How this estimate is built
A countertop job's cost is the sum of a few independent buckets, and this estimator keeps each one visible so you can see what's driving the number:
- Material = square footage × your material rate per sq ft.
- Fabrication = square footage × your fab rate (cutting, polishing, edge work in the shop).
- Edges = linear feet of finished edge × your per-linear-foot edge rate.
- Cutouts = number of sink/cooktop/faucet cutouts × your per-cutout rate.
- Installation = square footage × your install rate per sq ft.
Every figure is computed live from the inputs and rounded for display. Because the rates are yours, the estimate reflects your shop, not a national average — but it's still a back-of-the-envelope number, not a real quote off real slabs.
A rough estimate isn't a slab-accurate price
This tool spreads cost across square footage. A real job doesn't — it's priced off the actual slabs you'll buy, how the pieces nest, your real per-color price lists, and the edges, seams, and cutouts you actually draw. SlabOS turns that into a quote in seconds: draw the job in live 2D and 3D, price it instantly from your real price lists, and automatically nest the pieces onto slabs — about 30,000 placement operations to find a best fit. That's how Canadian Countertops underbid a $1M+ job on slab yield and kept their margin. A spread-by-sqft estimate can't see that; a slab-aware quote can.
Estimator FAQ
Is this a SlabOS price quote?
No. This is an industry rough estimate computed entirely from the rates you enter. It does not contain SlabOS pricing and is not a quote. Your real costs vary by region, material, shop, and job complexity. For a slab-accurate quote off your own price lists, book a demo.
How do I figure out my square footage?
Measure the length and depth of each counter run in inches, multiply them, add the runs together, and divide by 144 to convert square inches to square feet. A typical kitchen lands somewhere around 40 to 60 sq ft, but always measure the actual job — counters, island, and any backsplash you're charging for stone.
What's not included in this estimate?
By default it excludes sales tax, delivery, tear-out of the old counter, plumbing reconnection, templating trips, and shop overhead — unless you've baked those into the rates you entered. It also doesn't account for slab waste or how pieces nest, which is where spread-by-sqft estimates drift from real cost.
Why is a slab-aware quote different from a per-sqft estimate?
A per-sqft estimate assumes material cost scales smoothly with area. Stone doesn't — you buy whole slabs, and whether a job fits on one slab or spills onto two can swing the real cost hundreds of dollars. A slab-aware quote nests the actual pieces onto real slabs and prices off your real per-color lists, so the number reflects the stone you'll truly buy.