Most people shopping for stone see a per-square-foot number and assume that's the price. Then the delivered quote comes back and it's several hundred dollars higher, and nobody explained why. Here's the whole picture.
The slab price
Slabs are quoted per square foot, but you buy the whole slab. A nominal slab runs about 126 inches by 63 inches, which is 55 square feet. So a stone quoted at $40 per square foot is roughly $2,200 for the slab, not $40.
That matters because a typical kitchen needs one and a half to two slabs. You'll be buying two, and the offcut is yours.
Why the same stone varies in price
Two slabs sold under one name can differ significantly. Block, quarry face, thickness and finish all move the number.
- Thickness. 3CM costs more than 2CM and weighs more to ship. Most US kitchens use 3CM.
- Finish. Leathered and honed finishes take extra processing, so they price above polished.
- Block quality. A premium or select designation means better color consistency and fewer fissures. It costs more for a reason.
- Rarity. Blue and green quartzites, backlit onyx and semi-precious stone run several times the price of a common granite.
Freight is separate, and it isn't small
A 3CM slab weighs around 1,100 pounds. Two of them, crated, is over a ton of freight. That's why we quote delivery separately rather than burying it in a per-foot number that would look misleading.
What moves the freight cost:
- Distance. Obvious, but the jump is not linear. Regional delivery is far cheaper per mile than cross-country.
- Where it's going. A fabrication shop with a forklift is the cheapest delivery there is. A residential address with no equipment needs a liftgate and a longer appointment.
- Access. Narrow streets, no dock and tight turnarounds all add time, and time is money on a freight truck.
- Crating. Some material — recycled glass, thin porcelain, large-format sintered stone — needs specific crating to survive the trip.
What to have ready when you call
We can quote in one call if you have these four things:
- The stone name and thickness
- How many slabs, or the countertop square footage if you're not sure
- The delivery ZIP code
- Whether it's going to a fabricator, a job site or a home, and whether there's a forklift
That last one changes the freight number more than most people expect.
A note on photos
Natural stone varies block to block. The photo on any website — ours included — shows the stone, not the specific slab you'll receive. Before you commit, ask for photos of the actual slabs on the ground. We'll send them. Anyone who won't is hoping you don't notice the difference.
Questions on a specific stone or a delivered price? Call or text (940) 398-5589.