Frequently Asked Questions

Often yes, but it depends on the sink type, condition, and compatibility with your new countertop. Undermount sinks are removed during countertop replacement and can typically be reinstalled if they are in good structural condition — no cracks, no corroded mounting clips, and the drain alignment works with the new cutout position. We inspect your undermount during templating and let you know if reuse is feasible. Drop-in (top-mount) sinks can often be reused if the new countertop cutout matches the existing sink dimensions — however, if you're switching from laminate to stone, many homeowners take the opportunity to upgrade to an undermount for a cleaner look (the cutout is different, so this decision needs to be made before templating). Farmhouse (apron-front) sinks require specific cabinet modifications and precise countertop fitting — if you already have one installed with the right cabinet, we can template around it. If you're adding a new farmhouse sink, the cabinet must be modified first. Compatibility note: if you're changing countertop thickness (e.g., from 2cm laminate to 3cm granite), your existing sink's mounting hardware may need adjustment, and your garbage disposal / drain connections may need replumbing due to the height difference. We handle the sink disconnection and reconnection as part of installation, but if replumbing is needed, we'll let you know at templating so you can have a plumber coordinate. Let us know your sink situation — make, model if possible — when requesting a quote.

It depends on the damage type, material, location, and size. Here's a general repair-vs-replace guide: Small edge chips (under 1/4 inch) can usually be repaired with color-matched epoxy or resin filler for $150–$350 — the result is near-invisible on most materials, especially granite and quartz with busy patterns. Hairline cracks that don't go all the way through the slab can often be stabilized with flowing epoxy and polished smooth — this prevents propagation and is cosmetically acceptable in most cases ($200–$500 depending on length). Cracks that span the full thickness of the stone or run from a cutout to an edge indicate structural failure — repair is possible but the crack will likely return, and replacement of that section is the better long-term solution. For quartz specifically, cracks often originate from stress near sink cutouts or unsupported overhangs, and are best addressed by replacing the affected piece. For granite, a crack near a cooktop cutout may have been caused by thermal shock (setting a hot pot on a cold counter near a thin section). When replacement makes more sense than repair: the crack is longer than 6 inches, the crack is in a highly visible area on a light-colored stone, the damage is near a cutout where structural integrity matters, or the repair cost approaches 40–50% of replacement cost for that section. Send us photos of the damage and the material type and we will give you an honest assessment — we never push replacement when a $200 repair will solve the problem.

Yes — condo and high-rise installations are a significant portion of our work across South Florida. We're experienced with the logistics that make condo projects more complex than single-family homes: we carry $1M–$2M general liability insurance and can provide COI certificates naming your association as additional insured (usually approved in 2–5 business days). We coordinate freight elevator reservations for slab delivery (stone slabs weigh 400–900 lbs and don't fit in passenger elevators), schedule within building-permitted construction hours (typically 9am–5pm weekdays, though some buildings allow 8am–6pm), install hallway and elevator padding to protect common areas, and manage dumpster placement or debris removal per your building's rules. For high-rise units above the 10th floor, we plan for the additional time needed for elevator scheduling and may split delivery across two trips if the project involves multiple large pieces. Share your building's contractor requirements when requesting a quote — the earlier we submit COI paperwork, the faster we can lock in your install date.

Quartz countertops are highly stain-resistant but not completely stain-proof. The engineered resin binder makes quartz non-porous, so most spills — coffee, wine, juice, oil — can be wiped away without leaving a mark if cleaned within a few hours. However, prolonged exposure (12+ hours) to certain substances can cause permanent discoloration. The most common stain scenarios we see in South Florida kitchens: turmeric or curry paste left overnight (leaves a yellow shadow), red wine pooled behind a backsplash for days unnoticed, permanent marker from kids' art projects, and dark hair dye dripped during at-home coloring. If a stain does occur, try a paste of baking soda and water applied for 15–20 minutes — this draws out most surface discoloration without damaging the finish. For stubborn stains, a non-abrasive pad with Bar Keepers Friend (the liquid, not the powder) often works. Never use bleach, acetone, oven cleaner, or anything above pH 11, as these attack the resin binder and cause permanent clouding or dull spots. For daily cleaning, warm water with mild dish soap is all you need — avoid oil-based soaps like Murphy's that leave a buildup film. Quartz does not require sealing, ever. In South Florida's humid climate, quartz performs exceptionally well because its non-porous surface cannot absorb moisture, preventing the mold-in-pores issue that affects improperly maintained natural stone.

Yes. We serve restaurants, hotels, medical offices, multi-family developments, retail showrooms, office buildings, and commercial builders throughout South Florida. Common commercial project types we handle: restaurant bar tops and service counters (often requiring food-safe, heat-resistant materials and NSF compliance considerations), hotel bathroom vanities (50–200+ identical units with tight delivery schedules), multi-family condo developments (bulk quartz or granite across 20–100+ units with phased installation per building floor), property management renovation cycles, and medical/dental office reception desks and exam room surfaces. Commercial projects typically involve volume pricing (5–20% below retail depending on scope), coordinated scheduling with your GC or project manager, and delivery windows that align with your construction timeline. We can handle phased installation for renovations where operations cannot be fully shut down — restaurants, hotels, and medical offices often need overnight or weekend work, which we accommodate. For multi-unit projects, we maintain material consistency by reserving slab lots from the same production batch. Logistics we manage: coordinating with multiple trades on-site, meeting commercial insurance requirements, providing lien waivers, working within union or prevailing wage job sites, and adapting to schedule changes that are inevitable on large builds. Contact us with your project scope, unit count, and target timeline for a commercial quote.

Yes. We seal all granite, quartzite, and marble surfaces with a professional-grade fluorocarbon impregnating sealer as part of our installation process — this penetrates below the surface rather than sitting on top, providing long-lasting protection without changing the stone's appearance. Resealing frequency depends on the stone and usage: kitchen granite should be resealed every 12 months (every 8–10 months for coastal homes with salt air exposure); quartzite every 12–18 months; marble every 6–12 months depending on how much cooking acid exposure it gets. To test if your stone needs resealing, place a few drops of water on the surface — if it darkens within 5 minutes, it's time to reseal. For DIY resealing, we recommend Tenax Hydrex or StoneTech BulletProof for granite and quartzite, and StoneTech Stone & Tile Sealer for marble. Application is straightforward: clean the surface thoroughly, apply sealer evenly with a soft cloth, let it penetrate for 15–20 minutes, then buff off any residue with a dry microfiber cloth. Work in small sections and ensure good ventilation. Avoid cheap hardware-store topical sealers — they sit on the surface, create a film that traps moisture underneath, and peel within months in South Florida's humidity.

Most homeowners receive a preliminary countertop estimate within a few hours of contacting us — often within 30 minutes during business hours. Send photos, rough measurements, your city, and the material you prefer via WhatsApp or our quote form and we typically respond the same day with a realistic price range (not a lowball-to-upsell range). To help us give you the most accurate same-day estimate, include: photos of your existing countertops from above (showing the full layout), a photo of any corners or angles, the sink area, your cabinet color, rough measurements (length × depth for each run — doesn't need to be exact), the material you're considering, and your preferred edge profile if you have one in mind. The more detail you provide upfront, the tighter our preliminary range will be. Firm pricing comes after in-home laser templating, when we capture exact dimensions, wall angles, outlet positions, and cutout locations to the 1/16th of an inch. The difference between preliminary and final pricing is usually within 10–15% unless the layout is significantly different from the photos. We offer same-day estimates across all of South Florida and respond to WhatsApp messages and quote form submissions 7 days a week.

Most residential countertop projects take 5–10 business days from template to installation. The actual installation day itself takes 2–4 hours for a standard kitchen (under 45 sq ft) and 4–6 hours for larger kitchens with islands, waterfall edges, or multiple seams. Here is the typical timeline: Day 1 is the in-home estimate and material discussion, Days 2–3 for slab selection at our Pompano Beach showroom, Days 4–5 for digital laser templating (requires cabinets fully installed and leveled), Days 5–8 for CNC fabrication including cutting, edge profiling, polishing, and quality inspection, and Days 8–10 for professional installation including setting slabs, leveling, seaming, applying sealant, and reconnecting undermount sinks. After installation, avoid placing heavy items on seams for 24 hours while adhesives cure. The main variables that affect timing are slab availability (in-stock materials proceed immediately; special-order exotic stones can add 1–3 weeks), current shop queue during peak season (January–April is busiest in South Florida), complexity of edge work, and whether your cabinets are fully installed and leveled. Condo projects may add 2–5 days for COI approval, freight elevator scheduling, and building management coordination. We provide a specific calendar date at estimate — not a vague range — and communicate proactively if anything shifts.

Fabrication typically takes 5–7 business days after templating for most quartz and granite projects. Here's what happens during that time: your digital laser template is converted into a CNC cutting program, the slab is loaded onto our bridge saw and cut to exact dimensions, edge profiles are shaped and polished on the CNC machine (multiple passes for complex profiles like ogee or dupont), cutouts for sinks, cooktops, and faucets are precision-cut, seams are dry-fitted and color-matched, and the finished pieces undergo a quality inspection for chips, polish consistency, and dimensional accuracy. Complex edges, waterfall details requiring vein-matching, or mitered edges add 2–3 days because they require additional machining passes and careful alignment. Large commercial jobs with 20+ pieces may take 2–3 weeks depending on scope. Rush scheduling (3–4 business days) is sometimes available depending on current shop capacity — ask at templating if timeline is critical. We confirm your specific completion and install date at template and contact you immediately if anything changes.

Countertop costs in South Florida range from $45 to $150+ per square foot installed, depending on the material. Quartz typically costs $55–$95/sq ft, granite $45–$85/sq ft, marble $75–$150+/sq ft, quartzite $70–$140/sq ft, and porcelain $60–$100/sq ft. Remnant pieces (leftover cuts from larger jobs) run $25–$45/sq ft and work well for bathrooms and wet bars. A standard kitchen with 30–40 square feet of countertop usually runs $2,000–$5,000 for quartz or granite and $3,500–$8,000+ for premium marble or quartzite. A full kitchen island with waterfall edges can add $1,500–$3,500 depending on material and vein-matching complexity. Pricing includes digital laser templating, CNC fabrication, professional installation, and a standard eased or beveled edge profile. Factors that increase cost beyond base pricing: upgraded edge profiles (ogee adds $15–$25/linear ft), additional cutouts beyond the sink ($150–$250 each for cooktop or extra faucet holes), full-height backsplash ($30–$50/sq ft), demolition and haul-away of existing countertops ($200–$500), and plumbing disconnect/reconnect if not handled by your plumber. Material grade also matters significantly — entry-level granite at $45/sq ft looks very different from exotic granite at $85/sq ft, and the same is true across quartz color groups. Contact us with photos and rough dimensions for a same-day estimate specific to your project.

Porcelain is the top choice for South Florida outdoor kitchens — it is UV-stable, completely non-porous, handles direct flame and extreme heat, resists salt air corrosion, and will not fade or discolor after years of direct sun exposure. It also won't harbor mold or mildew in Florida's 75%+ humidity. Granite is a strong outdoor option with natural heat resistance, though it requires sealing every 6–12 months in coastal environments where salt accelerates penetration. Quartzite performs well outdoors with its natural hardness and heat tolerance, but lighter colors may require more frequent sealing in salt-air environments. For pool decks and wet areas, choose a honed or leathered finish over polished — polished stone becomes dangerously slippery when wet. Engineered quartz must be avoided outdoors entirely because the resin binder degrades under UV exposure, causing yellowing, warping, and delamination — and every major manufacturer (Caesarstone, Silestone, Cambria) explicitly voids the warranty for exterior installations. For South Florida specifically, also consider the intense afternoon thunderstorms and temperature swings from 60°F nights to 95°F+ surface temperatures in direct sun — porcelain and granite handle this thermal cycling without issue, while some softer natural stones may develop hairline stress cracks over time.

Quartz is engineered (ground quartz bound with resin), never needs sealing, resists stains and bacteria, and delivers consistent color across multiple slabs — making it ideal for large kitchens needing seamless pattern continuity. Granite is quarried natural stone with unique veining that varies slab to slab, offers superior heat resistance (you can set a hot pan directly on granite without damage), and develops a patina character over time. In South Florida's humid climate, quartz outperforms on maintenance — no annual sealing, no moisture absorption, and no risk of mold in the pores. Granite wins on heat tolerance, scratch resistance, and the one-of-a-kind aesthetic that appeals to homeowners who want something no neighbor will have. Key differences: quartz is harder (7 on Mohs scale vs. granite's 6–6.5) but more heat-sensitive (resin scorches above 300°F); granite handles direct heat but can chip more easily on thin edges. For resale value, both perform well in the South Florida market, though quartz is currently specified more often in new construction. Quartz runs $55–$95/sq ft installed; granite runs $45–$85/sq ft — making granite the better value for homeowners comfortable with annual sealing. Visit our Pompano Beach showroom to compare both side-by-side on full slabs, not just samples.

Despite the nearly identical names, these are completely different materials. Quartzite is a natural stone — it formed over millions of years when sandstone was subjected to extreme heat and pressure underground. It is quarried from the earth in unique slabs, with dramatic veining and translucency that cannot be replicated by any manufactured product. Quartzite requires periodic sealing (every 1–2 years) and costs $70–$140/sq ft installed. Engineered quartz is a factory-made product — roughly 90–93% ground quartz crystals bound with 7–10% polymer resin and pigments. It requires zero sealing, offers perfectly consistent patterning across slabs, and costs $55–$95/sq ft installed. The practical differences: quartzite is harder (7 on the Mohs scale, similar to quartz) and handles heat better than engineered quartz because it contains no resin. However, quartzite can etch from prolonged acid exposure if the sealer has worn. Engineered quartz won't etch but will scorch from hot pans. Visually, quartzite has the depth and movement of natural marble with significantly better durability — which is why it has become the premium choice for South Florida homeowners who want natural stone without marble's fragility.

Yes, we include old countertop removal and haul-away as part of most replacement projects. Our installation crew handles removal on the same morning as new countertop installation — no need to hire a separate demolition contractor or be without countertops overnight. Here's what removal involves: we disconnect the sink (and cooktop if applicable), carefully detach the existing countertop from the cabinets (cutting adhesive and removing clips), remove the material in sections, inspect the cabinet tops for damage or leveling issues, and haul everything away. We remove laminate, tile, granite, quartz, marble, Corian, and solid surface countertops. Tile countertops built up on cement board take the longest (1–2 hours) because the mortar must be chiseled away from the plywood substrate. Slab materials (granite, quartz) sitting on plywood are faster (30–60 minutes for a standard kitchen). Backsplash removal adds complexity — if your backsplash is tiled into the wall, removal may damage drywall that needs patching before new installation. We'll flag this during your estimate so there are no surprises. Removal and haul-away typically adds $200–$500 to the project depending on material type and volume. For condo projects, we coordinate dumpster access, freight elevator scheduling, and debris cart logistics with your building management. Let us know what material you currently have when requesting your quote.

Yes, waterfall edges typically add $800–$2,500+ to the total project cost compared to standard edge profiles. Here's what drives the price: additional slab material (the vertical panel requires a full-height piece cut from the same slab — roughly 12–16 sq ft per side on a standard-height island), more fabrication time for precise 45-degree mitering to create an invisible seam at the corner, and the skill needed to match vein patterns so the stone appears to flow continuously from horizontal to vertical. Specific pricing factors: a single-side waterfall on a 3-foot island end typically adds $800–$1,500; a double-side waterfall (both ends) runs $1,500–$2,500+; a full wrap-around waterfall (two sides plus the back) can add $2,500–$4,000. Material choice significantly affects cost — bookmatching dramatic veins on Calacatta marble or exotic quartzite is more labor-intensive and requires more material waste to achieve alignment, while solid-color quartz waterfalls are less complex and sit at the lower end of the range. The mitered edge thickness also matters: a standard 3cm (1.25-inch) miter is less expensive than a 6cm (2.5-inch) laminated miter that gives a chunkier, more dramatic look. We recommend visiting our Pompano Beach showroom to see waterfall installations in person and understand the vein-matching process before committing — the visual impact is difficult to appreciate from photos alone.

In 2026, the most popular countertop trends in South Florida are white and light-veined quartz (Calacatta-look patterns remain the top seller), natural quartzite with dramatic veining (especially Taj Mahal, Mont Blanc, and Perla Venata), and porcelain slabs for outdoor kitchens and modern interiors. Waterfall edges remain one of the most requested design features — they've moved from trend to standard expectation on kitchen islands in the $75K+ renovation market. Full-height backsplashes using the same slab material as the countertop continue to grow, creating a seamless look that eliminates the tile grout line. For South Florida specifically, the coastal modern aesthetic is dominant: warm whites, soft cream veining, and natural movement that complements light wood cabinetry and bright, airy spaces. Cool gray tones (popular 2018–2022) have fallen out of favor. Matte and leathered finishes are gaining significant ground over high-polish, especially on granite and quartzite — they hide fingerprints, feel more organic, and show less water spotting in the humid climate. Other South Florida trends: ultra-thin porcelain (6mm) for wall cladding and furniture applications, bookmatched islands where two slabs are opened like a book for symmetrical veining, and integrated drainage grooves cut directly into stone for wet bars and butler's pantries. Visit our Pompano Beach showroom to see current inventory and trending designs in person — our selection reflects what South Florida designers are specifying right now.

We fabricate all standard and custom edge profiles including eased (flat with softened corners), beveled (angled cut on the top edge), half-bullnose (rounded top edge, flat bottom), full bullnose (fully rounded), ogee (S-curve), dupont (stepped decorative profile), laminated/mitered (doubled thickness look), and waterfall mitered returns. Standard profiles — eased and beveled — are included in base per-square-foot pricing at no additional charge. Half-bullnose and full bullnose typically add $8–$15 per linear foot. Ogee and dupont profiles add $20–$35 per linear foot due to multiple machining passes and hand-polishing. Mitered/laminated edges (creating a 3cm or 6cm thick appearance) add $35–$60 per linear foot because they require cutting two pieces and bonding them with precision alignment. Waterfall returns (where the countertop continues vertically down the island side) are priced per panel — typically $800–$2,500 depending on height and vein-matching complexity. For durability in busy kitchens, we generally recommend eased or beveled edges — the sharper geometries are less likely to chip than the thin lips on ogee or dupont profiles. Describe the edge you want when requesting a quote and we will confirm pricing for your specific material and linear footage.

Remnant pieces are the most affordable countertop option, typically running $25–$45 per square foot installed. Remnants are leftover cuts from larger slab jobs — the same high-quality quartz, granite, or marble at 40–60% less than full-slab pricing. They work well for bathrooms, laundry rooms, wet bars, office desks, and small kitchens where the piece fits within the remnant dimensions (usually up to 30–35 sq ft). For full-size kitchens, here's an honest affordability ranking: entry-level granite (solid colors like Uba Tuba, Black Pearl, or Santa Cecilia) at $45–$55/sq ft installed is typically the most affordable full-slab option. Entry-level quartz (solid whites or simple patterns) starts around $55–$65/sq ft. Mid-range options that look significantly more expensive than they are include Level 1–2 quartzite ($70–$85/sq ft) and veined quartz patterns ($65–$80/sq ft). To maximize budget: choose a standard eased edge (free), minimize cutouts, skip the full-height backsplash in favor of a 4-inch standard splash, and consider using a premium material only on the island with a more affordable option on perimeter runs — this mixed-material approach can save $1,000–$2,000 on a typical kitchen while keeping the visual impact where it matters most. Ask about our current remnant inventory — availability changes weekly as we complete larger projects.