So how much exactly will granite countertops cost in 2021? And how much approximately can you expect to pay? This is probably the most common question from homeowners. In fact, we, as a professional granite and stone fabricator get this question almost daily. Today we want to help you with this.
The honest truth is that it really depends. There is no quick answer to this, unfortunately.
The first thing I recommend is to call your local granite fabricator before anything and tell them exactly what you are trying to accomplish with your project. The more information you can provide, the faster they’ll be able to give you a price for your granite countertops.
They’ll ask questions such as; is this for a rental property, a new house, new kitchen remodel, small bathroom, are you planning on selling the house soon or within the next few years, is the maintenance of the countertops a problem for you, do you enjoy cooking or cleaning, etc. Believe it or not, each of these questions helps the granite expert provide the most appropriate stone choices for you.
By the way, if your granite project is located in the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia or Southern Maryland, feel free to give our experts a call or simply submit a free estimate.
Granite Countertop Cost Averages
Now that we know that I can’t just give you a specific square foot price for granite countertops, let’s go through and discuss the next best thing – averages.
In the Washington D.C. greater metro area, the average size kitchen will require somewhere around 30 to 50 square feet of countertop space. Let’s be practical and say you need 40 square feet worth of countertops. So the average cost you can expect to pay for a brand new granite installation will be around $1,600. In fact, we have a slightly lower price at $1,400 completely installed, for the same amount of material (click the link for details on that).
What exactly does that $1,600 include? Excellent question, however, we can only speak for ourselves. Our $1,400 sale, for instance, includes fabrication, installation, a free sink, sealer, sink cutout, standard edge, 6 colors to choose from, and of course a free estimate and expert consultation.
Just in case, to help you plan your granite purchase better, here is a list of the things you will need to consider and help you reference (by all means this is not a complete list);
- Plumbing (disconnect/reconnect)
- Sink (single, double, drop-in, stainless steel, etc)
- Faucet (soap dispenser, spread, type, etc)
- Edge (standard, upgrade, style, design, etc)
- Color (standard, common, high-end, exotic, uniqueness, etc)
- Maintenance (do you like cleaning, how often do you cook, sealing etc)
- Removal (remove/haul/dispose of old counters, potential wall/cabinet damage, etc)
- Cabinets (level)
- Drywall (prior damage, covers paint line, etc)
Granite Countertop Square Foot Prices
Please be careful when you make your purchasing decision strictly on the advertised square foot price. Honestly, we’ve been fabricating and installing granite countertops for almost 22 years now, and many fabricators use this technique to deceive granite buyers. I’ll explain exactly how they do this in a minute. First, let me give you some square foot price averages.
Granite countertop prices in 2021 can range between $35 and $100 per square foot, including installation. Some will also include a free under-mount stainless steel sink, standard edge, sealer, cutout, and a variety of standard and high-end granite colors. This gives you a place to start.
How much can I expect to pay for granite countertops in 2021?
Expect to pay between $35 to $45 per square foot, for standard and basic granite colors. These are not by any means lower quality. They are simply more common colors that are readily available but can still complement your kitchen cabinets style and design very well.
Expect to pay between $45 to $65 per square foot, for intermediate granite colors. These colors simply tend to be a bit less common and less likely to find at your neighbor’s house. Patterns, shades, and surfaces start to become more interesting here.
Expect to pay between $65 to $100 (or even higher) per square foot, for high-end granite colors. You can actually expect to pay even more for exclusive exotic granite.
How some fabricators deceive granite buyers
Ok, so back to what I was saying. Unfortunately, we’ve learned that some fabricators advertise an extremely low square foot price for granite. Nothing wrong with that of course… until they start charging you for all the other elements they absolutely know you will need! For instance, they can charge you additional for the sink cutout, for applying sealer, for attaching the sink, and many others. They’ve gotten extremely creative with those!
Another thing to watch out for is the actual quality of the material. This is something else we’ve heard about.
Take your time and find a reliable granite fabricator that keeps their pricing and process simple, straightforward, easy to understand, without any hidden fees. Most importantly, hire a granite installer that has the experience, knowledge, and reputation to prove they can deliver to your expectations.
How to save money on granite countertops
We’ve alluded to a few things already, to make sure you are well taken care of when buying granite counters. Let’s expand on this and provide a few additional ideas that can help you save money on granite countertops.
Choose a reliable & credible fabricator
There is nothing wrong with calling different fabricators in your area and telling them you are in the process of selecting the right granite company to work with. Be honest. By doing this, they’ll show their true intentions. You will quickly be able to notice whether they are there to “genuinely help you” as a granite consumer, or simply to “sell you” some stone!
We all get that gut feeling occasionally when considering a product or service. Sometimes we have to listen to it and learn to trust it.
Ideally, work with a direct supplier
By working with a granite fabricator and installer who also imports their own stone, you will inherit additional benefits.
- Better granite pricing. Because they source their own granite material for most or a large part of their inventory, you are much more likely to be getting a better price, regardless of whether you think of the granite cost as a whole or per square foot.
- Just in case any issues arise in the process of your granite fabrication or installation, they are much more likely and much better prepared to handle any issues that could arise, in a timely manner.
Don’t negotiate price. Negotiate on…
If you’ve found a great company to work with. If you are happy with the salesperson and you believe they have the right team, materials, and reputation. Don’t negotiate price.
Instead, we want to offer a different perspective here. Try and negotiate on an additional complementing service or product. For instance, most granite installation estimates will not include any type of plumbing work, but you know you’ll need this service anyways. Perhaps you can ask for a discount if you were to hire them for plumbing service (so long as they provide that service and have qualified team members).
Another idea is to upgrade your sink from a single to a double bowl, or from a drop-in sink to an undercount, requesting a small discount to move forward.
Avoid the backsplash and go with tile
Finally, if you are thinking of tiling the wall behind the countertops, then you may want to remove the granite backsplash cost from your overall estimate. This can be a small but significant saving, especially if you already purchased the ceramic wall tile for the splash guard.
Save even more money on granite by opting for remnants
If you have a very small kitchen area and have a relatively small amount of square foot requirements, we recommend asking your fabricator about granite remnants. Typically, larger fabricators that source their own stone and carry a large amount of stock inventory will most likely have a nice variety of remnant options.
For those not familiar with remnants, they are simply leftovers from granite slabs that were large enough to be considered for the remnant yard. They are perfectly good pieces with identical properties and characteristics, of course, inherited directly from the original slab. This is a low-cost option for smaller projects such as small kitchens, bathroom vanities, wet bars, tables and more.
We made it!
Our goal today was to give you a good idea of what you can expect to pay for granite countertops in 2021. To provide some guidelines, tips and granite cost averages. We hope we’ve delivered on that and hope you’ve enjoyed reading this.
Again, if you live near Beltsville Maryland, College Park or Washington DC, we invite you to visit our showroom or simply start with our super simple free estimate.
