Are Quartz Worktops Cheaper Then Granite In The Uk

While many factors need to be taken into consideration when choosing an appropriate material for your kitchen worktop, one of the important factors involved would be the cost. Cost plays an important role when determining the material needed for your kitchen worktop. It plays the deciding factor in choosing between two materials like granite or quartz for the worktop surface. Which brings us to the question, are quartz worktops cheaper than granite in the UK?

Choosing Between The Best Materials For The Kitchen Worktop

There is no doubt that granite and quartz lead the race as the most sought-after materials for kitchen worktops. While both stones come with several similar properties like high strength and durability, they do have some differences, which play a role in determining their cost. Let’s take a look at these differences before understanding how they would affect the cost of granite and quartz worktops UK.

The Appearance

When it comes to appearance, granite has a slight advantage over quartz. Granite countertops offer a unique look because every single granite slab comes with a unique mineral colour and pattern. Quartz, on the other hand, is engineered. This means even though there may be many colours and patterns available, you will seem to notice a more uniform appearance between them. So, while those who prefer the natural look would opt for granite worktops, those who prefer a unique look would opt for quartz stone worktops.

The Composition

Granite is 100% natural in its composition, with the granite slabs coming directly from the stone quarries. These slabs are then cut down to size and polished before being fabricated into worktops.

Quartz worktops, on the other hand, are made of an engineered stone product. While quartz may make up most of its composition, the rest of it is made of minerals. The worktop material is formed by grinding up stone by-products into slabs, which are then fabricated into worktops.

The Cost

Coming to the costs involved, there is no doubt that both granite and quartz worktops UK are expensive worktop materials and thus, not feasible for those on a tight budget.

Granite: Worktops made of granite usually average between $80 and $180 per square foot (installed). The price of the granite slabs depends on various factors like the style, availability, quality and edge treatments. Since it is going to be a long-term investment, the best option would be to go for a better quality granite worktop even though it may turn out to be more expensive.

Quartz: Worktops engineered from a combination of quartz stone and other minerals usually range between $80 and $150 per square foot (installed). The pricing of quartz worktops would also depend on the source, with quartz worktops shipped from overseas commanding a higher price owing to transportation costs and tariffs.

However, as the popularity of quartz worktops increase, the prices of the same would reduce drastically over time. As such, there is hardly any difference between the prices of granite and quartz worktops UK today. While the prices of standard designs and styles are affordable, it is only the upper-end designs and styles that feature higher price tags.