Seven things decide what a countertop project costs, and square footage
is only one of them. This page explains each of them so you can read a quote properly —
and shows you where to get an exact number for your own kitchen.
About this page
This is a guide to what moves the price, not a price list.
Costs for a specific material or brand are answered on that material’s own page, linked below.
For your project, a digital template gives the exact figure.
Engineered quartz, sintered stone and porcelain, and quarried natural stone sit in different price bands, and within each class the pattern and the rarity of the slab move the number again. This is the single largest factor, and it is why cost questions are answered on each material’s own page rather than here.
02
How many slabs your layout needs
Cost follows slab count, not just square footage. A layout that tips just over into a second slab costs more than one that does not, and large islands, waterfall ends and continuous runs consume more of each slab. Nesting the layout well is part of the fabrication.
03
Edge profile
An eased edge is the most economical profile to produce. A mitered edge joins two pieces of stone cut at 45° to make a thin slab read as a thick monolithic block, or to wrap the stone down the side of an island — more fabrication, and more of it done by hand.
04
Cutouts and what goes into them
Every sink and cooktop cutout is fabrication work. A standard undermount sink is straightforward; an integrated stone sink or a flush-mounted induction cooktop is a more involved piece of fabrication and is priced accordingly.
05
Full-height backsplash
Running the same material up the wall adds material area, and it adds templating: walls are rarely square, so the back edge has to be scribed to the actual room rather than cut straight.
06
Seams, access and install conditions
Where the seams fall, whether a slab can physically reach the kitchen, stairs, lifts and tight corners all affect the work involved on install day.
07
Who actually does the work
Absolute GM templates, fabricates and installs with its own team, so one company is accountable for the whole job rather than a distributor, a fabricator and an installer each quoting a part of it.
Cost by material
Material and brand cost lives on its own page
Material class is the largest single factor, so each material and brand page
carries its own cost detail. Start with the material you are considering.
Try the estimator, then template for the real figure
The estimator on our countertops page takes your square footage, backsplash,
cutouts and edge profile and returns a rough range — useful for early planning. It cannot
see your walls, your seams or your access, which is what a digital template is for.
Material class first — engineered quartz, sintered stone and porcelain, and natural stone sit in different price bands. After that it is how many slabs your layout needs, the edge profile, the number and type of cutouts, whether you are running a full-height backsplash, and the install conditions. Absolute GM templates, fabricates and installs in house, so one company is accountable for the whole figure.
Usually because they cover different things. Ask each quote whether templating, edge profiling, sink and cooktop cutouts, delivery, installation and removal of the old surface are included, and whether the price assumes one slab or more. A quote built from a digital template reflects your actual layout rather than an assumed square footage.
Yes. An eased edge is the most economical profile to produce. A mitered edge is built by joining two pieces of stone cut at 45°, which is what makes a thin slab read as a thick block or lets the stone wrap down the side of an island — that is more fabrication than a simple eased or bullnose edge.
Book a digital laser template. We measure the actual space with the STONEEX system, so the quote is based on your real layout, seams and cutouts rather than an approximation. For a quick ballpark before that, the estimator on our countertops page will give you a rough range.
Tell us the material and the room. We will template the actual space,
fabricate and install it, and the figure you get reflects your layout rather than an assumption.
Absolute GM is an independent countertop fabricator serving Seattle, Bellevue,
Kirkland, Redmond and Bothell. Digital laser templating, CNC fabrication and professional
installation, handled by our own team.
