How much are granite countertops? In our shop, installed granite runs $60 to $150 per square foot, a wider swing than most other materials we install. That's not us hedging. Granite is quarried stone, and the price of any given slab depends on how common or rare that particular stone is, how far it had to travel, and how big a piece you need cut from it. Here's how we walk customers through what actually drives granite countertop prices, and how to figure out where your kitchen will land.
Why granite countertop prices swing wider than quartz
Quartz is manufactured, so a factory can produce more of a popular color whenever demand calls for it. Granite can't work that way. Each granite deposit is a finite, specific place in the world, and once a particular quarry or vein is tapped out, that exact color and pattern is gone for good. A common granite, something like a mid-tone gray with fine speckling that's quarried in large volume, stays affordable because supply is steady. A rare granite, an exotic color with dramatic blue or gold veining from a small or hard-to-reach quarry, costs more because there's simply less of it and it has to travel farther to reach an Ohio fabrication shop.
Slab size and yield matter too. A kitchen with a large island or an unusual layout might need bigger slabs to avoid extra seams, and bigger slabs of a given stone are rarer and pricier than standard-size ones. This is the main reason countertop cost per square foot for granite varies so much more than it does for quartz: with granite, you're pricing a specific piece of the earth, not a repeatable manufactured product.
Granite countertop prices by tier
| Tier | Installed price per sq ft | What you're getting |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level | $60-$80 | Common, widely-quarried colors with consistent, subtle patterning |
| Mid-range | $80-$115 | Less common colors, more movement and veining, moderate slab availability |
| Premium / exotic | $115-$150 | Rare colors, dramatic veining, limited quarry availability, large-format slabs |
As with quartz, your edge profile also affects the final price. A standard eased or bullnose edge is part of our base pricing, while a stacked, ogee, or waterfall edge adds fabrication time and cost.
Curious what your kitchen would actually cost? Request a free estimate and we'll give you a real number, not a guess.
What's included in an installed granite price
Our per-square-foot price covers the full job:
- Templating. We measure your cabinets precisely so the slab is cut to fit your kitchen exactly, not a generic size.
- Slab selection. For granite specifically, we walk you through choosing the actual slab your counters will come from, since no two are identical.
- Fabrication. Cutting, edge shaping and polishing, and sink or cooktop cutouts are all done to your specs.
- Installation. Our crew sets and levels the finished pieces and seams them where the layout requires it.
Like quartz, granite typically takes 2 to 3 weeks from template to install.
What pushes granite pricing toward the high end
- Rarity of the color. This is the single biggest factor with granite, more than any other material we install.
- Slab size for large islands. A big single-slab island needs a bigger piece of stone, which limits which slabs are even an option.
- Waterfall edges and complex cutouts. Same as with any material, more fabrication work means a higher price.
- Sealing at install. Granite is porous and needs to be sealed, typically about once a year going forward. We seal it as part of the installation, and it's a routine maintenance step after that, not an ongoing added cost of any real size.
Granite vs. quartz, for anyone cross-shopping
If you're deciding between the two, it helps to know the price ranges overlap a lot. Quartz installed with us runs $70 to $140 per square foot, which we cover in detail in our quartz countertops cost guide. The honest comparison: quartz gives you predictable, manufactured consistency and never needs sealing, while granite is the most heat-tolerant material we install and gives you a one-of-a-kind slab that no factory can reproduce. Neither one is reliably cheaper than the other. It comes down to which specific color or slab tier you're drawn to.
Getting a real number for your kitchen
The only way to know what your kitchen will actually cost is to look at real slabs and get your space measured. Stop by our Akron showroom to see granite slabs in person, or contact us to schedule a free estimate. You can also reach us directly at (330) 882-4220.
FAQ
How much are granite countertops installed? In our shop, granite countertops run $60 to $150 per square foot installed, which covers templating, slab selection, fabrication, and installation. The wide range reflects how much granite prices vary by color rarity and slab availability rather than a fixed material cost.
Why is there such a big countertop cost per square foot range for granite? Granite is natural stone, and its price is driven by how rare a particular color or vein is and how much usable slab a quarry can produce. A common gray granite stays affordable because supply is steady, while an exotic color with limited quarry availability costs significantly more, even though both are technically "granite."
Is granite cheaper than quartz? Not reliably. Our granite range is $60 to $150 per square foot and our quartz range is $70 to $140 per square foot, and those ranges overlap heavily. An entry-level granite can cost less than either material's premium tier, while an exotic granite can cost more than a premium quartz. The specific color and tier matter more than the material category.
Does the price include sealing? Yes, we seal new granite installations as part of the job. After that, most granite benefits from resealing about once a year to maintain its stain resistance, which is a quick maintenance step rather than a significant ongoing cost.