What's the total square footage so we can arrive at the price per square foot (installed)? Have you selected an edge detail?

The price quote should have the cost to template, make sink cutouts, etc and a price per foot for the edge you've selected.

When you looked at the slab, did the stone yard tell you where the slab was in the price scale? Low, medium, high, etc?

Thank you for your response, Phylhl.
I haven't been to the yard yet, because I wanted to understand the general price before selecting a slab. I understand from other places that black galaxy is on the medium to high end of granite pricing - but not as high as quartz.

My GC says that the price includes everything: templating, cutouts, eased edge that I want, etc.

I don't have a sq. ft. figure, because the GC insists that the drawing is the only precise way to obtain a quote. I realize that it would be easier if I had a sq. ft. calculation

Looks to be about 60 sq feet without the overhang? If correct is about 150 pr sq ft. In my area, black galaxy is a normal granite and can be had for much less.

Fabricator will charge extra for cut outs and if you upgrade your edge detail.

I had a 55 sq feet of high end granite installed with a cut out for cooktop and sink (150 each), eased edge (no upcharge) and a Silgranite Vision sink installed for 4200. This included demo and removal of old formica tops.

I would take your dimensions directly to a stone yard to see what exact costs are in your area.

I live in northern MN, and there are absolutely NO stone yards/fabricators that will drive up here for less money than going through a "middle man". The granite retailers here take care of templating/installing, but do not fabricate. They drive the 4 hours to the fab shop to pick up the finished tops, and deliver/install them.

Average price around here for granite is 75-100sf. Can be higher if an exotic color is selected. Though your quote seems to be high for Black Galaxy.

This info is all very useful. I agree with Sandra that my counters look to be about 60 sq. ft.

I'm located in northern NJ, and I know that things are high here, but this just sounds way too high.

I'll check around more. Many thanks to everyone who responded. If anyone lives in NJ and can recommend a good fabricator, that would be great.

Freda

I'm in Fairfield County, CT. so you know. There are a ton of granite places around in CT. where you can wander through granite yards; would assume the same in NJ. Costs due vary from location to location. I think many places feel that if a customer falls in love with a particular granite, they won't price shop it. I ran across at least one where they seemed to only have a slab or two of something and they let me know. I was like "yeah, but so and so has it as well" and they dropped the pitch.

There are some fabulous laminate countertop options out there. Seems a shame to throw $9 thousand dollars out.

Our counter was about 73 sq ft, with two cut-outs, and an angled peninsula with a rounded end. We received bids from four different companies of : (don't remember), $5972, $6322, $8133. This make the per sq ft price be $81 to $111

So to me it seems a little on the high end. The cynic in me is mentally inserting words into the statement from the GC: The GC swears that (the kickbacks from) this fabricator (are) so excellent that he wouldn't recommend anyone else, even if they are less expensive.

I am in the process of installing granite myself too. I got five quotes. The highest was about $4000 than most of the others. I agree with everyone else, I'd get a second or third quote.

I looked at granite at several places: stone yards who did fabrication, so we could walk through and look at slabs that would then be fabricated by them, and eventually found our stone at a dealer, who sold it to the fabricator we wanted. So we knew what the price/square foot of that was...we thought. It went down per square foot the more of it we used. I get that - they had to buy the whole slab and may be left with unpaid for unsaleable remnants of that slab.

In any case, for our perimeter, we got Cambrian Black "granite," though I understand from karin_mt that there is no such thing as black granite!

The quote looked like this:

(edited out for privacy)

Then sales tax and total.

For this stone, even though we had to use two slabs I think, it was a straight cost/sqft no matter how much we needed, and we did up that square footage at one time.

So I guess it can sometimes vary based on slabs needed, how many cuts needed, what kind of edge, and whether it is leathered or not. They were nice enough to tell us, with this caveat, what a simple vs complex equal-amount similar kitchen designs the BALLPARK price per square foot. I figured that was standard once you got down to that level of detail.

This post was edited by drbeanie2000 on Fri, Dec 7, 12 at 12:08

Freda, that is an insane quote, especially in NJ where you have so many fabricators to choose from. I'm in the Newark area and near me Atlas Marble and Granite is pretty good. Also look at Passeri fabrication in East Hanover.

But really you can go anywhere in the state and find a much lower quote and quality fabrication than what you've been quoted. I'd suggest asking friends, family, and neighbors for references if you are unsure of working with a fabricator you are not familiar with.

I understand y'all in the East coast pay more because you use the 3cm-thick granite. Not 2cm that's common in the west. So remember that too folks. Get at least two quotes from companies you have references for.

I had 80 sf ft of black pearl installed for $6000 about 2 months ago. That included 1 sink cut out. We did the rip out ourselves and we used the eased edge. We also bought our own sink elsewhere.

I am in central NY.

That is outrageous. Here in the South, 3 cm is the norm and it would be at least half that much depending on the edge and number of cutouts. Please get another quote, black galaxy is not an exotic stone and shouldn't be priced so high. All quotes here are given with fabrication, install, stone price, cut outs, template all inclusive. If you have 60 sq. feet, that would seem to be way too much.

Thanks so much to everyone who responded. I'll definitely get more quotes and report back. I appreciate this support.
Freda

I had 90' of granite installed for about $3500, so yes, 9000 seems high. I think I had quotes up to $8500.

$9000 seems pretty high for 60 sf of a non-exotic stone. I just got an estimate for $8000 to install 80 sf of White Macauba quartzite, which is an expensive stone and difficult to fabricate because it is harder than granite. My estimate included a 2.5" thick mitered edge on the 4.5' x 8' island, 2 under-mount sinks and $650 for the metal support structure needed to accommodate an 18" overhang for seating on 3 sides of the island end (so the stone was only $7350 w/o the metal work).

i am a fabricator. that layout with cutout and splash would be a $70/sq. ft. job anywhere within 100 miles of my shop.

I had Black Galaxy in my last kitchen, and paid $90 per square foot installed. By the way, this is beautiful, doesn't stain, glows under evening lighting and hides bread crumbs. I loved it! I hope you get it for less money and enjoy it as much as I did.