Countertop cost by material: quartz, granite, quartzite, porcelain and solid surface

Quick answer

Fixr puts a standard kitchen of about 35 square feet of mid-grade quartz at $2,600 to $4,400, with a national average of $3,500. Per square foot, builder-grade runs about $50 to $75, mid-grade $75 to $125 and premium $125 to $200 or more.

Who to call: Coachella Valley Remodeling connects you with our licensed partner contractor, who visits and gives you a written price. Free to you. Get a free quote or call (760) 766-2218.

Updated November 6, 2026 · Typical published ranges, not a quote.

New counters change a kitchen more than almost anything else for the money, and the price swings widely with the material, the slab you pick and the shape of your kitchen. This guide compares five popular materials on cost, then on what matters in the desert: heat, sun and hard water.

Typical installed cost by material

All figures are national. No one publishes Coachella Valley countertop prices, and the sources don't all measure the same way: some include fabrication, edges and a sink cutout, others don't. Use the table to understand the order of magnitude, then compare local bids line by line.

Most kitchens have about 30 to 40 square feet of counter, according to Fixr. To estimate yours, measure each run's length and depth in inches, multiply, add them up and divide by 144. Add the island and any backsplash that will be stone.

Quartz

Engineered from crushed quartz and resin. Consistent color, no sealing, and the widest choice of patterns.

• Price by grade (Fixr): builder-grade $50 to $75, mid-grade $75 to $125, premium $125 to $200+ per square foot. Heavily veined slabs that look like marble sit at the top.
• Good for: busy kitchens, rentals and anyone who doesn't want to seal stone.
• Desert watch-outs: the resin can scorch under a hot pan and can discolor in strong, direct sun. Many quartz products are warranted for indoor use only, so check before using quartz on a patio or in a kitchen that takes full afternoon sun through glass.

Granite

Natural stone, quarried and cut into slabs. Every slab is different.

• Price: Fixr gives $40 to $200 per square foot for the stone, rare slabs higher, plus installation averaging about $30 per square foot. A typical kitchen averages about $3,500.
• Good for: heat tolerance, outdoor kitchens and buyers who want natural stone at a moderate price.
• Desert watch-outs: Fixr says most granite needs resealing every three to five years with a standard sealer, and lighter stones more often. If water stops beading on the surface, it's time. Hard water leaves mineral spots on any dark polished stone, so wipe the area around the faucet dry.

Quartzite

A natural metamorphic stone, harder than granite, often with the soft veining people want from marble.

• Price (Fixr): $80 to $210 per square foot installed. Material runs $50 to $120 and fabrication $30 to $90 per square foot. A 30-square-foot kitchen averages about $4,200.
• Slab names matter: Fixr lists Super White at $50 to $80 per square foot for material and Taj Mahal at $90 to $110.
• Finish upcharges: honed adds about $10 to $20 per square foot, leathered $15 to $25.
• Desert watch-outs: seal it if a water test shows it absorbs; Fixr suggests about once a year. Make sure what you're buying is true quartzite. Some softer marbles are sold under quartzite-sounding names, and they etch.

Porcelain slab

Thin, large-format porcelain made for countertops.

• Price: Inch Calculator lists $55 to $120 per square foot installed; Fixr's comparison puts a kitchen at $1,750 to $3,600.
• Good for: a modern, thin profile; resistance to heat and UV; outdoor kitchens.
• Desert watch-outs: it's prone to chipping on edges and corners, and installation takes a fabricator who knows the material. Ask how many porcelain jobs they've done, and look at one if you can.

Solid surface

Acrylic or polyester resin, sold under brand names like Corian.

• Price (Fixr): $70 to $130 per square foot installed, about $3,000 for 30 square feet with an integral sink.
• Good for: seamless counters with integral sinks, repairable scratches, condos and baths.
• Desert watch-outs: heat is its weakness. Fixr notes it can melt if a hot pot rests against it, and a hot pan on a seam can pop the seam open. Cooktops can't be undermounted beneath it.

What adds to the price

Other items to look for on the bid:

• sink and cooktop cutouts, and whether undermount polishing is included
• full-height backsplash or a waterfall end, both of which use much more slab
• seams: how many, and where
• plumbing disconnect and reconnect, and who does it
• reinforcement if your cabinets are particleboard or the overhang is deep

Desert-specific advice

• Template only on finished cabinets. If the cabinets are new or being refaced, the fabricator templates after they're installed and level, not before.
• Ask for wet cutting in the shop. Cutting engineered stone releases crystalline silica dust. California adopted emergency silica rules for stone fabrication in December 2023 (Cal/OSHA), and in 2026 the state's standards board has been drafting a rule that could restrict fabricating high-silica engineered stone. Ask your fabricator how current rules affect a quartz order. Dry-cutting counters inside your house is a red flag.
• Hard water. Plan for it at the sink: a faucet with a good cartridge, filtration or a softener, and a habit of wiping the counter dry. Mineral spots show most on dark, polished surfaces. See our hard water guide.
• Outdoor kitchens. Get the manufacturer's outdoor rating in writing before you buy any slab for a patio.
• Summer installs. Adhesives and seam epoxy have working-temperature ranges. In a closed-up house in July, ask the installer to cool the space first.

For a head-to-head on the two most popular choices, see quartz vs granite in desert heat.

What goes wrong with countertop jobs

In the complaints we reviewed, countertop problems clustered around measurement and handoffs: wrong colors, bad seams, chipped edges, cutouts in the wrong place, and the store, the fabricator and the installer blaming each other. Protect yourself:

1. Pick your own slab at the yard, and have it tagged with your name.
2. Approve the layout of seams and veining before cutting.
3. One responsible contractor for templating, fabrication and install.
4. Inspect on delivery before the old counters come out if you're replacing.
5. Walk the job before final payment: seams, overhangs, level, caulk, cutouts.
6. Deposit: no more than 10 percent or $1,000, whichever is less, under California law.

• One person who answers

  “Nobody calls back, and everyone blames someone else.” · 34% of kitchen complaints

  Our standard: One local contractor is responsible for the whole job, and one person at our office answers if they don't.

  Every project gets a named contact at the contractor and at our office, plus a shared project thread. Our partner agreement requires replies within one business day and written responsibility for subcontractors. We check in at the estimate, start, midpoint, completion and 30 days.

• Walkthrough before final payment

  “It looks worse than what we tore out.” · 32% of kitchen complaints

  Our standard: You don't make the final payment until you've walked the job with the contractor and the punch list is done.

  We check our partner contractor's license classification for the trade before every introduction. At the end, you and the contractor walk the job with a written punch list, and the last payment waits until it's finished. Workmanship complaints go on the contractor's record with us.

• Kitchen stays usable until materials arrive

  “Five months washing dishes in the bathtub.” · 29% of kitchen complaints

  Our standard: Your old kitchen stays in place until the new cabinets and stone are on site and checked, unless you choose otherwise.

  Your written scope includes an estimated completion date and the order of trades. Our partner agreement requires that demo waits until the cabinets, slab and appliances have been delivered and inspected. You get photo updates every work day, and payments follow milestones.

• Warranty in writing

  “The lifetime warranty disappeared when the company did.” · 23% of kitchen complaints

  Our standard: Our partner agreement requires at least a one-year workmanship warranty in writing, and we keep a copy.

  Our partner agreement requires a written workmanship warranty of at least one year, separate from the manufacturer's, with claims acknowledged within two business days and a visit scheduled within ten. We check the contractor's CSLB record and bond and keep your documents on file.

• You get exactly what you approved

  “They sold me solid wood and delivered particleboard.” · 22% of kitchen complaints

  Our standard: Your contract names the exact cabinet construction, finish and stone, so you get what you approved.

  The itemized scope lists the cabinet line, box material, door construction, finish, hardware and slab. Our partner agreement requires deliveries to be inspected and photographed before anything is installed. For natural stone, you see and approve the actual slab.

• Approve drawings before anything is cut

  “The island came out four inches too narrow.” · 15% of kitchen complaints

  Our standard: Nothing is ordered or cut until you've approved the drawings and the seam layout.

  Our partner agreement requires on-site measurements, your appliance spec sheets, cabinet drawings and a countertop layout showing seams, overhangs and sink and cooktop centerlines. You sign off before anything is ordered or cut.

• Small deposit, pay as you go

  “We paid in full, and then they disappeared.” · 13% of kitchen complaints

  Our standard: Our partner contractor never asks for more than 10% or $1,000 down, as California law requires. You pay as work is completed.

  California caps home-improvement down payments at 10% or $1,000, whichever is less, and payments can't run ahead of completed work. Our partner agreement repeats that rule, and we review the payment schedule before you sign. We verify the license and bond at cslb.ca.gov first.

• They show up, or they call

  “They cancelled the install the morning of, again.” · 12% of kitchen complaints

  Our standard: Our partner agreement requires every appointment to be confirmed the day before, and we track every missed one.

  Our partner agreement requires day-before confirmations and at least 24 hours' notice of changes except in real emergencies. We log no-shows, and repeated no-shows end the partnership.

From about 1,600 public complaints (BBB, Yelp, CSLB) about kitchen and cabinet work that we read in 2026. How we counted

Next step

When you're ready, we refer you to our licensed, insured partner contractor for counters, alone or as part of a bigger kitchen. You decide, and you sign with and pay the contractor directly. See countertops in the Coachella Valley, or the full kitchen cost guide if counters are part of a larger project.

Common questions

How much do quartz countertops cost installed?

Fixr puts a standard kitchen of about 35 square feet of mid-grade quartz at $2,600 to $4,400, with a national average of $3,500. Per square foot, builder-grade runs about $50 to $75, mid-grade $75 to $125 and premium $125 to $200 or more.

Is quartz or granite cheaper?

They overlap. Fixr gives granite about $40 to $200 per square foot for material, plus around $30 per square foot to install, and quartz about $50 to $200 installed. Both average around $3,500 for a typical kitchen. Entry-level granite is often a little cheaper than entry-level quartz; rare granite can cost more than most quartz.

Why is quartzite more expensive than quartz?

Quartzite is a natural stone that's very hard, which makes it slower to cut and finish. Fixr puts it at $80 to $210 per square foot installed and about $4,200 for a 30-square-foot kitchen, with fabrication alone at $30 to $90 per square foot. Names matter too: popular slabs like Taj Mahal cost more than Super White.

Which countertop is best for an outdoor kitchen in the desert?

Many quartz products are rated for indoor use only because sun can discolor the resin, so check the warranty before using quartz outside. Granite, quartzite and porcelain slabs are the usual outdoor choices. Ask your fabricator what the specific product is rated for.

Can I put a hot pan on my countertop?

Use a trivet on all of them. Solid surface can melt or crack at a seam (Fixr), and quartz resin can scorch. Granite and quartzite tolerate heat better, but thermal shock can still crack stone, especially near a seam or cutout.

How much does it cost to remove old countertops?

Fixr puts removal at minimal for laminate and up to about $500 for granite or marble, plus $100 to $200 for delivery of the new counters. Some installers include tear-out; make sure the bid says so.

Do new countertops need a permit?

Replacing counters in the same footprint without changing plumbing, gas or electrical is exempt in unincorporated Riverside County, and is generally treated as finish work. Moving the sink or cooktop, or adding outlets, needs a permit. Your contractor should confirm with your city.

Last reviewed November 6, 2026. Prices and rules change; confirm details with your contractor and your city or county building department.