How Much to Charge for Countertop Installation
Countertop installation labor typically runs $25–$50 per square foot on top of material, or $40–$100 per square foot installed for granite and quartz depending on stone grade and market. Edge profiles above a standard eased edge add $10–$25 per linear foot, sink cutouts $100–$250 each, cooktop cutouts $100–$200, tear-out and disposal $3–$10 per square foot, and most shops set a job minimum around 25–30 square feet.
The working rates
- Labor only — $25–$50 per square foot
- Installed, granite or quartz — $40–$100 per square foot
- Edge profile above eased — $10–$25 per linear foot
- Sink cutout — $100–$250 · cooktop — $100–$200
- Tear-out and disposal — $3–$10 per square foot
- Job minimum — roughly 25–30 square feet
The three fixed costs behind every job
- Template visit — a drive, an hour, and a digital or physical template
- Fabrication slot — machine time you scheduled and can’t resell
- Install crew — two people and a truck, minimum
None of these shrink for a small vanity, which is the entire argument for a job minimum.
Itemize against the box-store number
The big retailer’s advertised installed price nearly always excludes tear-out, plumbing, and anything but a basic edge. Show those as lines in your quote and you look expensive for about thirty seconds — then you look like the only person who told the truth.
Seams are a design conversation, not a surprise
Slab size dictates where seams must go. Decide on it and write it down at template, with the customer actually seeing the layout — because a seam discovered on install day in the middle of an island is a complaint no discount fully fixes.
Price the tear-out honestly
Old laminate glued to a substrate, or tile set in mortar, can take longer than the installation itself. Walk it before quoting — a per-square-foot tear-out rate assumed sight-unseen is the most reliable way to lose a day’s profit on an otherwise good job.
Frequently asked questions
Should I quote installed price or separate material and labor?
Separate. Customers choose stone across a huge price range, and a single installed number means the person who picked an entry-level quartz thinks you're expensive while the one who picked exotic granite thinks you're cheap. Split, your labor rate stays consistent.
How do I compete with a big-box installed price?
By itemizing. Their headline number typically excludes tear-out, plumbing, and anything above a basic edge — all of which appear later. A quote that shows those lines up front is more expensive on paper and cheaper in reality, and saying so plainly wins the job.
What's a fair job minimum?
Around 25–30 square feet, or the dollar equivalent. A small bathroom vanity still needs a template visit, a fabrication slot, and an install crew — three fixed costs that don't shrink with the countertop.
Should I include plumbing?
Price it or exclude it, but never leave it silent. Disconnecting and reconnecting a sink is 30–60 minutes and, in some jurisdictions, a licensing question — and it's the dispute that comes up more than any other in this trade.