What are the prices of the Granite Countertops?

Granite Countertop prices vary greatly, due to many different factors. To better understand and analyze the pricing of stone countertops, it is best to break the stone countertops into two different categories of the Natural Stone countertops and Engineered Stone. In this article, we will discuss factors affecting granite countertop prices. Please see our other blog covering Engineered Stone such as Quartz Countertop prices.

With the natural stone such as Granite, Marble, Quartzite, and Soapstone, the price is based on scarcity of the raw natural stone color, demand for the particular granite color, quality of the stone and its polish, transportation and labor costs in various countries in the world, quality of fabrication and installation, are just a few reasons for this variation in Granite and Marble Countertop prices. In order to explain these factors, it is important to understand how the granite is quarried, cut to slab sizes, polished,  imported, fabricated, and finally installed as a kitchen or vanity countertop.

Granite, Marble, Soapstone, and Quartzite are Natural Stone found in many parts of the world. Just like diamond and other precious stone, for most part, the cost of various granite colors is based on supply and demand. However, many other factors, besides their scarcity in nature, are considered in setting the price of the granite slabs.

Natural Stone Quarry

Quality of the material is on top of the list. Every block of granite stone taken out of the ground by the marble and granite quarries has different characteristic, shade of color, veining, and density. These blocks are sorted based on their quality and color, and then sold to various processing plants around the globe, that cut the blocks in slices of different thicknesses called slabs, resin coat, and polish to the final slab product. Quality of the cut, resin, and polish by the processing plants is another factor in granite slab prices. Not all these processing plants are capable of producing high quality granite slabs. Some that use older equipment or lack quality control, have inferior products with uneven thickness of slab, poor resin coating and polish. These slabs are then sold to the importers around the glob and prices set based on the final quality of the slab. Euro Stone Craft only imports and purchases premium quality granite slabs. All of our extensive granite, marble, soapstone, and quartzite slab selections are hand-picked and inspected for superior quality, before they are ordered. We stock more than 2000 different stone slabs in our 30,000 sf showroom and factory in Northern Virginia. We always recommend that you select and inspect your own granite slab for your kitchen countertops and never order from a granite sample. Our design consultants could assist you with the selection of your granite slab and point out the characteristics of each slab and color.

Template, Slab Layout, Fabrication, and Installation

Before the granite slabs could be turned into kitchen Countertops, they first need to get fabricated and installed. This is where we come in.  As each granite fabricator utilizes different machinery and various degree of skilled craftsmen, the granite countertop prices and quality will vary from one fabricator to another. Granite Countertops are custom-made by cutting them in shapes to fit perfectly on your kitchen cabinets.

Northwood CNC Machine used for cutting and shaping stone edge into the desired edge profile

Then, the countertop edges are shaped to desired profile and polished, properly sealed, and get ready for installation. At Euro Stone Craft, we first start by precise measurement of your kitchen countertops, also known as Template. We utilize the latest digital technology in countertop measurement for a perfect fit. Shop drawings are then drawn in CAD software, and laid over the digital picture of the slab for slab layout. Euro Stone Craft is one of the very few granite companies in the Mid-Atlantic region using SlabSmith technology for the slab layout and prefect seam matching. With SlabSmith, we will be able to show you exactly how your new granite countertops is going to look, before it is fabricated.