Granite is one of the best countertop materials that you’ll find out there. It’s so good that it’s pretty much everywhere. Every home or store you get into is very likely to have a granite countertop. So, if you’re looking into getting one yourself, you might be wondering about the cost of granite countertops.
Fortunately, granite has simply the best cost-benefit compared to other materials. That’s what makes people use it so much: considering how long it tends to last and how resistant it is, its price actually looks pretty low.
Of course, if you’re here, you’re probably looking for the numbers, so we’ll give them to you too. However, if you’re looking for more information on granite countertops in general, check out our definitive guide on granite countertops!
The Cost Of Granite Countertops: A Short Guide
When we’re talking about the cost of a countertop, there are three separate costs that we have to think about: material costs, labor costs, and installation costs. Combine all those costs, and you get the cost of granite countertops.
Of course, those costs are not static. They all depend on what you’re looking for. High-quality or rare materials will cost more, larger countertops will cost more, and all that. But we’ll get into that.
Material Costs
Material costs usually range at about $40 to $60 per square foot, that is, the larger the countertop, the greater the prices. In this case, we’re talking about standard quality granite. If you’re looking for something of higher quality, you can of course expect to pay a bit more.
But that is not all. If you’re tired of its usual grainy, black-on-gray texture, you also have the option of going for different kinds of granite, with different colors and textures, like black granite, white granite, blue granite, among many others.
Pricing then depends on how rare and how in demand they are. Rarer granite can go upwards of $200 per square foot.
If those price ranges seem a bit out of your budget, remember that getting a granite countertop isn’t a merely a “cost”, it’s an investment. Those beauties can last a really long time, and may even be able to outlast you if you know how to handle them.
If you try to cheap out and go for things like epoxy granite countertops, you may end up regretting it down the road.
Labor Costs
The material for countertops come in slabs, and those slabs have to be cut into shape, polished and finished in order to make the countertop. This takes quite a bit of effort, involves highly trained professionals, and needs heavy equipment and a lot of time in order to be done right. So you can expect it to have its own costs associated to it.
You can expect that most companies which sell countertops already embed the cutting costs into the countertop pricing, even if we’re talking about a company that makes mass-produced countertops. However, if you’re looking for something a bit more fancy, you can expect to pay a bit more too.
For example, granite countertops can have a lot of different finishes, if you’re bored with the usual shiny, polished one. If you pick one of those, you can also expect the cost per square foot to get a bit higher.
Installation Costs
Stone countertops are heavy. Really heavy. And the bigger they are, the heavier they get. With their being so heavy, you can expect it to be quite hard to get them into place. And the bigger they are, the harder it is to maneuver them inside a room without breaking everything, or breaking the countertop itself.
Granite can take quite a beating, but it’s not unbreakable!
Because of that, you’ll only want highly-qualified professionals to handle your custom-made slab and install it on the spot you need to be. Meaning that you can also expect to pay a bit more for that.
Installation price per hour usually ranges between $35 to $85 per hour, and the price may vary from one business to another and may also factor in materials and dimensions involved.
If you’re going for natural granite, you’ll also have to factor in the price of sealing it, which has to be done on the spot (the sealer can be quite sensitive). Fortunately, sealing materials tend to be quite cheap, but with the price of labor it may add about $5 to $10 per square foot.
Total Costs
If you already know the dimensions of your countertop, you may have been following this guide with your calculator in hand. However, if you don’t know it yet, you may be a bit lost with all of the pricing per square foot.
Well, the average kitchen countertop has a surface area of about 30 square feet, which usually amounts to a price range of $1.900 to $3.300, considering labor an installation. It may look a bit expensive, but remember: it can last a really, really long time. It’ll be worth every cent.
Get The Best Granite Countertops For Your Home
If you’ve set your mind on a granite countertop and live in or near Sarasota, FL, we can supply you with everything you need.
Just take a look at what we have to offer and come visit our showroom! If you want, we can also send a specialist to your home for a free estimate!
It’s the easiest way to get a long-lasting granite countertop.
