What is your cost per square foot?

Your countertops will be custom made to fit your specifications and we consider them to be one of a kind objects. You have the opportunity to choose from several styles to give your kitchen or bath the feel that you desire. The cost of your countertops come from the sum of the fabrication, the installation and material costs. The more intricate the design or options you choose the more time will be required for fabrication. Material is sold by the slab or, in the case of laminate, by the sheet. A rare slab of granite will cost more than a common slab of granite. Currently our least expensive granite is Ubatuba and retails for about $800 a slab opposed a Red Fire granite that retails for $4,500 per slab. Both are granites, both will hold up well, both look beautiful but the less expensive one is just more available. In order to price your countertop, we take into account all the aspects of your unique kitchen or bathroom and the material selection to generate your price. 

Will granite stain?

Yes. Granite is a natural material and will allow moisture to absorb into it, anything that can absorb moisture can stain. With proper sealing this porosity can be minimized but not eliminated. Oil is the biggest culprit for staining issues usually from the bottom of a frying pan. Wiping up spills and splatters frequently will help keep staining down. If staining is a big concern for your countertops then you may want to look into the non-porous surfaces like quartz, solid surface and laminates.

What is the difference between 2cm and 3cm?

The measurement refers to the thickness of the slabs. As a rule, 2cm material is cheaper but may increase the fabrication costs. The reason is that most people are use to seeing countertop edge thicknesses around 1 3/8”(3 cm) so in order to use 2cm material, the fabricator needs to glue additional material to the exposed edges of the countertop. This is commonly referred to as a “buildup”. Unfortunately you can usually see the glue line where the stone is glued together. Additional material, usually MDF boards, need to be cut and set as a spacer to support the rest of the countertop. When available, choose 3cm despite the added material cost because it will eliminate the glue line, be more stable and have less chance of cracking. 

I want granite countertops but can’t spend a lot.

There has never been a better time to have stone countertops in your home. Suppliers are running sales on slabs and fabricators have drop their rates due to a more competitive environment. The real keys to keeping costs down are keeping your countertops simple. Ubatuba, Sunset Gold, Santa Cecilia and Tan Brown all retail around $800 per slab, with the average size kitchen taking two slabs. For fabrication options, choose a drop in sink with faucet holes opposed to an under-mount type. Also choose a square edge opposed to the more labor intensive bevel or bull nose edges. A backsplash kept around four inches tall is easy to fabricate and will not need to have costly electrical outlets cut out or forgo the backsplash all together and save even more money. Additionally, you could visit our fabrication shop in Ouray and sift through our remnant piles which we sell at reduced rates.

What do you have in your home?

Most of the staff of Kitchen and Bath Designs have laminate countertops. Benefits of laminate include a staggering variety of colors, extreme durability, it's easy to clean and it's affordable.

What does non-porous mean?

Non-porous in regards to countertops basically means that the material will not absorb liquids. Quartz, solid surface, laminate and stainless steel are non-porous countertop materials. Non-porous countertops will not stain and harbor bacteria. In commercial kitchens, non-porous countertops are required.

How long does it take to have countertops installed? 

It takes two weeks to get material for your project. For an average size kitchen, fabrication takes about one week. Obviously the amount of detail of a particular countertop may make the schedule shorter or faster. Generally, you can expect three weeks as an average. 

What does group A mean?

Material suppliers like to group stone slabs into either numbered or letter groups that help identify a price range. Usually a group A is cheaper than a group E. To make things more confusing, not all suppliers group material the same. One might have only four stones that they call a group A and different supplier might have twenty group A stones.

Why does it cost more for quartz than stone?

Quartz material is more expensive than most of the commonly available natural stones, why this is, no one really knows. On the fabrication end, the binder that holds the quartz crystals together is murder on stone cutting tools. A stone cutting blade can cost a few hundred dollars and its life can be reduced quickly by cutting lots of quartz products. Most fabricators will charge slightly more to compensate for the extra wear and tear.

What is templating?

Templating is the process of creating a pattern for your countertop off the cabinets below. These patterns will take into account overhangs, crooked walls and everything else that needs to be considered. Once in the shop, the templates are then placed on the stone slabs and cut out exactly. If there is a problem with a countertop job, inevitably it is from errors in templating.

Can you measure my kitchen for countertops?

Yes, we would prefer it. Please let us know when and where.

Do you do shower surrounds?

Yes, they are fabricated just like our countertops though we usually use a 2cm material when available.

Why are you more expensive than some of the other guys?

With countertops, you get what you pay for. Our fabricators are more artists than stone cutters. It is not uncommon to spend half a day layout slabs so the grain of the stone all runs in one direction. The casual observer may never catch this detail but we do it anyway. 

What edge options are available?

Please visit our Montrose showroom for examples of all the available edge details for both stone and laminate.