Countertop Installation in Vermont Square

After templating, fabrication takes about one to two weeks for stone; installation itself is usually a day. Plan for the gap between template and fit — you'll be without a worktop briefly, so coordinate with the rest of the kitchen work.

Cost is driven by material and area. Laminate is cheapest; granite and quartz sit in the middle; premium natural stone and sintered surfaces are dearest. Priced per square foot/metre or linear metre installed, with templating, cut-outs (sink, hob), edging and removal of the old top usually on top.

Yes — a templater measures your installed cabinets exactly (often with a laser) so the stone is cut to fit precisely. It happens after cabinets are in and before fabrication. Skipping proper templating is how you end up with gaps, bad seams and misaligned cut-outs.

In Vermont Square, view finished installs, get the price templated-and-fitted with all cut-outs and edging specified, and confirm who fabricates the stone. Compare quotes on the full installed cost per square foot/metre, not the raw slab price.

Look for: material and thickness, templating (a precise measure of your cabinets), fabrication (cut-outs for sink and hob, edge profile), delivery, installation, sealing if natural stone, and removal/disposal of the old top. A slab-only price hides the fabrication and fitting that make up much of the cost.

Dry-cutting engineered (quartz) stone releases silica dust that causes silicosis, a serious lung disease — which is why fabrication must use wet-cutting and proper controls. This is a real, regulated workplace hazard; reputable fabricators take it seriously (see country notes).

Quartz (engineered stone) is non-porous, consistent in colour and needs no sealing; granite is natural, each slab unique, and needs periodic sealing. Both are hard-wearing at similar price points. Choose quartz for low maintenance and uniform looks, granite for natural variation and heat resistance.

Quartz commonly runs $50-120 per square foot installed and granite $40-100, with most projects landing at $3,000-7,500 for a typical kitchen. Northeast and coastal metros sit higher; islands and premium edges add cost.