Countertop Installation Cost in Palm Beach County
Countertop installation cost in Palm Beach County runs anywhere from $55 to $250+ per square foot installed, depending on the material you choose, the complexity of your layout, and who is fabricating and setting the slab. That range sounds wide, because it is. Granite sitting at $55-$85 per square foot and book-matched quartzite pushing $200 per square foot are both real numbers we quote in the same week. The key is understanding what moves the needle so you can budget accurately before you fall in love with a slab at the yard.
At South Florida Kitchen & Bath Design, our team fabricates and installs granite, quartz, quartzite, marble, Dekton, and porcelain countertops for homeowners across Palm Beach County, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Wellington, Jupiter, and everywhere in between. This guide breaks down exactly what you'll pay and why.
What Drives Countertop Cost
Material gets most of the attention, but it's only one piece of the equation. Here's what actually determines your final number:
Square footage and layout complexity. A simple galley kitchen with one straight run of counters is the least expensive scenario to fabricate. Add an island, a peninsula, an L-shape with an inside corner, or a full-height slab backsplash and the labor and material cost climbs accordingly. More seams, more cuts, more setup time at the fabrication shop.
Edge profile. A standard eased or beveled edge is priced into most quotes. Mitered edges, ogee profiles, waterfall legs, and double-thick laminated edges all carry upcharges, sometimes $15-$40 per linear foot on top of the base price. If you're weighing options, our guide to countertop edge profiles in Palm Beach County covers the most popular styles and what each adds to the budget.
Slab grade and veining. For natural stone, slabs are graded by the yard. A commercial-grade granite with tight, consistent patterning is priced lower than a statement-piece slab with dramatic movement. The same species of quartzite, say, Taj Mahal, can vary $30-$60 per square foot from one slab to the next depending on color consistency, veining intensity, and country of origin.
Cutouts and sink type. Every cutout for a sink, cooktop, or outlet box adds labor. An undermount sink cutout typically runs $150-$300. A farmhouse apron-front cutout costs more because the cabinet modification and precision fitting take longer. If you're still deciding on sink configuration, take a look at what goes into choosing between undermount and drop-in sinksyour countertop material should factor into that decision.
Removal of existing countertops. Demo and haul-away of old counters, whether laminate, tile, or old granite, typically adds $150-$400 to the project depending on what's coming out and how it's attached.
Waterfall or slab backsplash. Running the countertop material up the wall as a full-height backsplash, or wrapping it down the side of an island as a waterfall leg, requires additional slab material and precision templating. These are some of the most striking design moves in South Florida kitchens right now, and they cost accordingly. See our breakdown of waterfall countertop cost and ideas if you're considering this option.
Material-by-Material Breakdown
Granite. Granite remains one of the most cost-effective natural stone options, and it performs exceptionally well in Florida's heat and humidity. Entry-level granite, your standard Santa Cecilia, Uba Tuba, or New Venetian Gold, starts around $55 per square foot installed. Premium exotic granites with dramatic movement push $110-$140 per square foot. Granite is heat-resistant and durable, but it does need periodic sealing. Our granite sealing guide walks through how often and what products actually work in Florida's climate. We recommend granite for clients who want natural stone character at a realistic price point.
Quartz. Engineered quartz, Silestone, Cambria, MSI, and similar brands, is the most popular countertop material we install. No sealing required, consistent patterning across the slab, and a massive range of colors and looks including convincing marble mimics. Installed cost in Palm Beach County runs $75-$145 per square foot depending on brand and series. Cambria's premium lines and Silestone's N-Boost collection sit at the higher end. If you want the deep dive on quartz specifically, our quartz countertops cost guide for Palm Beach County has brand-by-brand pricing.
Quartzite. Quartzite is a natural metamorphic stone, harder than marble, with veining that quartz can't fully replicate. It does need sealing, but it's more resistant to etching than marble. Popular slabs like Taj Mahal, Calacatta Macaubas, and Super White are consistently requested in Boca Raton and Jupiter kitchens. Installed cost runs $95-$200+ per square foot. The wide range reflects slab-to-slab variation at the yard. We strongly recommend selecting your specific slab in person, photos don't do quartzite justice and two slabs of the same name can look completely different.
Marble. Marble is the most high-maintenance countertop material we work with, and we'll tell you that upfront. It etches from acids, citrus juice, wine, coffee, and it scratches. That said, nothing matches the look of Calacatta Gold or Statuario marble in a Palm Beach kitchen. If you go in with eyes open and are prepared to seal it regularly and accept a living patina over time, marble is a legitimate choice. Installed cost: $110-$200+ per square foot. Before committing, read our honest take on marble countertop pros and cons for Florida kitchens.
Dekton. Dekton is an ultra-compact surface made by Cosentino, think of it as a sintered stone that's essentially impervious to heat, UV, and staining. It's one of the few countertop materials we recommend without reservation for outdoor kitchens in South Florida because it won't fade, crack in heat, or absorb anything. Indoor, it's increasingly popular with clients who want a dramatic matte or textured finish that quartz can't achieve. Installed cost runs $100-$175 per square foot. It requires diamond tooling to fabricate, which is part of what drives the labor cost.
Porcelain. Large-format porcelain slabs have made serious inroads as a countertop material over the last few years. At 12mm thick, a porcelain slab can mimic Calacatta marble or concrete at a lower material cost than natural stone, and with zero maintenance. The trade-off is brittleness at the edges and around cutouts, which requires experienced fabrication. Our team uses proper diamond tooling and takes extra care on sink cutouts in porcelain. Installed cost: $80-$150 per square foot. We have a full breakdown in our porcelain countertops guide if you want to understand whether it's the right fit for your kitchen.
Cost Guide: Per-Sq-Ft Price Ranges
The table below reflects Palm Beach County market pricing for supply, fabrication, and installation. These are real numbers from our shop, not national averages from a cost database. Layout complexity, edge profiles, and cutouts are not included in the base per-square-foot figures; those are quoted separately once we template your kitchen.
For context on how countertop costs fit into your overall project budget, the 30 percent rule in remodeling is a useful framework, countertops often account for 10-15% of a total kitchen remodel budget.
A typical Palm Beach County kitchen with roughly 45-55 square feet of countertop surface lands between $3,500 and $8,500 for a quartz or granite install, before island additions or specialty edges. Quartzite and marble kitchens in that same square footage range regularly come in at $6,000-$12,000+. These are countertop-only numbers; they don't include cabinets, tile, or any other scope.
For permitting: a straight countertop swap, same footprint, no plumbing relocation, does not require a permit in Palm Beach County. If your project involves moving a sink, relocating a dishwasher, or running new plumbing lines, your general contractor will handle the permit application through the Palm Beach County Building Division. That's the GC's scope, not ours.
South Florida Considerations
Palm Beach County isn't a typical market, and countertop selection here involves a few factors that don't come up the same way elsewhere in the country.
Heat and UV exposure. South Florida kitchens get serious sun through impact glass windows and sliding doors. Quartz can discolor with prolonged direct UV exposure, we've seen it happen in west-facing kitchens in Wellington and Delray Beach. If your counters will sit in direct sun for hours a day, Dekton or granite are better long-term choices. Porcelain slab holds color exceptionally well in UV-heavy environments too. For a full comparison of how materials hold up in Florida conditions, our guide to the best countertop materials for Florida's humidity and heat goes deeper on this topic.
Humidity and sealing. Natural stone, granite, quartzite, marble, needs to be sealed properly in Florida's high-humidity environment. An unsealed or under-sealed stone countertop in a Boca Raton kitchen with salt air nearby is a recipe for staining and biological growth in the pores. We seal every natural stone installation we do. Annual resealing is something homeowners can handle themselves with the right product.
HOA and ARB review in gated communities. If you live in a gated community in Palm Beach County, PGA National, Mizner Country Club, Ibis, Broken Sound, there may be Architectural Review Board requirements that apply when you're changing visible exterior elements. Interior countertop swaps rarely trigger ARB review, but if your project is part of a larger renovation with exterior visibility, check your HOA documents. Your general contractor or GC submits any required documentation; we supply design drawings and material samples as needed.
Slab sourcing and lead times. Palm Beach County has strong slab yard inventory, particularly in the Lake Worth and Royal Palm Beach corridors, but exotic quartzite and specialty Dekton colors can have lead times of 4-8 weeks if a particular lot has to come from overseas. We factor this into our project scheduling. If you're working against a hard deadline, material selection needs to happen early.
Outdoor kitchen countertops. This is a big category in South Florida. Granite and Dekton are our top recommendations for outdoor use. Quartz is not rated for outdoor UV exposure and will void the manufacturer warranty if installed outside. Marble outdoors is generally a mistake, it etches and absorbs moisture in ways that accelerate dramatically in Florida's wet season. If you're building out a lanai or outdoor kitchen, check out our guide to the best outdoor kitchen countertops for Florida before you commit to a material.
Countertop selection affects everything downstream. Your countertop choice influences backsplash tile, cabinet hardware finish, and sink selection. We consistently see homeowners make countertop decisions in isolation and then struggle to pull the rest of the kitchen together. Our design process starts with the countertop slab selection because it sets the tone for everything else. If you're in the early planning stage and unsure which direction to go, our guide on how to choose countertop colors for your kitchen is a practical starting point.