30 a square foot for installation and $10 a linear foot for the edge desired, with a sink cutout charge of $300; then, before the material is chosen, the installation costs will be $1190.
At this point, it’s possible to begin selecting the stone. For example, if the budget for the kitchen counter in the example above is $3000, then the material can be chosen in a range going up to $73 a square foot for the material. It eliminates any stone choices above that range and helps narrow down the options.
By doing the legwork required ahead of time and being realistic about what stone price range to stay in, homeowners will have an easier time selecting a granite that will not go over their budget. It will also help eliminate the problem of choosing a stone, falling in love with its color or pattern, designing a kitchen around it, and then finding out that it will double the cost set aside for it.
Be sure to shop around and ask up front if the installation cost is included in the cost of the stone, as some companies will work this way but will still add on the cost of the edging and cutouts. For small kitchens, or bathroom counters, it may be possible to find a remnant or leftover piece of stone for less, so be sure to ask if a stone yard requires the customer to purchase an entire slab or just a piece of one as well.
Designing an up-to-date kitchen that suits the homeowner’s needs and style does not have to break the bank. Be realistic, do the homework and end up with a granite countertop that meets all criteria needed to make this kitchen design a success.