Granite countertops enjoy a popularity among home owners second to none. The raw beauty of the natural stone combined with the hardness of it are perfect for kitchen and bathroom counters and many other applications where durability and beauty are an important factor.

Granite countertop costs range in price almost as much as the available patterns of the natural stone range in design. Below are five easy tips to help anyone interested in purchasing granite countertops for their home or business.

1. Working with granite is labour intensive. It is the second hardest natural substance on earth, second only to diamonds. In fact it is diamond encrusted blades that are used to cut granite. Because of the excessive labour needed to quarry granite into slabs, most slabs are imported due to high labour costs in the US.

2. This brings us to our second point, location. Most of the granite used in the USA comes from Brazil, China and india to name a few. These countries provide much cheaper labour so that even after factoring in the cost of shipping, the prices are still cheaper to US manufactured granite slabs. Granite is available in most parts of the world including the US, but US granite is more often used in large block form for office buildings rather than the more finished slabs used for countertops.

3. The price of raw slab granite that you might find at your local stone quarry range from $10-$25 per square foot. Fully fabricated and installed granite countertop costs range from $55-$125 per square foot. As there is no official governing board for price regulation any grading by granite yards is for the most part subjective, commonly done in "tiers." Also, if a specific type of granite, like say blue pearl, becomes highly popular due to magazine articles or TV segments, the price will go up accordingly.

4 When it comes to granite countertop costs, grading equals price. Grading the quality of granite is done a few different ways, but most often deals with appearance. A slab of granite with imperfections or inconsistencies in it's pattern may be given a lower grade, whereas a more consistent slab might get a higher grade. Granite countertops are also available in a couple of basic thicknesses; either 3 cm which is primarily used on the US east coast or 2 cm used mainly on the west coast. The 3 cm slab would be approximately one third more the cost of the 2 cm slab. The thickness of the slabs rarely affects the cost of fabrication or installation.

5. Ultimately it comes down to walking thru a stone yard and looking and feeling the granite slabs yourself. Each slab is unique which makes trying to pick a granite pattern off the internet is a difficult proposition.

In conclusion; granite is a beautiful addition to any home, but often a costly one. Every kitchen is unique, but a ballpark range for granite countertops might be $5000-$8000 for a finished and installed kitchen. The best thing you can do is visit a local stone yard, most cities have one, and walk through the slabs till one speaks to you. Choosing granite is a personal choice.