Cost to Replace Kitchen Countertops: What Changes the Price

The cost to replace kitchen countertops comes from two parts: the new countertops themselves, and the work of getting the old ones out and the kitchen working again. The first part is priced like any new install. The second part is where replacement quotes differ, because it depends on what's already in your kitchen.

This guide is about that second part. For how the new material is priced, by square footage, brand, thickness and edge, see our quartz countertops cost guide. Here I'll go through what happens on a replacement job and which of those steps change your price, so you can budget for the whole project and not just the new stone.

What Goes Into the Cost to Replace Kitchen Countertops

A typical replacement has five stages. Each one can be simple or complicated depending on your kitchen:

1. Disconnect: the sink, faucet, disposal and any cooktop are disconnected.
2. Tear-out: the old countertops come off and are hauled away.
3. Prep: cabinets are checked for level and strength, and repaired if needed.
4. Template and install: the new countertops are measured, fabricated and set.
5. Reconnect: plumbing and appliances are hooked back up, and the backsplash is finished.

Some fabricators template before tear-out and some after, depending on the job. Either way, you can't use the sink between tear-out and reconnection, so plan meals around it.

Countertop Removal Cost: What's Coming Out Matters

The old countertop's material changes how much work removal takes.

• Laminate is light and usually screwed or glued to the cabinets from below. It is typically the easiest to remove.
• Tile countertops are often set in mortar over a plywood or cement board base. Breaking them out is dusty, slow work, and the base usually has to come off too.
• Granite, marble or old quartz is heavy and may be glued down with strong adhesive. Removing it without damaging the cabinets takes care and a crew big enough to carry it.
• Solid surface tops can have seams and integrated sinks bonded in place, which affects how they are cut free.

Hauling and disposal are part of this line too. Some fabricators include removal in the replacement price; others list it separately. Griffin Quartz offers removal and disposal of old countertops as an add-on service, so ask for it to be listed on your quote.

Plumbing and Appliance Costs When Replacing Kitchen Countertops

Anything attached to the countertop has to come off and go back on.

• Sink and faucet: switching from a drop-in sink to an undermount sink is one of the most common upgrades during a replacement. The new sink, a new faucet if the old one doesn't fit the new holes, and the plumber's time all add to the total.
• Garbage disposal and dishwasher: the dishwasher is usually fastened to the underside of the countertop, so it has to be refastened to the new top.
• Cooktop: gas and electric cooktops should be disconnected and reconnected by a licensed professional. If you're changing cooktop size, tell your fabricator before templating so the cutout matches the new unit.
• Slide-in range: the countertop edges on each side need to line up with the range, so have the range on site at templating.

Backsplash Costs During a Countertop Replacement

Backsplash is the cost people most often forget. In many kitchens the bottom row of tile sits directly on the old countertop. When the countertop comes out, that row can crack or come off, and matching old tile years later is rarely possible.

So you really have three options: try to save the existing backsplash and repair it, replace it with new tile, or use a quartz backsplash cut from the same material as the countertops. Each one has a different cost, and the one you choose also changes how many slabs you need.

Cabinet Condition and Replacing Kitchen Countertops

Stone and quartz countertops need a flat, solid base. During templating a good fabricator checks the cabinets for:

• Level, front to back and side to side
• Loose or water-damaged cabinet boxes, especially around the sink
• Enough support at overhangs and around the dishwasher

Shimming and small repairs are common and fairly quick. Water damage under an old sink is the one that surprises people. In South Florida's humidity, a slow leak under the sink can soften the cabinet floor for years before anyone notices. Better to find it now than after the new top is set.

If you're keeping your cabinets, our guide to quartz countertop installation walks through what happens from templating to install day.

Kitchen Countertop Replacement Cost in Condos and Older Homes

Condos and HOAs. Many South Florida associations need approval before work starts, a certificate of insurance from each contractor, freight elevator bookings and set work hours. Some buildings limit noisy work to certain days. None of this is unusual, but it affects scheduling, and in some buildings it limits how long a single piece can be. Our condo countertop installation guide covers what to ask your building manager.

Older homes. Walls in older houses are often out of square, and cabinets may have settled. The new countertop has to be scribed to fit, and gaps at the wall may need a backsplash to cover them. If the old countertops were tile over a thick mortar bed, the new countertop may sit lower, which can leave a gap at the backsplash or window sill.

How Much to Replace Kitchen Countertops: The New Material

The new countertops are the largest share of most replacement budgets. What you choose sets that part of the cost:

• Material and color: quartz colors are priced in tiers, with solid colors and simple patterns at the lower end and bold marble-look veining at the upper end.
• Square footage and layout: more pieces, seams and corners mean more fabrication.
• Thickness: see our thickness guide.
• Edges and cutouts: each sink, cooktop and decorative edge adds shop time.

If you're weighing granite for the new tops, our guide to granite countertops cost explains how that material is priced. For quartz, the quartz countertop installation cost guide breaks down the fabrication and labor side.

Get a Quote for the Whole Replacement

The best way to control the cost to replace kitchen countertops is a quote that covers everything: tear-out, plumbing, backsplash, cabinet prep and the new tops. Start with our quote calculator for an instant quartz estimate, then book a free in-home estimate and we'll look at what's actually in your kitchen. See our kitchen and bath countertop services, or contact our Boca Raton team with questions.