Granite installed price?

[Matt Meiser]

Anyone had granite installed lately that can share the installed price? We got a quote for about $55/sqft installed. The company is the same one that did my parents' and they did a great job, but I want to make sure the price is in line.

[Joe Pelonio]

That's cheap compared to here, we looked into it a few weeks ago and the least expensive was $69/sf.

[Bob Lloyd]

That is less than we are paying here, seems like a good price.

[Rod Goodin]

In Dec my installed price was $45/sf, of course this was directly from the manufacture no designer pass-through.

[tyler mckee]

Thats a pretty average price, depending on the stone and edge profile.

[Dick Strauss]

Matt,
I've seen Universal Marble and Granite advertising installed granite from as low as $30/sq ft. I don't know if this price is a come on (whether it includes finished edges, what types of granite are available at that price, etc).

http://umgtoledo.com/home/

Good luck,
Dick

[Rod Goodin]

Thats a pretty average price, depending on the stone and edge profile.

And yes "depending on the stone and edge" is a variable, similar stone and the same edge quoted from 3 designers was over double the price.

[Matt Meiser]

Thanks. I forgot to mention that this price includes a sink. The granite itself is $49/sqft installed with a bullnose edge. Then they add $300 for the sink cutout, $100 to upgrade to the sink we want after a $200 credit for a "free" sink, and $80 for a gallon of sealer.

Dick, this is Cutting Edge Countertops in Perrysburg. The place the contractor that did my parents' remodel usually used went out of business (literally the day before my mom called them.) CEC was his backup sub, probably in part because they way on the other side of Toledo from where a lot of his work was when times were good and he was building custom homes. I think I'll give Universal a call and get a quote, then start looking into them if its worth considering.

[Belinda Barfield]

Anyone had granite installed lately that can share the installed price? We got a quote for about $55/sqft installed. The company is the same one that did my parents' and they did a great job, but I want to make sure the price is in line.

Haven't bought any lately, but I've been selling granite for years. As others said, Matt, that is a fairly good "ball park" figure. Quality granites retail anywhere from $50 sq ft installed to literally as much as you want to pay. The more veined or exotic the material, the higher the price. The prices are down somewhat from what we were getting three to four years ago. A few companies in our area are offering granite for $35.00 sq ft installed with an eased and polised edge. Edge upgrades typically run $10 to $25 per lin ft. Many times the granites offered for $35 are commercial grade, rather than residential grade, granite. Not a lot of difference to the avearge consumer, but a professional can usually tell the difference. Another thing to consider when buying granite is whether you are sprucing up to sell the house, or if you are going to live with the granite long term. If you are going to live with it long term you may want to invest a little more.

[Kevin Groenke]

I don't have a price to offer for comparison but I will take the opportunity to advise an UNDERMOUNT SINK. Anytime I see a rimming sink in solid material (as often as not) I cringe, the install can look SO much better.


While your at it, consider a foot pedal for the main tap: you'll wonder why every kitchen sink doesn't have one.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_rHdeE-SI5cc/SLM7YcRLwlI/AAAAAAAAAGs/9IxkSRZ_yaE/s640/P1020349.JPG.

[Matt Meiser]

Definitely undermount! I was just commenting last night as I tired to get coffee grounds out from between the sink rim and backspasho how nice it would be to have an undermount sink.

[Belinda Barfield]

Definitely undermount! I was just commenting last night as I tired to get coffee grounds out from between the sink rim and backspasho how nice it would be to have an undermount sink.

There are three different undermount options, Matt. Sink rim reveal, flush mount, and overhang. If you don't like cleaning between the sink rim and backsplash go with the overhang because you won't like cleaning between the sink and granite either. :) The granite overhang makes clean up very easy, and also hides the caulk line.

For edge detail I would recommend going with a drip edge such as an eased and polished, bevel, 3/8 round over, demi bullnose, or ogee. A full bullnose edge makes the stone look thinner, and is also a roll over edge, meaning any liquid spilled on the countertop has the potential to roll around the edge and down the face of the cabinet. Beveled edges are easier to chip, BTW.

[Dave Ogren]

For the last couple of years I have seen signs on billboards for granite countertops installed for $29.95 per square foot in Georgia. I wondered how they did that or what it included but didn't check because I don't live in Georgia.
Now for the last several months the advertisements here in Asheville have been saying $34.95 and $38.95 per square foot.
I am going to do my own with 12" x 12" granite at a fraction of the price.
My way will not look as good, but with 250 sq. ft. of counter space in my kitchen and adjoining laundry room, I don't have a choice.
A lot of these granite people's whole shop is in the back of a pick-up truck, but still I have seen some really great work. If you are a hard core do-it-yourself you could always but the full slab for between $400.00 and $700.00 depending.
Good luck,

Dave

[Belinda Barfield]

If you are a hard core do-it-yourself you could always but the full slab for between $400.00 and $700.00 depending. Dave

If you are a hard core DIYer you could fabricate your own tops, assuming you have all the diamond tooling and work tables necessary for fabrication, and good stone polishing skills. If you don't have good polishing skills you could purchase an edge chiseling machine and go with a chiseled edge.

A better option if you want to cut cost is to see if you can find a person or company that will allow you to purchase fabricated tops and install them yourself. There are a few tricks to working with granite, and a few tools that will help with seaming. If you have no seams to deal with, all the better.

[Dan Mages]

I don't have a price to offer for comparison but I will take the opportunity to advise an UNDERMOUNT SINK. Anytime I see a rimming sink in solid material (as often as not) I cringe, the install can look SO much better.


While your at it, consider a foot pedal for the main tap: you'll wonder why every kitchen sink doesn't have one.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_rHdeE-SI5cc/SLM7YcRLwlI/AAAAAAAAAGs/9IxkSRZ_yaE/s640/P1020349.JPG.

Where did you get those foot pedals? The only place I have seen those is on a hospital surgery suite!

Dan

[Belinda Barfield]

http://www.plumbingsupply.com/footandkneevalves.html

[Matt Meiser]

I'd guess this place is pretty high end. They have a big gantry crane to move the slabs and multiple CNC machines. They also use a CMM machine to do the templating which I've seen on This Old House, so it must be the high end way :)

I tried to get LOML to consider the tiles because I've seen some that look pretty nice and with epoxy grout they should hold up well, but she's dead set against tile of any form on the counters.

We'll have 3 seams, two of which are in an area where we've got two cabinets at 90 degree angles with a third at a 45 between them. Behind the 45 degree cabinet is a breakfast bar that sticks out between the two walls. That's going to be pretty complicated and there's no way I'd want to install that. Plus I've installed two granite vanity tops that are much smaller than all but one piece for the kitchen. Those things are heavy!

The response everyone's given make me feel a lot better about just going with this place because I know they did good work for my parents and I also know their contractor was happy and he's VERY picky. They even came back out no questions asked and ground a radius on a corner because I wasn't happy that one of my doors rubbed on it.

[Pat Germain]

A friend of mine is currently building a house. He is the subcontractor. For countertops, he went to a place in Denver that sells Chinese granite. Apparently, it's a little thinner than what we're used to seeing, but it's significantly cheaper; even installed.

What's the deal on the thinner, Chinese granite? Is it a good deal, or a waste of space?

[Matt Meiser]

Hopefully its better than Chinese drywall (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Chinese_drywall_controversy).

[Steve Rowe]

I just had a granite vanity top installed last week. I had 2 sink cutouts, a backsplash and side splash. The top was a remnant so I was able to save about $100 on that. I had the square edge. Installed price was about $57/sq. ft. and I am very happy with the quality and price I paid.
Steve

[Russ Filtz]

Hopefully its better than Chinese drywall (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Chinese_drywall_controversy).

I think that's where it all went! Grind it up, throw in some epoxy & tint, BAM, instant fake granite!

[Pat Germain]

Well, yeah. The Chinese drywall thing is a fiasco. But does anyone know anything about the Chinese granite for countertops? The Steel City granite machine tops come from China.

[Dick Strauss]

Matt,
Some companies that come from Toledo quote 25+% higher doing an install in Perrysburg because it is a more affluent city. I would assume that companies that work out of P-burg also quote higher on average.

I would seriously consider trying to negotiate a discount in this economy regardless of who you decide to use.

As Belinda suggested, I would go with the undermount sink with granite overhang. We did this in my old place using Absolute Black granite and white porcelain (CI) sinks for a his and hers bathroom. It really looked sharp when it was done!

[Matt Meiser]

Dick, that's good advise--not really something I thought about.

We've got factory-made tops in two baths that are undermount white ceramic bowls with an overhang that we really like the look of. Their standard sink install is undermount with an overhang. I really didn't even think about there being another way. They include a "free" stainless sink that's a basic double-bowl sink, fairly heavy gauge. The upgrade we are looking at would be an extra $100 which I included in the price in my first post. That sink installs the same but has the big-side-little-side design that's popular right now.

[Jim Becker]

$55/ft installed is a darn good price, IMHO, Matt.

[Tom Godley]

Matt: I have one of those "big side little side" and I do not like it at all. The big side is still not big enough and the small side is basically worthless.

My sister had one where the small side was really small with the garbage disposer in it -- That was even less practical.

I really like the one slightly oversized sink -- every thing fits.


Years ago without dishwashers kitchens had big double sinks for dishwashing - but I do not understand them in modern kitchens.

[Belinda Barfield]

Well, yeah. The Chinese drywall thing is a fiasco. But does anyone know anything about the Chinese granite for countertops? The Steel City granite machine tops come from China.

First, I'm sure that someone (or many someones) out there are going to disagree with me but I'm going to give you my take on Chinese granite. When you walk into a hotel/motel and see the granite reception area and granite in the rooms you are more than likely looking at pre-fabbed or fabbed to order Chinese granite. These materials come in a 2 cm thickness with a laminated to 4 cm full bullnose edge. There is absolutely nothing wrong with using Chinese granite for this particular application. Usuallly the lamination line is not very clean but in this setting most contractors don't care.

In a residential setting I would never recommend using Chinese granite. If you can't afford a quality granite, then save up until you can. Don't cut corners. Prime example - Chinese drywall. To the best of my knowledge there are no toxicity issues with Chinese granite, but many times it is dyed to deepen the color and can fade over time.



Dick, that's good advise--not really something I thought about.

We've got factory-made tops in two baths that are undermount white ceramic bowls with an overhang that we really like the look of. Their standard sink install is undermount with an overhang. I really didn't even think about there being another way. They include a "free" stainless sink that's a basic double-bowl sink, fairly heavy gauge. The upgrade we are looking at would be an extra $100 which I included in the price in my first post. That sink installs the same but has the big-side-little-side design that's popular right now.

Here again, I'm going to give you my opinion on stainless steel sinks - for what it's worth (which isn't much). About a week after a stainless steel sink is installed it is already sratched and scuffed and is going to be that way from then on. Go with a solid surface sink (Corian or the like) or a cast iron with porcelain overlay. If you hand wash your dishes the cast iron really holds heat. Treated well the procelain looks good for a long time. Which ever sink you choose, make sure it is a true undermount, not an either/or top mount/undermount. A true undermount will give you the best contact between sink and stone, allowing for the smallest caulk line.

[Art Mulder]

I'm going to give you my opinion on stainless steel sinks - for what it's worth (which isn't much). About a week after a stainless steel sink is installed it is already sratched and scuffed and is going to be that way from then on. Go with a solid surface sink (Corian or the like) or a cast iron with porcelain overlay. If you hand wash your dishes the cast iron really holds heat.

Wow, I'm learning far more from this thread than I thought I would when I clicked on the link! :)

Belinda, you've been a fount of great information and ideas, thank-you!

[Belinda Barfield]

Wow, I'm learning far more from this thread than I thought I would when I clicked on the link! :)

Belinda, you've been a fount of great information and ideas, thank-you!

Thanks Art, and you're welcome! Feel free to contact me anytime you have a question.

A couple of things I forgot to mention with solid surface sinks. Solid surface will stain, particularly with foods like blueberries and peaches, and red wiine. Sometimes you can bleach the stain out. If a solid surface sink is scratched you can buff out the scratches.

Never, ever pour boiling water directly into a solid surface sink. This can cause cracking. Run cold water and mix the streams of boiling water and cold water directly into the drain.

And since I've started I might as well keep rolling. If you are replacing your countertops you really need to consider replacing your appliances as well, particularly if they are more than 10 years old. Retrofitting a cooktop in an exisiting granite countertop is not something most granite companies will do for you. Free standing ranges are okay as most are the same size. If you are replacing your dishwasher look for one that has mounting clips that secure it to the cabinet side walls (most do these days). Dishwasher clips can be adhered to the underside of the stone if necessary.

[Matt Meiser]

I'd never considered anything but stainless with granite. Are the new stainless sinks different that ones from 18 years ago? We've got a stainless sink now and haven't had any scratching isses. its not as shiny as a brand new one, but doesn't look bad. And whenever it starts looking nasty I clean the whole thing with a scotchbrite pad which leaves it looking good.

How durable are the porcelain ones from chipping due to stuff dropped in the sink?

[Belinda Barfield]

I'd never considered anything but stainless with granite. Are the new stainless sinks different that ones from 18 years ago? We've got a stainless sink now and haven't had any scratching isses. its not as shiny as a brand new one, but doesn't look bad. And whenever it starts looking nasty I clean the whole thing with a scotchbrite pad which leaves it looking good.

How durable are the porcelain ones from chipping due to stuff dropped in the sink?

I believe the stainless steel sinks are different than the ones from years ago. Like many other things, cheap sells. As cheaper sinks have cornered the market some of the good sink maufacturers have closed their doors. A lot of builders tend to use a "builder grade" sink in new construction. You can pick one of these up for around $200.00. A good quality heavy guage stainless will hold up and look good a lot longer of course. There is an abrasive product (if you can find it) called Zud. Similar to Barkeeper's Friend but less abrasive. Zud can do a lot to rejuvenate a stainless sink.

I have had a Kohler porcelain sink for seven years or so now and have not had any problem with chipping. Like granite, porcelain can be chipped if something very heavy strikes in just the right spot, but it is pretty tough. One advantage to a porcelain sink is that you can match it to your appliances if you aren't going with stainless appliances. Stay away from a black porcelain sink. . . it is almost impossible to keep it looking good.

Here is the link to Kohler's kitchen planner. Note that many, if not all (I didn't go through the entire selection), have a positive skin reveal. I still recommend a countertop overhang.

http://www.us.kohler.com/planning/kitchenSinkPlanner.jsp

[Dick Strauss]

Matt,
We had a porcelain over cast iron kitchen sink growing up and never had a single chip in over 25 years. Porcelain sinks also don't show all the water spots, etc.

[Kevin Groenke]

I like stainless, our basins are big and bigger, 7.5" depth. Kohler K-3353. Yeah, the stainless is "scratched", but it's a working kitchen, the absence of polished SS never bothered us. SS appliances I don't really get though.

The only thing that doesn't fit in the sink is my 35qt brew kettle, that wouldn't fit in a single bowl either. Guess it's time for a pot filler --- or a basement brew center;).

It's personal preference of course, but mixing stone and solid surface seems "off" to me.
http://www.us.kohler.com/onlinecatalog/550wide/ccc03889.jpg
Where did you get those foot pedals? The only place I have seen those is on a hospital surgery suite!

Dan

Isn't a kitchen kinda a surgery suite? Have you ever seen the contamination of an entire kitchen from parting out poultry? Not pretty.

The idea to install the foot pedal actually came from my memory of basin sinks w/foot pedals in elementary school.

There is also a single handle control on the deck next to the gooseneck so you can use either control. It's pretty simple to hit either pedal or both depending on water temp you want. I'd estimate we use half the water rinsing dishes that we did using the tap.

I will never have a kitchen sink without a foot pedal.

[Belinda Barfield]

It's personal preference of course, but mixing stone and solid surface seems "off" to me.


When honed granite was all the rage I got a lot of requests for solid surface sinks because of the matte finish. Same with honed marble. Many people like solid surface sinks because the rim of the sink is designed to glue up seamlessly to the solid surface countertop, so there is no lip like we see on many stainless sinks.

[Dan Mages]

I would love this sink from Elkay when we redo the kitchen. at 84", It would extend over the two dishwashers and go from one outside wall to the fridge. No seams and very sanitary. But at $2000 :eek: I might have to pass on it.
http://www.elkayusa.com/Images_Content/images/D72344_RD_rdax_406x271.jpg

[Belinda Barfield]

I've got the time. Since we're now discussing sinks, here are a couple of photos of a kitchen we did five or so years ago. You won't get this for $55 a sq ft. :D Just for kicks I included the shower. Seriously, would you ever leave this shower? :eek:

The sink in the island is part of a pasta cooking unit.
141500

141501

141502

BTW, this was an addition. The original structure was 7,000 sq ft, and the addition added another 7,000 sq ft. We did all the bathrooms and the kitchen, as well as an outdoor kitchen in soapstone and soapstone wall caps and seats around the pool.

[Ben Hatcher]

I paid $45/sq/ft installed for mine. I bought my own stainless undermount sink off of ebay for about $100 and I was very pleased with the quality. The fabrication shop just used the template that came with my sink to do the cutout. The granite that I chose is varigated. The good part is that crumbs don't show up very well so they look clean even when they're not. The bad part is that dark twist ties and such are almost impossible to find.