The beauty, hardness and utility of granite makes it a highly
desirable material for countertops in home design. In addition to its
natural strength, granite is a beautiful stone that adds color and
warmth to a room. Though the cost to add granite countertops to any new
kitchen or remodel can be quite high, they remain the premiere choice in
many new and remodeled homes.
Albuquerque Granite Countertops
The
price of granite countertops ranges from $60 to $120 a square foot,
which may or may not include the cost of installation. Discount granite
can be found for as little as $30 per foot, not including installation.
The premium cost is not in the stone itself, but rather in the costs
related to transportation and installation.
The stone industry
remains unregulated, which can make it confusing. Every entity that
handles the granite, from the quarry to the supplier and fabricator, can
establish their own pricing based on the demand in the local market.
Dealers who provide full service, so that a homeowner doesn't have to do
the shopping or planning, will add a markup of up to 50%.
Granite
suppliers will typically have three or four groupings (or "tiers") of
granite to choose from. The first tier will consist of the premium
products that sell for the highest price. Stones are grouped based on
several criteria including the country of origin, color, veins or
patterns, thickness of the slab, amount of soft minerals in the stone,
and current fashion trends. Some granite colors exhibit ""movement"", or
a distinctive pattern within the color. The combination of color and
movement also affect the final price of granite countertops.
Granite
from lower tiers has the same beauty and utility as the slabs in the
upper groupings. Additionally, stones in a lower tier could be harder
than stones in a first tier, so it pays to get out and look around. A
lower tier could also be referred to as "commercial grade." Typically
the commercial grades have a large number of "pits" that have been
filled in. The presence of softer minerals may require additional
cabinet supports or penetrating sealant, which adds to the final price
of granite countertops.
Cheaper, thinner cut stone may be a
little less than two centimeters instead of a recommended three, in
which case the installer would laminate it to plywood backing for
additional stability. Discount granite suppliers will typically deal
with a thinner cut stone; many suppliers now carry stones that are
intentionally cut thin and laminated at the quarry. It is now common for
stone that originates in Asia or India to be cut thin and fabricated
prior to shipping. Pre-fabrication does create a lower cost product with
less waste being shipped to the supplier. In addition, the fabrication
is done in countries with much lower wages, saving on the labor costs at
the final destination.
The price of granite countertops is
greatly affected by the number of seams and cuts that will have to be
made in the stone slabs. Discuss how the cuts will be made when the
installer or fabricator makes their preliminary measurements for the
template. Another thing to question are the hidden costs of wasted
material. Depending on the length of countertops being installed, there
will be at least three square feet of waste by the time the fabricator
is finished. The cost of wasted material is paid by the homeowner.
Albuquerque Granite Countertops
Shopping
for granite countertops doesn't have to be frustrating. Focus on
finding a reputable supplier and installer who are willing to answer all
your questions. Despite the fact that labor expenses are the largest
price of granite countertops, this is one project that needs to be left
to the professionals. The oversized sheets are extremely delicate and
must be precisely cut. Failure to properly set a granite countertop
could create an expensive mistake for a do-it-yourself homeowner.
Albuquerque Granite Countertops