I got two different quotes, and the difference between them was about $400, plus the guy that cost less threw in a free sink, which saved me another $300.

I've been calling authorized Ceasarstone installers all over town (Los Angeles area) and have found wildly different pricing - up to $1,000 difference in one case! I would definitely call around if you have the time. Also sometimes larger appliance stores can offer really good specials. One near me is offering $50/sq ft installed (a great deal around here!) if ordered by Nov. 15. It's worth checking out!

Very interesting. Thanks to both of you. Wow, wish I could find a $50/installed deal around here!

gryane- can you share where in LA you heard about the $50/sq ft installed deal? My kitchen is actually in Palm Springs and I've looked at granite/quartz all over SoCal (LA, OC, SD) in the never-ending hunt for the countertop.

I saw some quartz slabs at Dal Tile in Anaheim recently and was told that the grey one I liked (Stormy Sky, which has the more limestone/fossil look like Caesarstone's Rosemary or Dusty Stones) was about $1135/slab or approx $25/sq ft. That's just for the slab, not fabrication/install. The slab is 45 sq ft, 120"x55". That was the retail price so I'm not sure whether sending my contractor would net a better price (I think it may).

I've also seen quartz slabs at Ikea (not sure who the manufacturer is). I think they ran about $65-75/ft and I think that includes install, but don't hold me to that.

I am looking for a white-cream-gray (any of those) slab, and also saw a uniform gray quartzite at Dal in Anaheim called Distant Thunder. Apparently quartzite is slightly denser than granite, so it sounds like it falls in between granite and quartz. I was told it's a price group #3 ($1000-1200) at Dal, similar to the quartz slabs they carry which range from price group 2-4.

I also went to a tile shop in the San fernando valley recently and was told that the Caesarstone Dusty Stones or Baja (off white) slabs were $976 for a 120"x55" slab. So it looks like it does pay to shop around.

Would LOVE to hear from anyone where/how you've found the best prices on Caesarstone or other quartz. I found 2 large remnants that would be perfect size and price-wise, but the cream color looked a bit pink to me. Been living without a countertop for way too long now and need to just make a decision.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dal Tile quartz

remodelicious - you sound just like me - a major researcher! The deal on the Caesarstone I found is at Pacific Sales (I was at the one in Woodland Hills). The only catch is you have to order (or give a refundable deposit) by Nov. 15 and you have to purchase at least 44 feet.

I really wanted quartzite too (fell in love with sochi's countertop that I saw on here) but, sadly, it is just not in my budget. I think I will end up with the organic white ceasarstone in the kitchen. Still trying to figure out what counter to do in the master bath.

You should definitely compare prices because I've found quite a range out there for the exact same thing (same product, same layout, same edge detail, same color, etc). I always ask for the installed price. It helps to compare apples to apples. I found one other fabricator that was very close to the Pacific Sales price (and probably with no sq ft minimum). If you email me I will share that source with you.

haha gryane, good to know I'm not the only one driving myself insane with all the choices, indecision, and bargain hunting (if that even exists with granite and quartz). i saw the organic white today and really liked it.

I went to Pacific Sales today and felt like it was almost too good to be true. I love that you can choose nearly any color as opposed to the whole tiered pricing where I always like the more expensive ones. I stopped by Home Depot since it was next door and saw that their heather gray Silestone (like Concrete or Mocha for Caesarstone) is a Group A, which is also $50/ft installed. I'm hesitant about going with HD, and need to check whether that price includes a sink cutout. It does include a free sink, but I already bought mine. Pacific Sales charges an additional $235 for an undermount sink cutout, otherwise a self-rimming sink cutout is free.

Question- are you calling fabricators/installers or the slab yards/tile shops to compare prices? Or both? Up til now I've received quotes from fabricators for each tier of stone ($2400 for Group 1, $2800 for Group 2 installed, etc) OR a straight price on the slab from the slab yard, which doesn't include fabrication.

I asked a similar question - I think it's on page 3 or so now. Got some great info.

I was at slab yards today, and promptly got confused all over again when I realized I was seeing actual Quartz slabs, which were completely different from branded, 97% quartz countertops like Caesarstone. Didn't price any, tho. I would have never been able to tell the diff between the nat'l quartz and engineered, so if there is a price diff between THOSE two, my decision may have become even more confusing.

DH was no help, btw: Everywhere we went, he kept pointing out lovely white granite that had very subdued color and movement ... REALLY wants me to use granite (just because he personally likes it) rather than the pure white Caesarstone.

Hence my early request for price info.

remodelicious - I have mostly been calling fabricators who would purchase the slab(s) for me. I have also contacted a few tile shops (or large appliance stores like Warehouse Discount Center and Fergusons). In all cases I make sure to get the installed price, not just the price for the slab itself. Sorry, I forgot to mention that the sink cutout was going to cost you extra in the Pac Sales deal. I think a fancy edge might be extra too. I do know that Pure White is not included in the Pacific Sales deal and is the most expensive Caesarstone color.

riley605 - I saw some quartz slabs that have veining in them kind of like a carrara and I have also seen the pure white looking ones. I agree that the pure white ones look so similar to the Pure White Caesarstone. Not sure what the price difference between those would be. You probably already know that Pure White is the most expensive Caesarstone color. That's funny about your DH - mine wanted granite too! I don't even take him with me to look around because he would go off on tangents that I would not be on board with!

I've kind of ruled out a natural stone slab for the kitchen because I'm too chicken to do carrara marble, I can't find a white granite that I love and the quartzite that I do love is out of my budget. So it looks like Caesarstone in the kitchen for me. Possibly organic white (to go with walnut base cabs and opaque white glass uppers). I also have a master bathroom vanity to do which has me stumped. The floors are white carrara, cabinets are walnut. Not sure if I should do a carrara slab (too much marble?), pure white, organic white or pebble Caesarstone for the counter in there. Oy! What do you guys think?

Where in So Cal do I go to look at Quartzite? I went to slab places in Valley but I think didn't seem to know what I was talking about. I didn't know what I was talking about...but am open to options other than Ceasarstone.

I was at IKEA and their sign says $55.50 installed. The colors at that price are the exact same colors as the Ceasarstone colors.

Has anyone found a place with Ocean Blue Caeserstone in So Cal? I just pulled the plug on my marble tile/organic white combo and am starting from scratch with the clock ticking. Would love to take a look at that color...

amac514 - I am in So. Cal too! I am going to look at that organic white/marble display at APD you posted about on the other thread.

You have to call around to find the places that know about quartzite. I think Stone Mart in the valley has some. Also, Marmol Export USA in Anaheim. I haven't been there but I spoke with them on the phone. Some fabricators will know what you're talking about too. It is hard to track down. I haven't heard of that new Ocean Blue Caesarstone.

gryane- have been thinking about your color choices. How dark are your walnut cabs? When I think of walnut, I think of really dark (nearly black)...? And what are the differences between all the whites? It's hard for me to keep them straight unless i'm staring at the samples right in front of me.

I guess I'd be most concerned about coordinating/matching whichever white Caesarstone you choose with the white in the carrara floors. I'd think if you went for a really stark white then it would look more modern, whereas a more creamy white might be softer- depending on which style fits you/your house better. Although not sure if a creamier white would match the carrara..? I'm looking at Pebble too (and Rosemary, but I can't figure out why it's listed in the green section since it doesn't look green at all to me).

remodelicious - you've hit it exactly on the head - I'm struggling with the differences between the whites and pairing the right one up with the carrara floor. Thanks for your help!

The walnut cabinets will not be too dark - more of a medium brown - they will not be stained, just natural.

I think I'm ruling out the pebble as I really want that contrast between the walnut cabs and the lighter counter - also my grey glass backsplash doesn't go with the pebble caesarstone.

I saw a sample of the rosemary in a showroom and definitely saw the greenish tint to it in that light.

I am going for a contemporary vibe so I like the idea of the pure white, but am also still considering the organic white to soften things up a bit like you mentioned. The organic white seems to have a greyish cast to it so I think it could go with the carrara. I have to decide by Nov. 15 since that's the order deadline for the Pacific Sales deal which is still the best one I've found in town so far.

They will be finished tiling the bathroom this week so I'm hoping once it's done I will have a better sense of what will be the right decision. I'll try to post some pics over the weekend. :)

I agree you'd get more of a contrast by going with one of the whites instead of the Pebble.

I finally was able to see the green in the Rosemary- good thing too, b/c I might have installed it just thinking Caesarstone had made an error on their website by labeling it 'green' :)

Looking forward to the pics!

FYI-for original poster who's doing a bathroom counter- call fabricators & ask whether they have remnants or half slabs of the caesarstone. This can offer a significant savings.

Certain popular Caesarstone colors for bathrooms (like blizzard, a soft white) can often be found in remnant sizes which can work for a vanity (because that's exactly what others are using them for.)

I was also initially deterred by cost of caesarstone for the kids bath, but didn't want to use Silestone brand because it's impregnanted with triclosan. Not familiar with other brands of quartz here (chroma by pental line) but maybe a remnant can make the caesarstone fall within the budget.

Do you have an IKEA near you? I got my Caesarstone for ~$50/sqft at IKEA (just installed today!). The local fabricator IKEA contracts out to also lists their available remnants which, if you can find enough, is only $40/sqft. Then IKEA is running a 40% off special right now if you buy 2.5k in their kitchen dept. I decided to get my appliances from them instead, since the pricing/brand/look (they carry whirlpool appliances) was fine with me.

Huh, this is strange that so many people are getting different quotes based on whether it's being cut from a slab or from a remnant. Both places that I got quotes from told me it was the same price no matter what. I called the next closest Caesarstone dealer though and the price was the same or maybe a touch higher than the first place. I wish we had an Ikea closer because that sounds like an awesome option.

cirone- what color Caesarstone did you get? I've seen the quartz counters at Ikea but wasn't sure if they were Caesarstone or not. Does Ikea carry the full line of colors or just the ones shown in the displays?

I'm in SoCal so there are a few Ikeas around. Did you get the fabricator contact info from Ikea? I would definitely be open to using remnants if I could save some money.

I also live in SoCal. Universal Appliances on Laurel Canyon/Ventura had some Ceasarstone displays a few weeks ago, but call first. One salesperson told me they were remodeling some displays. They also carry other brands and said prices change depending on the manufacturers' promotions. I haven't been yet, but Bay Cities Kitchen Appliances in Santa Monica apparently has just opened a grand showroom with lots of kitchen/counter displays.

I do not work for these companies...and have no affiliation. Just heard about them through the grapevine.

Here is a link that might be useful: Quartz Kitchen Displays

We went to IKEA today in hopes of liking a counter choice because that 40% was intriguing (and they are running a special thru Sun in that what you eat in the restaurant gets taken off your bill if you spend over $100 the same day). We ate $50 worth in the restaurant and spent $100 on components for our master bedroom closet organizing system. They deducted the $50 from our bill when I turned in the receipt. We needed the components for later on anyway, so I chose the most generic choices since we do not have the closet done and measured yet. But I digress....

I was hoping we'd like one of the quartzs but before we even got the counter top section, dh fell in love with the counter in one of the kitchen displays. It was Rain Cloud by Corian. I honestly do not think I'd have liked it if I only saw a small sample. It has the marble type look, but with 2 small boys in the house, it is a safer choice. We looked at all the choices as well, and he was still pumped about the Rain Cloud. They did have several quartz choices and many brands overall. The only limited selection they had was their granite and natural stone.

I was not sure if I liked its softer feel compared to the Caesarstone, but the swooshes were so much nicer to me than the droplet or speckle type looks of the CS. I don't think it will fool anyone unless at a distance, but it is still a pretty look, none the less.

Since our kitchen will be IKEA, the 40% off is sure nice. We are going with the upgrade for a thicker edge on our peninsula and have a lot of counterspace (approx 18 linear feet, in 5 sections, plus a 9'x 15" run on the top of our island's higher level). The bill comes out to under $2k, installed.
Since you are doing a much smaller job and will probably not be ordering a kitchen, you are looking at more per square foot than we are paying, but not too bad either.
If you take out an IKEA credit card, you save 10% that day. We will do that the day we order our kitchen (interest free for 2 years for spending so much in one shot). For smaller orders, they have 6 mos interest free and other options.

They said nothing to us about slabs and it was all about the square foot price, which includes installation.

{{!gwi}}

Just thought I'd revisit this thread to share the latest update with you all. The salesperson I was originally working with at the place I was planning to use for my Caesarstone countertops is gone so when I went back to look at colors again (and changed my mind on the color I wanted) I worked with a new salesperson. Today, the day they were supposed to come measure for the counter, I received a voice mail telling me that they've decided that my project is "too small" for them to order a slab for (the original salesperson said it was no problem) so I'm welcome to come in and look at their remnants, which are hte same price as the slab price. I'm taking my business elsewhere.

I am wondering why you preferCaesarstone to the other synthetic stone countertop makers. We went to three sellers in our area and they all said that Cambria stone is less expensive here because it doesn't have to be transported from overseas and has no import duties. I recently bought a small section for our sink area in the kitchen and the installed quote was $60 per square ft. We live in a small community in Eastern Washington State and that makes a big difference in our pricing.

Where I live (Chicago suburbs) Ceasarstone is less than the other quartz manufacturs if you go through Costco (that's the brand of quartz that our Costco has). I have priced out Caesartone, Zodiaq, Cambria and LG Viatera, and Cambria was way more expensive than the other brands, with Ceasartstone being the least. I did not go to IKEA but I have heard that they are less expensive than Costco.

Just wanted to say how much I loved all the posts. I am also in Woodland Hills, Ca and really can benefit from your words and advice. I went to Ikea yesterday and the $55 a sq ft quote that should have been about $2700 came to over $4000 with all the extra goodies. Like edge, cutout for sink, scribe...nickel and dime...I'm going to search further.

We got our first quote for a Caesarstone counter with an integral sink (for a 5' x 2' vanity in a bathroom). Not including materials, it was $1,600. I will get another quote, but it looks like this option is no longer one.

I have the same concern regarding the cost of waste material with Caesarstone. I found a fabricator in the valley in LA, actually down the street from the Caesarstone headquarters, and the cost is $49/sq.ft. +sink cutout+ waste. The waste cost was almost 20% of the total cost. Even when they agreed to charge the 28 Sq. Ft. of waste at cost(50%)off, the waste is still 10% of my installation cost. I hate to pay for something I don't get and they turn around and resell your waste stone as remnant. Can't seem to find a solution for this one.