My stone (just the stone) was $50 sq ft, and installation was about $60. So $110 total. Your price is about 157 sq ft. I think that is the highest price I've ever seen for soapstone! (Btw I'm in the San Francisco area, where prices definitely are not low.)

Francy

That does seem quite high. I was quoted $85 per square foot installed, plus $150 for each of the sink cut-outs.

Before finding a fabricator within driving distance, I actually looked into buying soapstone from 1,500 miles away, having it shipped to me, and having an installer flown here to do the job. The job still would have been cheaper than what my (now-ex) KD was quoting me for granite.

Mine is going to be $90/sq ft, installed - Green Mountain from Garden State Soapstone in NJ. M.Tex's soapstone runs from $85-110 installed if I recall correctly, depending on the stone. It is, indeed, the same price as very high end granite. I could have gotten some lovely granite (if I had wanted granite) for half the price I am paying for soapstone. But, ah....

Lightlystartched - figuring the max. of $110/sq ft, your guy is indeed out of line. Keep shopping.

I got quotes from 69 a sf (from Home Depot Expo) to 110. I paid 105 because I went with a more expensive stone. I think total for about 31 sf was about 3000 and then another 1000 for my marble. The average price here in Atlanta was about 90. It took me MONTHS of looking around to even find soapstone and to determine who all the suppliers were and to even find a fabricator who worked with soapstone. By the way the guy who actually ended up doing my install had NEVER done soapstone before-I was so ticked off when i found out (about half way through the install) but he did a lovely job.

By the way the highest quote I got was for the most expensive stone in town from a snooty place that usually only works with builders and wonÂt see you in their showroom with out an appointment. 157 is way too high.

I have asked several questions on this forum on this same topic. I have been researching this extensively in our area (central kentucky), I have about 46 sq feet of countertop. I have gotten quotes of $110/sf and $106/sf for materials and full install locally. I can get a beautiful slab of granite installed for $54 (including a stainless undermount sink). I have gotten quotes from 2 companies on line. One was Canadian soapstone for $57/sf- (including shipping) rough cut slabs only (lots of seams) and we would DIY or hire local contractor to install. The other was in Maine for $87/sf (including shipping). We do the template, they cut to size and cut out for sink. It is a difficult decision due to money and fabrication issues. We are fairly skilled DIYers but haven't done this before. It is scary to start cutting on such expensive material. Good luck. Please post any info you find that may help the rest of us.

$90/sf here. Installed. Your quote sounds high. But, the problem could be since it's not readily available in your area, they figure you are at their mercy. Good luck.

Everywhere I have been in CT Soapstone is more than any granite. In addition to the price of the stone they are charging more for fabrication.

Really, eandhl? Where in CT are you? I'm in CT - I wound up getting my SS from a marble/granite place (long story) and it wasn't more. The Statuary marble I lusted after was, but that's another story.

I'm just getting quotes now and the two I received have been approximately $120/sf and $125/sf plus tax (I'm in Mass). That includes templateing and installation.

Mine was $85/sq. ft. all inclusive from M. Teix -- I'm local to them in NJ and picked one of the lowest price level stones. Total cost was around $4000 compared to $3100 for the granite I was originally going to use.

Ours was also $85/sq. ft. from M. Teixera. We also live in NJ so we were able to pick our slabs. We have a large island- total was about $5,000- installed.

why get quotes from the cabinet guy in the first place? he can add on 20% easy on top of the quote.

definitely get some direct quotes.

I'm in MA too and paid about 110.00 sq ft from templating through installation. Went through Maine stopstone and they were a nice company to work with. They're way up there so I didn't see the stone until it arrived. Love it!

Sduck2, would you be willing to e-mail me. Maine Soapstone is one of the companies I've been speaking with. I would love to talk to you about it. I just revised my profile to show my e-mail address. Thanks.

Well, the stone & granite place came in at $4,800. Still about $126/square foot and more than I want to spend. The slabs are 3 cm, is that standard? I live in a modest older house (1200 square feet). The soapstone might be "overimprovement". For a lark I requested an estimate on zinc counters...$10,000!!!!!

I went with Maine Sopastone, just like sduck2. (Hi sduck!)My cost was about the same as hers at the time, but around that time prices were going up. I was thrilled with their work, they did a great job.

3 cm is, I think, standard. The issue about "overimprovement" is an understandable concern if you are planning to sell. It's possible that you won't make that back, I guess. However, if you are planning to stay there for any length of time, I vote that you get what you love. I'm not budging from my house for decades, so I didn't mind paying a bit more.

Take care,
Emmie

We got $50/sf from Texeira for cut to size that we will DIY install. The slab price of the same stone was $40 something /sf, but this way you don't have to buy the scrap. They charge additional $350 for the sink cutout.

Their installed price was about $90/sf, I think, so we decided to DIY it, especially since they encouraged us to do so. I haven't gotten quotes elsewhere, since I didn't find any other suppliers. Never knew HD sells SS.

The thing is, though, this was one of the cheaper stones (Black Venata) that they had and they had stones for as much as $80-90/sf precut. So, it depends on what kind you want, I guess. But your cabinet guy didn't know that.

Pinar

We paid $20/sq ft for the soapstone. $15.50/sq ft for labor. $85 an hour for "shop time fabrication." Plus $250 per undermount sink.

Because the invoice is for our entire new construction (includes all baths, laundry, kitchen, fireplace, etc), I can't isolate the total cost of our soapstone.

Our stone is ice flower:

We sell ours for 85 sq. ft. installed with an eased edge. Everything else is an itemized (sink cutout, cooktop cutout, upgraded edge, runnels, so on). This is in Florida. From what I can tell we are on the cheaper side of the soapstone fabricators, but the florida market is really taking a beating in the countertop industry.

This also depends on what stone you want. . . Our special order stone goes up because we have to order it in from up North.

Ours was installed in Feb of 2005 for 73.00 sq.ft. by Rock Tops in IL. That included everything. 2 sink cut outs, faucets, soap dispensers, eased edge and radius corners. We had 79 sq ft of countertop.

Too bad we were transferred to MI. I really miss my countertops and we are going to put them in our house here.

Lightlystarched, we had a similar problem trying to buy in the Phoenix area, unfortunately - very poor to no selection at most stone yards. Heck, many of the salespeople didn't even know what I was talking about.

I can't remember how much we paid, and they haven't been installed yet, but we ended up buying our slabs through Unique Tile and Stone in Scottsdale. They deal with M. Texeira, but will also locate any stone you want. They can also arrange to get photos of particular slabs before you commit to anything. Our first lot broke in transit and they arranged a second shipment quickly, and without any hassle.

It was a pleasure to find a salesperson who knew about, and was interested in, the more unusual stones. I would definitely recommend giving them a call if you have a particular soapstone in mind.

Sugarbreak,
not hijack here, but what is the contact info on rock tops? did a google search and got someplace in wisconsin?i am in st louis and having a dilly of a time finding a good source for soapstone and an experienced fabricator.
thanks!!
'toast

coleen3201118, we are in the NW corner of CT and everywhere we have been first tries to talk you out of it and then charge more than granite. Where did you get yours and did they do the fabrication and install?

Toast,
Rock Tops Inc. Burville Road Crete, IL 60417 Robert Kasper 708-672-6664 708-672-7288 FAX email: norstone@sbcglobal.net ...

It has been a while and I had to look up the contact info. I can't say enough good things about Bob Kasper! He was a dream to work with. I think his actual website is Norstone.com and as he sells a lot of slate too.

Akrogirl - thanks for the reference. I'll give them a call!

Hey eandahl - New Haven here - we got ours at Eastern Marble & Granite in Milford- the salesperson I worked with (Bonnie) was a dream. I read a lot of the posts here about the "nightmares" of soapstone and convinced myself to get jet mist granite honed instead and put a deposit on a slab there. Then I was in their showroom and they had a sink with a soapstone counter and I couldn't keep my hands off it - so since they had my money, I stuck with them and she went to the ends of the earth trying to find a slab big enough for our island (which was not meant to be). SO we have soapstone on our perimeters and marble on the island. So that's my long story about how I came to buy my counters from a granite place other than going through Green Mountain or M. Tex. They did do the fabrication and install and I was happy. But I can see my seams unlike many photos I've seen posted here.

coleen, is your island around 120 inches??

We recieved a couple calls for soapstone that was that long. We have some stone in that's like 117 but no bigger, 117 is really rare as well. . . I just thought it would be funny if those calls were your people making it happen for you. . .lol

p.s. I'm jealous of your marble, soapstone combo my wife wants to put that combo in our kitchen as soon as we get a chance to remodel. I sure wouldn't be bummed out about having marble with soapstone. . .

Here in CT I paid $7500 for 74 sf installed... $101/sf. I have two sinks cut out and an eased edge. They were able to find a slab big enough for my island (108"), but not able to get it into the house! So it has a seam, but because it was one piece and they did a good job matching it up, I fortunately can't see it.

Eandhl: I went thru the same thing, everyone in this area tried to talk me out of it too.. except my cabinet guy who has it in his own home... and then he did the install. (see my other message in my post.)

Florida_Joshua
Don't mean to high jack this thread just a quick question for Florida_Joshua. We are considering the combo of marble and soapstone. What marble do you suggest? We were considering Carrera. One supplier said we should go with honed?? And how do you make the transition from one surface to another when they are side by side. Sorry that's two questions. Thanks!

Joshua - the island actually is 120"! - but I believe the "ends of the earth" she went to in her search for me went no further than New Jersey. Do you ship up here? She did contact M. Tex and others, but nobody had a slab big enough. I'm actually very happy with my marble (although we are already having to have it re-honed after DH went wild with a scrubby). I really like the combination.

Yeah it was you. . . I think they contacted M Tex, they knew we had recieved an unusually large slabs in our last shipment. . . And yes we ship but usually refer people because shipping out of florida can get expensive. I think because it's a dead end state. Too funny. . . the soapstone community is pretty small so if you know a handfull you prob know most. . .