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Granite countertops cost between $10 and $170 per square foot. When you are considering adding a granite countertop in your kitchen or bathroom, the price will be a deciding factor. Granite is not a cheap material but there are ways you can save a little with your project. Here are five tips to help you shave a bit off of the cost of your renovation.
1 – The Location and Type of Company
When you work directly with a material supplier you are going to save money compared to getting your countertops from a custom builder or interior designer. The savings will average around 15% but you could save as much as 25%. Look for someone who offers in-house design and fabrication service and also choose a local stone yard for fabrication and installation of the countertops. With a local granite installer, you save on transportation costs as well.
2 – Color and Level
Myth: If you wish to stick to a budget, your best option is a slab with a darker tan shade and black granite slabs are the least expensive. An example is something called absolute black granite. It is not black-black in its raw state and it is not manmade. What causes this granite to be one of the most expensive available is the process used to ensure that it is jet black throughout. In quarries, when granite is cut some swatches get trimmed off and tossed aside. This means every “not black” piece is thrown out. The finishing process that creates the black and galaxy black varieties – which contain medium-size gold flecks of copper – is what adds to the cost.
This is why color has little to do with price but something called “levels” does. Low-grade granite is called commercial or second-choice and contains excess soft material mixed into the stone and less color variation than higher grade products. Mid-grade granite has clear colors, interesting patterns but not much in uniqueness. Exotic or high-end labels are reserved for stones that have one-of-a-kind colors, variations, or patterns.
3 – Remnants
Remnant granite describes the leftovers stone manufacturers have after cutting slabs for granite countertops, tiling, and other projects. These pieces are not suitable for a large slab kitchen countertop however, you can save money purchasing remnants for smaller jobs.
4 – The Complexity of Your Design
The design plan you have in mind will impact the cost of your granite countertop. For example, the number of seams, corners, and the type of edge will all be factored into the degree of difficulty for installation. With fewer of these, the labor cost from the granite installer will be less.
5 – Slab Thickness
One of the easiest ways to save on the cost of your granite countertop is to opt for a thinner cut of the stone. Typically 3-centimeters is the standard thickness. Check with the granite company you are working with to see if your design would still work with a 2-centimeter slab. A thinner slab will cost you less but can also impact the look of your countertop which you may not want to sacrifice.
In Conclusion
You can save a great deal on granite countertops if you are more flexible on the color, size, grade, and texture of the stone. The above five tips outline how you can do that.
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