Estimated Read Time: 7 Minutes
Selecting a new kitchen countertop can be one of the most important choices you’ll make throughout your kitchen design process.
Regardless of your countertop selection, furnishing your kitchen surfaces will cost you thousands of dollars. This is why you’ll want to ensure the choice you’ve made is correct before finalizing your investment.
With so many different countertop materials available, all with varying price ranges, how do you know which is the right choice for your kitchen?
We’re here to help!
At Deslaurier Custom Cabinets, we specialize in high-quality custom cabinetry solutions that look great and perform even better. In doing so, we know how important it is for clients to determine the perfect countertop selection for their kitchen while staying within their budget.
With that, this article will compare the prices of 6 popular kitchen countertop materials.
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The Varying Costs of Kitchen Countertops |
Firstly, determining the cost of a stone countertop is not an exact science. There are a number of uncontrollable variables that may affect the price of natural materials from one month to the next.
The price of stone countertops can be influenced by quarry location, shipping costs, manufacturer, and general supply and demand.
Similarly for man-made countertops like laminate or butcher-block, prices will vary depending on the style and quality of the surface, as well as the supplier they’re being purchased from.
The pricing ranges given below will reflect these uncertain variables. Pricing also won’t include installation costs.
A standard countertop, with no cutouts, could cost anywhere from $300 to $600 to install. Once cutouts and other maintenance are factored in, installation can cost well over a thousand dollars.
The cost of a quartz countertop can vary due to a number of variables. According to Ottawa supplier Urban Quarry, the average cost of a quartz countertop falls between $80-$180 per sq. ft.
When it comes to countertops, quartz falls under its own hybrid category. Quartz itself is a mineral in the earth, but quartz countertops are not considered natural stone like granite or marble.
Technically, quartz is an engineered stone countertop, meaning that while 93% of the surface is pure quartz, the remaining 7% of the stone is manmade.
Essentially, what fabricators do is grind up the quartz mineral and glue it back together with polymers and binders. These man-made components bind with the quartz to create an ultra-durable, non-porous surface that doesn’t require resealing.
During the manufacturing process, sometimes fabricators will add tiny flecks of glass or metals, or combine pigments with the quartz to create extra visual appeal.
On average, a marble countertop costs between $80-$250 per sq. ft. Contrary to popular belief, you can buy marble on a budget. You just have to do diligent research in order to know where to go.
Marble and luxury are synonymous words in the world of kitchen design. Marble is an all-natural stone and every slab is unique.
The style of marble countertops is in a league of its own. Colours and vein patterns exude elegance and instantly elevate any room they’re placed in.
Marble countertops can either be polished or honed. True to how it sounds, polished marble is glossy and sheer. Honed marble has a matte look, but is generally more forgiving and will hide scratches better than polished marble.
The added protection of honed marble will come in handy. Not only is marble one of the most expensive countertop materials, but it also is one of the more high-maintenance materials as well.
Marble is an extremely soft stone, so you’ll have to be very cautious to prevent scratches and marks. Plus, marble is susceptible to “etching” —a term for the damaging effect of acid on marble’s finish. Commonplace kitchen items, like lemon juice and vinegar, can wear down a marble surface with prolonged contact.
Another to-do item in marble’s maintenance regimen is routine sealing (every 3 months is a good rule of thumb). Because marble is a porous stone, regular sealing is needed to prevent moisture from seeping into the stone.
When it comes to the cost of granite, selections could range anywhere between $75-$200 per sq. ft.
You’re probably familiar with granite countertops. Whether they’ve been mentioned in your online research, on home improvement TV shows, or maybe even remember it from high school science class.
Granite is a high-demand and high-quality product. What is it exactly? It’s a rock! Granite is an all-natural stone that’s made up of many different minerals like feldspar, mica, and, believe it or not, quartz!
Granite is mined in quarries all over the world. It gets extracted, cut, polished, and then sold for a variety of uses-–in this case, as slabs to be installed as kitchen countertops.
Unlike quartz, no additional manmade materials are thrown into the mix during the fabrication process. That’s why granite is slightly more limited colour-wise than quartz. With granite, you can only buy whatever is found naturally underground. While limited that way - it does mean every single slab is unique.
Like marble, granite is a porous stone. There are minuscule pores between the compressed mineral grains that will absorb liquid and oils if spilled. So, if something is spilled on a granite surface it is best to wipe up the spill as soon as possible.
As a porous material, periodical sealing is necessary to keep granite's stain protection sky-high. However, as granite is less porous than marble, you can get away with sealing less frequently. Once a year should suffice in the average home.
Scoping out countertop selections before starting a kitchen renovation? Kickstart your design process by booking a free consultation with a Deslaurier kitchen expert today!
Laminate is by far the most affordable countertop material on this list.
Generally speaking, the average cost for custom laminate countertops is from $24 to $36 per sq. ft. Home improvement stores also sell prefabricated 4-foot and 8 foot long sections for $50-$200 per section.
Standard laminate countertops are made of several sheets of kraft paper pressed with heat and bonded to a substrate. These sheets will include one with the visual aesthetic of the countertop, as well as protective sheets that will result in a plastic-feeling finish.
The real benefit of laminate is that it can visually duplicate the look of more expensive stone countertops. Modern day laminates can convincingly replicate granite, quartz, slate, and even marble patterning.
Some of the larger laminate countertop manufacturers offer a staggering 500+ colours and patterns in their catalogue. If you’re focused on the aesthetic of your countertop, laminate will have far more options to select from than stone.
The price of the laminate countertop depends on the pattern and colour that you choose and whether you are using a standard design or a custom-made countertop.
Premium colours cost more to make. This is also true for intricate patterns like a realistic quartz or authentic marble imitation. Not to mention the various grades and thicknesses of laminate. The higher quality or thicker the laminate is, the more expensive it will be.
Butcher block countertops are the second most inexpensive option on this list behind laminate countertops. Butcher block prices will primarily depend on the wood species you choose and your supplier.
All-in-all, you can expect the price range to come in around $35-$100 per sq. ft.
Wood countertops bring a neutral, earthy vibe to home kitchens. They’re particularly great for cottagey or rustic farmhouse-style kitchens. Butcher block counters in cherry, maple, and even teal provide varied, rich colours; both light and dark.
A nice attribute of butcher block countertops is that they are considered environmentally friendly.
Depending on the manufacturer, butcher-block countertops can be created solely using reclaimed wood and local materials. Avoiding the use of toxic finishing products can also help ensure your butcher-block kitchen countertop is as eco-friendly an option as possible.
Even more, butcher block countertops can produce some of the most remarkable kitchen countertops you’ve ever seen! They allow you to spark your artistic side by selecting unusual wood grain patterns, like end grain, edge grain, or face grain.
Since Dekton countertops are such a durable and high-quality material, the price tag of roughly $80-$150 per sq. ft. tends to reflect that.
They are not budget-friendly countertop choices by any means, but if you’re looking for a durable, long-lasting kitchen surface, you can’t do much better than Dekton.
Originally created to improve the performance of quartz countertops, Dekton was developed by Consentino, a Spanish company that also manufactures surfaces like Silestone quartz countertops.
Dekton is a blend of raw materials used to produce porcelain, glass, and quartz work surfaces. It utilizes a process referred to as “Sinterized Particle Technology,” which accelerates the metamorphic changes which occur to natural stone.
Essentially, instead of spending thousands of years under high pressure and high temperatures like natural stone, this high-tech method creates a synthetic replica using raw materials that can be used to create incredible countertops.
Dekton kitchen countertops come in porcelain, glass, and quartz, all of which are available in a variety of design patterns, finishes, and over 40 different colours.
A nice feature of Dekton is that their slab sizes are generally much larger than conventional countertops, as the standard dimensions are 320 x 144 centimeters. These larger slabs aid in the visual continuity of patterns as well as reduce the number of joints that will occur.
Dekton is world-renowned for its extreme durability. No other countertop material on this list can compare to Dekton’s heat, scratch, and stain resistance.
When it comes to kitchen countertops, there are options that will truly fit any budget. The six materials listed above represent some of the most popular countertop surfaces available for your kitchen. Now, it’s up to you to determine which material best suits your style and budget.
But not to worry! Deslaurier Custom Cabinets can help!
Book a free consultation in Deslaurier’s Ottawa showroom to meet with our award-winning in-house design team and compare the market’s best countertop selections in person!
We bring 60+ years of experience to the table and partner with a vast network of premier countertop suppliers. The result? We consistently leave a long trail of customized, high-performance kitchens in our path.
Interested in becoming an authorized Deslaurier dealer? Visit our Become a Dealer page to learn more! Live outside the area? Find a Dealer to connect with a Deslaurier dealer near you!