Quartz vs granite countertops: which is right for your kitchen?

The short answer

Choose granite if you want a natural, one-of-a-kind slab and you are fine asking about sealing. Choose quartz if you want an even, predictable color and pattern. Neither one is a mistake. Both are hard, heavy stone-based surfaces that are installed the same way.

Granite is cut from natural stone and polished. Quartz is manufactured: crushed stone bound with resin into a slab. That one difference explains most of the other differences below.

How they look

With granite, no two slabs match. Color and veining change across a single slab, so the sample in a showroom is only a hint. Go to the stone yard or showroom and look at the full slab that will be cut for your kitchen.

Quartz is made in a controlled process, so the slab you see is much closer to the slab you get. That is a plus if you want a uniform look across a long run. Ask to see a full slab or a large sample either way, in daylight and in the light of your kitchen.

Both come in slabs, so a long kitchen may need a seam. Ask the fabricator where the seams will go before you sign, and look at a seam they have made.

Care and sealing

This is where you should ask questions, not trust a rule of thumb. Natural stone can be porous, so ask the fabricator in writing whether the granite you picked needs sealing and how often. For quartz, ask for the maker's care sheet for your exact brand and color. The cleaning products they approve, and the ones that void a warranty, differ from brand to brand.

Keep the care sheet. If a stain or chip happens, you want to know what the maker says before you try a fix.

Heat

The safe rule for both is simple: use a trivet or hot pad under hot pans, and never rely on the counter to take the heat. We do not give a heat limit for quartz. The numbers we found from retailers and makers disagree with each other, and they vary by brand. Read the maker's own limit for your product.

Do the same for granite. Stone that is cold from air conditioning can be stressed by a very hot pan, so a trivet is cheap insurance either way.

What it costs

We have no verified price per square foot for either material, so we are not printing one. Published ranges vary widely and are national, not local. Price moves with the color, the slab grade, the edge you choose, the number of cutouts for the sink and cooktop, and the install.

To compare fairly, get both materials priced by the same fabricator, for the same layout, with the same edge and the same sink cutout, and ask that the slab and the edge be named in writing. Our kitchen remodel cost guide shows where countertops sit in the whole budget.

Where countertops fit in the schedule

The fabricator takes final measurements after the base cabinets are in. Then the slab is cut, which takes time, and installed. A kitchen has no finished counter during that wait, so plan for it. Plumbing for the sink is reconnected after the counter is set. Our kitchen remodel steps guide shows the full order of work.

Choose the slab early. Slabs can be back-ordered, and a late choice can hold up the whole kitchen.

Edges, sinks and cutouts

The edge you pick changes the look and, for some profiles, the price. A simple eased edge is plain and clean. A rounded or layered edge looks softer or heavier. Ask to see an edge you can touch, in the same material, from the fabricator's own work.

Sinks matter too. An undermount sink is set below the counter, so the cut edge of the stone around the sink is visible and must be finished well. A drop-in sink sits on top. Ask which one your fabricator recommends for your slab, and check how they handle the edges of the sink cutout, since that is a spot that takes daily wear.

Questions to ask the fabricator

• Which exact slab will be cut for my kitchen, and can I see it in person?
• Where will the seams go, and can I see a seam you made?
• Does this stone need sealing, and how often, in writing?
• What does the maker's warranty cover, and what voids it?
• Who does the template, the cut and the install, and who comes back if there is a problem?
• What happens if a slab cracks during install?

A fabricator who answers these clearly and in writing is usually one worth hiring. Check the contractor license on any estimate at myfloridalicense.com.

How Hildebrand handles kitchen countertops

Hildebrand Construction & Remodeling is a family-owned Florida licensed general contractor in Palmetto (Certified Building Contractor, license CBC1257253). Countertops are part of our kitchen remodels. We coordinate the schedule so the cabinets, counters and plumbing happen in the right order, and the plumbing and electrical are done by licensed trade partners that we manage.

We offer a free in-home consultation and a written estimate. Every job is quoted after an on-site visit, and the price does not change without your written approval.

Questions homeowners ask