Quartz & Granite Countertops in Austin, TX

Quartz & Granite Countertops in Austin, TX

Quartz and granite countertops in Austin typically run $55 – $110 per square foot installed, with most kitchen jobs landing between $3,800 and $7,500 depending on slab selection, edge profile, and how many linear feet of countertop you’re covering. At Penhallow Remodeling Austin, we put that price in writing before the first template is cut, and we back the installation with our 365-Day Done Right Promise. If you’re planning a Kitchen Remodeling in Austin project and want a countertop that holds up to hot pans, hard water, and decades of daily use, this is the page that explains what we do, what it costs, and why our process removes the gamble.

Led by Trevor Nash, our Austin team has built a reputation for showing up in a real arrival window, naming a price that doesn’t move, and standing behind the work in writing. Quartz and granite are two different materials with different maintenance profiles and different price points. We walk you through both honestly, help you pick the surface that fits how you actually cook and clean, and then install it on a properly prepared cabinet base. Call (325) 225-5429 any time; a live person answers, day or night.

Key Takeaways

• Quartz countertops in Austin cost $60 – $110/sq ft installed; granite runs $55 – $95/sq ft installed for typical kitchen slabs.
• You’ll get a written price before work starts – not a range, not a ballpark, a number you can hold us to.
• Every quartz and granite install carries our 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing, plus the material warranty from the slab manufacturer.
• We template, fabricate, and install with background-checked, uniformed technicians who arrive in a defined window.
• Live person answers the phone 24/7 at (325) 225-5429 – no voicemail maze.

When You Need Quartz & Granite Countertops

Countertops don’t always show their age the same way cabinets do. Sometimes the surface looks fine from across the room, but up close the story is different. Here are the situations where Austin homeowners call us for a quartz or granite replacement:

• Laminate is peeling, staining, or bubbling at the seams. Austin’s humidity and rapid temperature swings from cold AC to hot outdoor air push older laminate past its limits. Once water gets under the surface layer, there’s no real repair.
• Tile countertops have failing grout and shifting tiles. In older homes around Allandale and Crestview, we see tile counters where decades of settling have cracked grout lines and loosened tiles. Every meal prep turns into a cleaning headache.
• You’re doing a full Kitchen Remodeling and the counters need to go in at a specific point in the sequence. Quartz and granite install after cabinets are set and leveled, but before backsplash tile goes up. We coordinate that timing precisely.
• You bought a house with worn or dated granite and want a lighter, brighter surface. Austin’s real estate market moves fast; a lot of buyers inherit dark 2000s-era granite that makes an entire kitchen feel heavier than it is.
• You’re selling soon and want the kitchen to photograph well. Quartz and granite are the two surfaces that consistently show up as top return-on-investment finishes in Austin mid-range home sales. A dated countertop drags a listing price down.
• Your current stone or engineered surface has heat damage, deep scratches, or stains that won’t lift. Granite can be refinished by a specialist, but most deep damage is cheaper to replace than restore, especially when the slab is more than 12 years old.

Quartz vs. Granite: Which One Fits Your Kitchen?

Quartz countertops are engineered stone, made from about 90% ground natural quartz mixed with resins and pigments, then pressed into slabs. They’re non-porous, which means they never need sealing. Granite is quarried natural stone, cut into slabs, and polished. It’s porous enough to need sealing once a year or so, and it has the natural veining and movement that no engineered product can fully replicate.

We install quartz from Cambria, Silestone, and Caesarstone, all recognized trade brands with their own material warranties. Granite comes from a range of wholesale slab suppliers in the Austin area, and we help you select, inspect, and approve the exact slab before fabrication starts.

Feature	Quartz	Granite
Installed cost per sq ft (Austin)	$60 – $110	$55 – $95
Sealing required	Never	Annually
Heat resistance	Good to 300°F; use trivets for hot pans	Excellent; can take hot pans directly
Stain resistance	Excellent; non-porous	Good; oil-based stains possible if not sealed
Pattern consistency	Consistent; controlled during manufacturing	One-of-a-kind; each slab is unique
Typical lifespan	25+ years with normal use	30+ years with proper sealing

At the slab yard, granite selection matters. Two slabs from the same quarry can look remarkably different, and that’s why we have you approve the exact slab, not just a sample chip. Trevor Nash walks through this selection with every Austin homeowner because a slab that photographs one way online often reads differently under Texas afternoon light.

Our Quartz & Granite Countertops Process

Every Penhallow countertop project follows the same sequence. It’s predictable, it’s documented, and you always know what comes next.

1. Phone consultation and scoping. Call (325) 225-5429 or fill out our contact form. A real person talks through your kitchen dimensions, current countertop condition, and what you’re hoping to change. We schedule an in-home visit that fits your calendar.
2. In-home measurement and slab selection. We visit your Austin home, measure existing countertops or check cabinet installation if this is a new build, and discuss quartz versus granite in the context of your actual kitchen. If you’re leaning granite, we’ll help you pick out the exact slab at a local supplier.
3. Written price and timeline. You receive a written estimate with the full scope: slab cost, fabrication, installation, sink cutout, edge profile, and any structural work needed on the cabinet base. The number on that page is the number on your invoice. No change orders unless you change the scope.
4. Template and fabrication. After cabinet installation or leveling is confirmed, a technician digitally templates the countertop layout. The selected slab goes to a local fabrication shop for precision cutting, edge profiling, and sink cutouts. This runs 7 to 14 days for quartz, 10 to 21 days for granite depending on slab sourcing.
5. Installation and cleanup. Our uniformed installers arrive in the window we gave you, carry in the pieces, and set them on site. We level, seam, seal the seams with color-matched epoxy, and install the sink. We haul away old countertop material and leave the kitchen cleaner than we found it.
6. 365-Day Done Right follow-up. If a seam separates, a corner chips under normal use, or anything about the install fails within the first year, we come back and fix it at no charge. This is written into every project agreement, not left as a verbal promise.

Quartz & Granite Countertops Pricing in Austin

Countertop pricing in Austin breaks down into four components: the slab material, fabrication, installation labor, and extras like edge profiles and backsplash, tile & flooring. Here’s a realistic look at what drives the final number.

Cost Component	Quartz (per sq ft)	Granite (per sq ft)
Material (slab or pre-fab)	$35 – $75	$30 – $65
Fabrication (cutting, edging, sink cutout)	$15 – $25	$15 – $25
Installation labor	$10 – $20	$10 – $20
Total typical range (installed)	$60 – $110	$55 – $95

For a standard 40-square-foot kitchen, that puts a quartz countertop between $2,400 and $4,400 and a granite countertop between $2,200 and $3,800. Here’s where costs move up or down:

• Edge profiles. A standard eased or pencil edge is included. Ogee, bullnose, waterfall, or mitered edges add $10 – $30 per linear foot.
• Slab thickness. Standard is 2cm or 3cm. Thicker 3cm slabs run 15 – 25% more per square foot but are stronger and don’t need plywood underlayment.
• Sink type. A standard top-mount or under-mount cutout is included. Farmhouse or apron-front sink cutouts with visible polished fronts add $200 – $500.
• Cabinet condition. In older Austin homes – think Bouldin Creek or Travis Heights – cabinets may have settled out of level. We address that before template time, otherwise seams won’t sit right and the slab could crack under stress.
• Removal and disposal. Demolition and haul-away of old countertops runs $300 – $700 for a typical kitchen depending on material weight and access.
• Seams and layout. L-shaped or U-shaped kitchens need more seams. Quartz hides seams better than granite, but either way, our fabricators keep them minimal and color-matched.

We’ll give you a written quote with all of these line items spelled out. No surprise charges on install day. Call (325) 225-5429 for a free estimate; we’ll walk the kitchen, answer your questions, and hand you a number in writing.

What Makes Our Countertop Work Different in Austin

You’ve probably heard the standard contractor promises. What matters is what’s in writing and what actually happens when something goes wrong.

The 365-Day Done Right Promise

If any part of your quartz or granite countertop installation fails within a year of project completion – a seam opens, a corner chips under normal use, the slab settles unevenly – we come back and make it right at no charge. This is written into every project agreement. No interpretation games, no “that’s outside the warranty” dance. It’s a one-year promise that means exactly what it says.

Written Price, Written Guarantee

We operate under The Kingswell Way, established in 2004. That standard requires three things on every job: say the price before the work, show up in the window we gave, and leave the place cleaner than we found it. For countertops, that means the quote you approve on day one is the invoice you pay at completion. No add-ons you didn’t authorize.

Background-Checked, Uniformed Technicians

Every person who walks into your Austin home for a template, an install, or a follow-up visit has passed a background check and arrives in a Penhallow uniform. You know who’s at your door before you open it. We take this seriously with countertop work because the process involves multiple visits: measurement, installation, and potentially a seam or custom edge follow-up.

Material Brands That Back Their Own Work

We install Cambria quartz, which carries a lifetime limited warranty to the original owner. Silestone offers a 25-year warranty on most of its quartz lines, and Caesarstone’s warranty runs 15 years to life depending on the collection. These manufacturer warranties layer on top of our 365-Day Done Right Promise. If the material itself fails down the road, you have a path through the manufacturer; if our install fails in the first year, you have us, in writing.

Quartz & Granite Countertops in Austin’s Older Homes

Austin’s housing stock isn’t uniform. A kitchen in a 1950s ranch in Allandale has different structural realities than a 2010s build in Mueller, so small & partial kitchen remodels each need tailored approaches. Here’s what we account for in each scenario.

Pier-and-beam foundations. Many Austin homes built before 1980 sit on pier-and-beam. Those houses move subtly with soil moisture changes. A monolithic countertop slab on a moving house needs proper seam placement and slight flexibility in the install. We’ve done enough of these to know where to put the seams and how to level cabinets before the slab goes down.

Hard water and granite. Austin’s water is notoriously hard, with mineral content that leaves calcium deposits on granite over time if you don’t wipe spills. Quartz is non-porous and more forgiving with our water chemistry. For homeowners who cook daily and don’t want to think about sealing schedules, quartz is usually the better call.

Indoor-outdoor kitchens. If you have an outdoor cooking area – common in properties around Westlake and Lakeway – granite handles UV exposure and temperature swings better than quartz, though neither is rated for constant direct sun without some color fading over decades. We’ll tell you the truth about material limits before you spend.

FAQs – Quartz & Granite Countertops

How much does quartz countertop installation cost in Austin?

Quartz countertop installation in Austin runs $60 – $110 per square foot installed, with a typical 40-square-foot kitchen landing between $2,400 and $4,400. The biggest cost drivers are slab brand (Cambria runs higher than many imports), edge profile, and whether your cabinets need leveling first. Call (325) 225-5429 for a free in-home estimate, and we’ll give you a written number specific to your kitchen.

Is it cheaper to repair or replace a countertop in Austin?

For most Austin kitchens, replacement is cheaper long-term once a countertop has deep damage, failing seams, or material wear beyond surface polish, though cabinet installation & refacing may also be worth considering. Granite refinishing from a stone restoration company runs $400 – $1,200 and can potentially address surface scratches and dullness, but if the slab is cracked or the sub-top is compromised, patch repairs won’t last. We’ll inspect and tell you honestly which path makes sense for your kitchen and your budget.

Can you install quartz or granite the same week I call?

Same-week installation isn’t realistic for quartz or granite because slab selection, templating, and fabrication take time. Quartz typically runs 7 – 14 days from template to install; granite runs 10 – 21 days depending on slab sourcing and shop capacity. If you have a time-sensitive situation, call (325) 225-5429 and we’ll talk through scheduling options and what can be accelerated.

Will my Austin kitchen need a plywood substrate under the countertop?

With 3cm quartz or granite slabs, plywood underlayment isn’t usually required because the stone is thick enough to span cabinet boxes on its own. With 2cm slabs, we typically set plywood on the cabinet tops before the slab goes down to prevent flex and cracking. This is determined during the template visit and spelled out in your written quote, so there’s no surprise cost.

Does granite need to be sealed in Austin’s climate?

Yes, granite in Austin should be sealed annually because our hard water and high mineral content accelerate staining on unsealed stone. Quartz never needs sealing. We use a penetrating sealer appropriate for granite and walk you through the simple reapplication schedule, or we can handle it for you on a yearly maintenance visit.

Schedule Your Free Estimate in Austin

If you’ve been living with a countertop that bothers you every time you cook, or you’re planning a Kitchen Remodeling project and want the countertops done right the first time, call Penhallow Remodeling Austin at (325) 225-5429. We’ll schedule an in-home visit, measure your kitchen, walk through quartz and granite options, and hand you a written price before you commit to anything. No pressure, no verbal ballparks, no surprises. Just a price on paper and a guarantee behind it.

Written by Trevor Nash, Owner at Penhallow Remodeling Austin, serving Austin.