How are Granite Worktops Priced? 6 Important Factors to Know.
Creating stylish, functional, and low-maintenance kitchens is the top priority of most homeowners today. On all three fronts, granite serves as the ideal worktop material. It is an incredibly hard, dense, and resilient stone of igneous origin. Available in varying shades of black, white, grey, red, green, and yellow, its natural patterns can be smooth, speckled, flowy, or striated. With the rising popularity of this magnificent natural stone, queries about granite worktop prices are extremely common. A certain budget blinds every kitchen design or remodelling project. Thus, homeowners need to understand the pricing norms of granite countertops.
6 Important Factors that Affect Granite Worktop Prices
Formed deep within the Earth’s crust, granite is gradually formed over millions of years when molten magma undergoes slow cooling and solidification. The robust properties of this natural stone can be attributed to the unique combination of quartz, feldspar, and mica, with the mineral grains crystallised and tightly interlocked to form a robust and resilient stone. Here are six important factors that affect granite worktop prices:-
- Granite Quality– The quality of granite is an important determinant of its pricing. Like all other natural stones, granite has natural imperfections. As per leading worktop suppliers, premium granite slabs have minimal natural flaws like pits, fissures, and water spots. Mid-range granite has some imperfections, and low-range granite has the maximum instances of crevices and fissures owing to tectonic and igneous forces. Another important attribute of premium granite is its uniform colour and higher structural durability. The lowest-priced granite slabs have less colour consistency, more fading, and lower density.
- Granite Origin and Rarity– Some granite variants are more commonly available. For instance, Blue Louise Granite and Rosslyn Granite are two rare and exotic granite varieties priced high. On the other hand, Baltic Brown Granite and Uba Tuba Granite are commonly available and lower-priced options for homeowners running on a tight budget. For UK-based homeowners, granite worktop prices also depend on whether the slabs have been sourced from a quarry in the UK or imported from the quarries of Brazil, Spain, Italy, etc.Â
- Granite Worktop Colour and Pattern– Based on feedback from worktop suppliers, the demand for white granite and black granite for kitchen worktops is the highest. Very often, unique and visually stunning granite patterns are highly sought after for designer kitchens. Veins and striations imbibe movement, depth, and character to the kitchen interiors. The residual demand tilts the price scale up for these granite worktops. Spotted and irregular patterns are less appealing to most homeowners today. Therefore, the lower demand spurs lower prices.
- Granite Worktop Specifications– Granite worktop prices greatly depend on the thickness of the slab being installed. The thicker the slab, the higher will be its durability and pricing. Also, if you opt for a prefabricated and standard-sized worktop, it will cost you less. The standard thickness is 600mm deep and 30mm thick, with varying lengths of 3 metres for regular kitchen worktops, 4 metres for island worktops, and 2 metres for peninsula worktops. Custom-made worktops of sizes larger than these have to be fabricated separately by worktop suppliers and, therefore, will cost you more.
- Fabrication and Installation of Granite Worktops– When considering granite worktop prices for your kitchen, don’t forget to include the labour costs for installation. It is a sizable chunk of the overall pricing, but you cannot avoid this component. Professionally installed granite worktops will ensure optimal durability, longevity, and minimal damage in the long run. DIY installation might be an appealing option, but given the bulkiness of granite, it is best avoided.
- Additional Features and Customization– Granite’s hardness is the highest among the natural stones used for worktop construction. Hence, imparting fancy edges to worktops warrants a high degree of expertise and considerable time and effort. The installation team will charge you more if you want elaborate edge designs like double bullnose, waterfall, and ogee. For softer stones like marble and limestone, it is easier to carve these edges than granite, rated six on the Mohs hardness scale. Apart from fancy edges, asking for any other customisation in your granite worktop will increase its price.
Conclusion
While the above factors are critical in determining the prices of granite worktops, your final investment as a homeowner is always subjective. For instance, if you need to have an old countertop removed or sink repaired before granite worktop installation, it will incur higher labour charges. Also, if you want worktop upgrades such as a fancier edge profile or a backsplash, these will cost you higher than a standard granite worktop. Always get quotes from multiple worktop suppliers before procuring a worktop to get the best value for money. Similarly, speak to multiple installation experts and consider the one that meets your objectives and budgetary constraints suitably.
