You’ve decided that your kitchen and bathrooms are ready to be revitalized. You have an idea of the style and colour for your kitchen or bathroom and now you’re ready to begin your shopping.  What are the key things, that an informed shopper must be prepared with, to make their buying a smooth experience?

1. Determine the right surface material to meet your lifestyle and budgetary needs

 We’re going to presume that you’ve done your homework, surfing the web, and found the right material for your home project, from the low maintenance and inexpensive laminates to the high-end granite, quartz and marble stones.  Let’s assume that you think, quartz, best fits your needs because it looks like natural stone without the deficiencies found in granite or marble. Quartz products are brilliant for busy individuals who do not have time to worry about spills and other messes on the countertop. Unlike its granite counterpart, quartz never needs sealing and almost any household cleaner is appropriate for wiping down stains. Granite is best suited for individuals that consider their countertop a kind of home "show piece". Considered a high maintenance surface, spills must be wiped up right away and a granite cleaner is recommended for daily upkeep. 

 Through research, you’ve become acquainted with well-known brands like Viatera, Caesarstone and Silestone, for quartz countertops, and that prices may vary between $80 and $150 per square foot, depending on the quality and detail work.  The first thing you notice is that prices are based on square footage.  This means you must know the “square footage” of your project in order to get an accurate read of the estimates against your budget.

Formula: Square Footage of a countertop = “length” x “width” of the countertop

In fact, you may want to make sure your linear footage measurements are converted into inches when you shop around for your estimates. A good idea would be to diagram your countertops with the exact dimensions to help eliminate the guess work in getting your estimates done quickly and accurately.

2. Things to keep in mind when seeking estimates

 When shopping around, another good idea would be to bring with you flooring samples, paint chips or cabinet colour to help select a countertop that works with your decor. By narrowing your countertop colour selection, your kitchen and bathroom dealer/designer will be able give a more accurate cost for the job you have in mind. 

Also, consider the material thickness of the countertop design for your home project. Prevailing industry standards had granite and quartz countertops made to be ¾” in thickness. It then follows, to make the ¾” thick countertop edge to be laminated to have a 1 ½” edge profile. Why this size of edge? This size was perfect for framed cabinets since that thickness edge can cover the gap between the top of the cabinet and the cabinet door. Even as cabinets became frameless, the 1 ½” edging is still considered a popular size.

What started as a Rant about how much I love my Granite Countertop appears to be almost a Hatfield and McCoy argument. I personally find it so strange; I even wonder if the stories that put granite in a bad light are propagated by the quartz manufacturers. Trust me I don’t have anything against Quartz, some of it is quite beautiful, but many colors seem to be wannabe Granite colors! With a huge price tag!

I had a stunning Venetian Gold counter top put in my kitchen 10 years ago. I have gazed in wonder at its beauty for all that time. My guests always comment on how incredibly gorgeous it is. The natural beauty created millions of years ago cannot be denied. You want movement, it has swirls, it has speckles, and it moves everywhere. The colors are magnificent, no possible way it could be duplicated with a quartz product.
But if it was beautiful and difficult to maintain I would not be so impressed, but in 10 years I have done nothing except wipe it clean. No sealers, just plain old living with 3 kids. Baking, cooking, arts and crafts, parties with lots of grape juice and wine spills. Nothing has ever been an issue. I love my Granite top, for its incomparable natural beauty and the resilience. I would hate to see someone who loves the look of a particular granite for their countertop deny it to themselves because others talk about the amount of maintenance required, as it truly is not the case. I believe if you ask your supplier which granite requires little maintenance, and many many of them do you will get some good, very appropriate suggestions.

Do not be mis-lead by marketing tools into paying more money than you need to for a stunning looking counter top.
I will continue to gaze at my kitchen countertop and feel so grateful that it graces my home; my guests will continue to comment long after those teenagers have left the nest. So for me, granite is the way to go, quartz may try to come close, but in my mind it is just no cigar!

Just because I think this is such an interesting topic, I am going to ask my friends and report back: Feel free to comment.

Tip 1: Keep It Simple!

The kitchen pictured below looks amazing and I know the homeowners love it. However how much did it cost? How could they have saved money on this beautiful design?

First off, look closely and you will see that the customer picked an expensive edge profile.  A square polished or eased edge profile isn't considered an upgrade at Latitude whereas the edge profile in the picture costs $45 per linear ft.  If you have 30 feet of edge, that beautiful scuplted edge profile just added $$1,350 to the cost of your counter top. 

Don't get me wrong, if you like the edge profile and you can afford it, go for it.  I did and I love how it looks in our kitchen.  However, if you are looking to save money, then stick to a square polished or beveled edge.

 Tip 2: Size and Shape Does Matter!

When we cut your counter top, we lay the counter top pieces out to get the best yield from the slabs.  If you picked a directional granite (a granite colour with lots of movement and veins) then we need to try and book match your counter top wherever two pieces meet.  This can lead to a lot of waste which you will be paying for. 

That beautiful arc on the island in the kitchen above looks great but is expensive to fabricate and also creates additional waste.

If you have a large island or want fewer seams, then an extra man charge to install that large heavy piece in your home.  Extra man charges start at $200 and up depending upon the installation.

Your counter top is priced by the square foot. If you stick to rectangular pieces as much as possible, then you will save material and money.  If you have the budget and you want the look of flowing curved lines, then definitely do it. We can create any curve you want.

Tip 3: Avoid Exotic Granite and Marble

Now this is a really tough piece of advice for a counter top fabricator to give you.  Why? Because we make so much money on these counter tops!  Boy oh boy, our accountant just loves it when you buy exotic granites and marbles.  

Exotic granite and marble are like a piece of art.  Exotic granite is truely a work of nature at its finest! No man made product can come even close to matching the work of mother nature.

However, fabricating these materials is difficult.  They are usually soft and brittle.  Exotic granite counter tops can easily break in the manufacturing process or in installation. Every manufacturer in the world has a whole yard full of beautiful pieces that broke. Now that's great if you are after a remnant piece.  (My wife found a beautiful piece of Cosmos 9' long hidden amongst our remnant pieces.  It now sits in our ensuite bathroom and we love it.)  However, it is unlikely that you're going to find enough material for a standard kitchen.

Because of manufacturing and installation problems, every fabricator increases their profit margins and their waste factors when calculating the price of your counter top when you select an exotic or difficult to work with material. In fact, we won't even manufacture some extremely high end products.  Instead, we will refer you to an artisan who specializes in fabricating exotic granite or marble counter tops.

If you are on a tight budget, then these high end materials aren't for you.

There it is! My top three tips for saving money on granite counter tops!

If you are looking for more information on planning and designing you kitchen, I suggest you visit Kitchen Design Tips for some great planning advice and more on Granite Counter Top Pricing or you can visit one of our dealers located across Ontario.

This is by far the most frequently asked question.  It is also the most difficult question to answer due to the variety of kitchens, styles, options and materials. But I really wanted to give one straight forward number that most people can use to estimate the cost of their granite or quartz countertop.

To calculate the average square foot price, I looked back over the past year and divided our sales by the total square footage we sold to determine the average square foot price. The average retail price I came up with was $80 per square foot of counter top.  Since we are in Canada, I thought I should also calculate the price in meters, which is $861.12 per sq. meter (one meter is 10.764 sq. feet). 

What do I get for $80 per square foot?

What does the average retail price of $80 per square foot of countertop include? This price includes all the standard stuff you need in your typical granite countertop kitchen installation: granite or quartz material, templating, installation, travel (if required), sink cut outs, edging, plywood (if required) stove cutouts, fridge cutout and faucet holes. 

How come my Uncle Vinney only paid $45 per square foot for his granite countertop from you guys?

Well, we liked your Uncle Vinney better than you…. Just kidding!

Now I don’t want to get a million comments about this blog, so I will defend myself by quoting my old statistics professor from my undergraduate days.  He was a retired British Royal Air Force Colonel and he liked to bark in a typical British military style, “There are Lies! ... Damn Lies!! And THEN THERE ARE STATISTICS!!!” 

What my old prof meant by that quote was that statistics is bit of an art and a science.  You can make numbers say almost anything you want to if you try and are blessed or cursed with the knowledge of statistics.  The $80 per square foot of countertop price I’m using here is an average price.  Some granite countertops sold for more and some for less.

If you buy a remnant granite countertop directly from our factory you will pay less.  If you pick a beautiful Louise Blue granite, you will pay over $200 per square foot.  In the end, the price really comes down to what material and edge profiles you choose as well as the features and options you want as well.

All I’m saying is that each year Latitude makes over 4,000 countertops and on average our customers pay $80 per square foot.   

One last comment about countertop prices

When you are shopping for countertops you shouldn’t just focus on price.  Price is only one part of the total value proposition.  Even Walmart doesn’t compete only on price.  Walmart also includes selection and availability in its value proposition. 

When it comes to countertops here are a few additional points to consider in the total value proposition:

• How long will it take to have your countertop installed?

• Does the countertop company offer additional services i.e. countertop removal

• Can the countertop company template without you removing your old countertop first?

• What does the countertop guarantee and for how long?

• Can I pick my granite slab or does the countertop company pick it for me?

• How long will the company hold the granite slab I picked?

• What have other customers said about the company?

• How long have they been in business?  The company guarantee isn’t worth anything if the company isn’t around next year.

• Do I trust the company to make it right?

The Easy Way to Estimate Your Granite Countertop

If you are in the middle of budgeting your kitchen renovation or estimating the granite countertop for your new home, all you have to do is calculate the square footage of kitchen countertop and multiply it times $80 and that is approximately what you will pay for your granite or quartz countertop.  Most kitchens today are around 35 square feet, so you can expect to pay around $2,800 plus taxes for your countertop.  Depending on your options and the material you chose, you may pay less or a lot more .... and remember what my prof said about statistics.

Bob Gilson

Now that you have chosen a granite or quartz countertop, installation is the next step.  Installing a granite counertop is not a job for most homeowners and I strongly suggest you leave it to the professionals.  Latitude installs 5,000 granite countertops a year! We have installed granite countertops for most of Canada's popular TV Renovation shows, including "Love It or List It", "Holmes on Homes", "House of Bryan" and "Summer Home".

Templating - A Precision Measurement For Fabrication

The first step in getting your countertop installed is templating. Your contractor, designer or Latitude will contact you to schedule a template. 

A template is an electronic measurement of your countertop.  This measurement is subsequently turned into a CAD file which will be used to fabricate your countertop.

How long does it take to get my granite countertop installed?

Latitude usually installs your countertop within 8 business days of completing a template. Our customer department will call you, your dealer or your contractor to confirm and installtion date and time.

The day before your installation, we will call you to confirm that we will be there the following day to install your new granite countertop and that there will be someone in the home over the age of 18 who will let us in and can approve the final installtion.

How do I ensure that I get an accurate template?

When scheduling a template we request that the homeowner, designer or contractor is on site so our templaters may ask questions related to the final installation.

If you are replacing an existing countertop only, the old countertop does not have to be removed.  However, have your countertop clean and clear of all items. 

All new cabinetry must be installed prior to templating.

Ensure that all cabinets are installed and are level and secure.  Appliances, faucets and sinks must be selected prior to templating and should be on site or exact installation measurements available.

Who will remove my old countertop?

You can remove your old countertop yourself or you can contract Latitude to remove and dispose of your old countertop for you.

How long will I be without a sink?

If Latitude is removing your countertop, you can have your sink hooked up 24 hours after installation. 

Who installs the sink?

Most people select an undermount sink.  If your sink is onsite at the time of installation, we will install your sink in your countertop for no extra charge.  Undermount sinks are attached to your granite countertop with silicone. Silicone must cure for 24 hours before creating a strong bond. During the curing process, the sink is held up with a brace which is removed after 24 hours.

Cabinet and wall preparation

Cabinets and walls must be square, level and structuraly sound.

Do plumbing fixtures and appliances need to be on site during installation?

Sinks, soap dispensers and faucets need to be on site during installation.  It is best to have appliances on site as well to ensure proper installation.

Who do I call with questions about my granite countertop installation?

Your dealer, contractor or designer can help you through the entire installation process. If you bought your countertop from Latitude, our customer service representatives will answer any questions you may have.

Once you have your granite countertop installed and your sink connected, now you are ready to enjoy many of the new features of your new kitchen.

Calacatta Marble looks great in a new kitchen.  Unfortuantely, like most marbles, it is a soft material prone to chipping, staining and etching.  Within a year of installtion, most Calacatta Marble kitchens look well used and abused.  As a result, homeowners are advised to avoid Calacatta Marble countertops in their kitchens and this stunning marble has been relegated to bathrooms.

For all you Calacatta Marble lovers, here is a new kitchen design tip!

Diamastone has just introduced a new product, Nature Calacatta that is a stunning replica of Calacatta Marble.  Nature Calacatta is a man made quartz material that resists chipping, staining and etching.  Like all quartz materials it is durable and maintenance free.

Marble is a counter fabricator's nightmare.  Even though we use special diamond marble blades to cut the material and handle the material with extreme care, we inevitably end up with breakage either in the shop, transportation or installation.  When fabrication or installation breakage happens, we are then left trying to match the marble from differnet slabs in the same block or a new block.  It's never a happy story for the designer, the fabricator or the home owner.

Recently we had the opportunity to make a counter top from Diamastone's Nature Calacatta quartz.  Wow, what a dream material.  Not only was it easy to work with, it was a dead ringer for calacatta marble!

We left a sample of the Diamastone Nature Calacatta on our Calacatta Marble table in our showroom for everyone to see.  Over the course of two weeks we had marble distributors, designers, sales people and home owners all mistaked the sample piece for the same Calacatta Marble material used for our showroom table. (Just for the record, our showroom table has coffee stains, etching, chips and cracks in it but we love it anyways.  If someone from Diamastone is reading this blog, we would love a sample piece so we can replace our table top.)

Hey Guys,

Latitude had a busy day today... CITYLINE and STEVEN AND CHRIS in the same morning.

Here is a really sweet island countertop that we did for Stephen and Chris for their "Good, Better, Best" segment.

They took a store bought island, painted it and then added one of my favourite new Marbles (now available).

The GOOD was the white island cabinet; 
the BETTER was adding some paint to the Island; and
BEST was the island with the great marble piece on it.

The Marble is Aqua Bianca and it is so much more refreshing than the typical white marbles you see.

If you want to do something similar and add marble to island countertops or buffet counters, just be sure to think about care and maintenance.

You want to make sure to keep it clean and seal it frequently!!!!

Have a great night,

Kv

LEARN MORE

• Here is a photo of a work in progress of an Aqua Bianca kitchen countertop that we are doing for an amazing couple in Toronto; 

• Visit STEVEN AND CHRIS Webiste

Are you thinking about doing your own kitchen makeover?

Are you on a budget?   Are you worried about pulling it off? 

Don't worry, there are great tips and tricks that you can use to make your kitchen into a dream space without shedding out thousands and thousands of dollars.  

Designer Cheryl Torrenueva shares tips on how to achieve the perfect DIY reno.  See the clip from this morning's episode of CITYLINE.  

ABOUT THE RENO 

Cheryl turned this poor functioning kitchen into a stunning showpiece.   She came to Latitude to take advantage of our remnant program and got a stunning White Stone countertop to add on top of the existing cabinetry which she painted in a dramatic tone.  Combined with the marble backsplash, the simple updates brought the small kitchen to life and succesfully make the kitchen look like a custom-made masterpice. 

Cheryl gives a number of tips to help you plan your space and save money while doing your reno.

Be sure to watch for the before and after clips of the kitchen in the video!  Believe me, it's well worth waiting the few seconds that CITYLINE makes us wait to see their commercial on the site.

WATCH THE CITYLINE CLIP HERE: Cheryl Torrenueva on Cityline

LEARN MORE

• Read some of Cheryl Torrenueva's articles on Ivillage

• Want to see more about our remnant program?