Also called engineered stone, quartz countertops are man-made solid slabs composed of natural quartz crystals held together with resin. Engineered stone kitchen countertops provide a seamless work surface for cooking that is impervious to liquids and resistant to chips, cracks, and scratches. Because engineered stone is nonporous and resistant to bacteria, it makes for an easy-to-clean bathroom counter.
Typical costs:
Quartz countertops cost $50-$90 per square foot, or $1,500-$2,700 for a typical kitchen with 30 square feet of counter space, including professional installation.
Engineered stone countertops should be polished and the outer edges shaped. Quartz countertops do not need to be sealed.
Because installing most quartz countertops is not a DIY project, installation of an engineered stone countertop is included in the price of the countertops. Installation should include a professional measurement before the countertops are ordered, removal of old countertops, preparation of the cupboard surfaces (including leveling and shimming), installation, inspection, and cleanup.
Quartz countertops come with long-term limited warranties. Zodiaq countertops carry a 10-year warranty. Silestone includes a 15-year warranty.
Discounts:
Both Silestone and Zodiaq[1] have discounts and special offers available on their websites.
Shopping for a quartz countertop:
Before beginning to price engineered stone countertops, measure the countertop area. Home Depot provides a worksheet[2] to help calculate the measurements, including corners and tricky areas. The installer or contractor will do an official measurement later, but a good estimated area will help you estimate the cost of the countertops before making your purchase.
Home Depot[3] and Lowes[4] sell a variety of kitchen countertop materials. Other brands of engineered stone such as Cambria[5] , CaesarStone[6] and HanStone[7] are sold by specialty kitchen & bath remodeling stores.
Call ahead to schedule an appointment for a consultation at a kitchen & bath or home improvement store. Many stores get busy, especially on weekends.
7 Lesser-Known Discounts for the 50+ Crowd As they age, members of the Baby Boomer generation don't like to admit that they're senior citizens, but they love getting discounts. It's kind of a quandary, because some of the best deals available are reduced prices for older folks. || Posted October 21 2013
7 Ways to Stretch Your Reduced Food Budget End of the year budgets are tight for everyone, especially in this economy.It's especially hard for the millions of Americans who depend on government programs like food stamps to help make ends meet. || Posted November 11 2013
Like granite quotes, you have to pay for the 4x8 full slab whether its all used or not. You pay the square footage for the sink cutout, you pay pay for unused space to make the inside corner, you pay for full square corner when a rounded corner makes a cutaway . If the pieces are large there may be a third man charge ($400) just to get the pieces into the house. Oh, all plumbing is additional as is the new sink. Whatever the quote, add 25%.
CostHelper is based in Silicon Valley and provides consumers with unbiased price information about thousands of goods and services. Our writers are experienced journalists who adhere to our strict editorial ethics policy.
CostHelper Community
UTI urgent care visit Paid: 147.00 Visit was $135. Antibiotics was $12. Waiting for four hours in the waiting room and the visit was quick... [more]
Spanish Medical Interpreter Paid: 150.00 I worked with SynShyne Services out of Monroe, NC. They were so worth the price! Professional, friendly, accurate, great attitude and always on time. I recieved an itemized report after every contact and a user friendly invoice weekly... [more]
Skin prick allergy test Paid: 573.00 Took my 9 yr. old in after an allergic reaction to eggs. Several panels for nuts, fish & top 8 allergens. Sure enough, egg came up. Got a script for epinephrine and left... [more]