A Note on Kitchen Countertop Pricing

When you're getting ready to shop for your kitchen counter tops be aware that some materials such as granite and quartz and other natural and engineered stone materials are priced per square foot and other materials such as laminate are priced per linear foot.

Remember this difference when you shop. Since most countertops are about 2 feet deep, simply multiply the square foot price by 2 to estimate the cost per linear foot.

Typical kitchen counter tops are anywhere between 28 and 30 linear feet. Most likely they will be either a U-shape or L-shape layout. Laminate counters are sold by the linear foot, but other materials such as solid surfacing, natural stone, and engineered stone are sold by the square foot.

It's all in the options

There is a vast difference in price between a basic, post-formed laminate countertop, a laminate countertop with a premium edge, and top-end options like solid surfacing and stone.

For a typical 30-foot linear countertop, a post-form laminate top might cost as little as $800. For a premium laminate with a beveled edge, the price could go up to $2,000.

For solid surfacing, natural stone or engineered stone, which would be priced between $80 and $100 per square foot, you're looking at $4,800 to $6,000. Prices listed are guidelines only so always verify prices for the materials you select with your retailer or installer.

With laminates much of the cost of a is the labor: fabrication and installation. With laminate countertops, labor costs are separate from materials costs. That's why it's important to work with a fabricator and installer you feel good about, who has a good business reputation, and whose bid is realistic.

This isn't the case for pricing natural stone, engineered stone and solid surfacing materials. The square foot costs for natural stone, quartz countertops and solid surfacing countertop material include the fabrication and the installation, so you have less opportunity to price shop or compare installation bids from separate contractors or fabricators.

When estimating the entire remodeling costs be sure to include all the components involved with the countertop installation. A total countertop job takes into account the material itself, profiling the edge, cutting and drilling for sinks and faucets, the installation itself, and often, removing the old top.

When calculating your remodeling costs you need to compare the total installed costs when shopping for new countertops to avoid any unpleasant surprises in your remodeling costs and keep from going over budget.