Have you been considering replacing your old kitchen countertops with some brand new granite countertops? In that case, you’ll surely need to learn how to measure for granite countertops for kitchen upgrades. If I’ve caught your attention, keep reading because that’s exactly what I’ll be going over today.
Of course, that topic’s a fairly simple one so that’s not all I’ll be covering. In addition to letting you know the right way to measure for your new countertop, I’ll also be going over some things to consider while shopping, the DIY option, and when a professional installation might be the best option.
What You’ll Need to Get Started for How to Measure for Granite Countertops for Kitchen
Before you can start measuring for your new granite countertop installation, it’s important to have all the right tools on hand. Fortunately, there aren’t many things you’ll need to grab when learning how to measure for granite countertops for kitchen upgrades. In fact, you might already have them lying around your home.
The first one is fairly obvious: you’ll need a tape measure! I recommend making sure yours offers metric and imperial measurements, simply to avoid the potential need for unit conversions later on.
You want the tape measure to be longer than your existing countertop to ensure accuracy. As such, you may need to upgrade your tape measure if the one you have on hand is a bit short. Accuracy matters, as this will directly affect the size of the slab you get for your countertop.
You’ll also want to grab a pencil, a calculator, and some paper to write down the measurements. I recommend using graph paper, as this makes it easier to draw an accurate diagram of your countertop. Once you have everything listed above, you can move on to the first step.
How to Measure for Granite Countertops for Kitchen Upgrades
To start, you’ll want to clear your countertops of any electrical appliances, cutlery, dishes, or anything else that might get in the way. Once that’s done, you can begin measuring the main sections of the countertop. As you measure each section, make sure to write it down on your paper.
Taking precise measurements is important, so don’t be afraid to take your time with it. Rectangular countertops are the easiest to calculate the square feet and square inches for. However, as long as your measurements are accurate, you should be able to calculate the total area fairly easily once you have the measurements written down.
For rectangular countertops, simply multiply the length by the width to find the square footage. For L-shaped countertops, split the countertop into sections, calculate for each section, and then add the two together for the total square footage.
Divide your square footage by 144 to turn it into square inches!
Consider the Corners for How to Measure for Granite Countertops for Kitchen Upgrades
Now that you have all of your measurements written down on a piece of paper, let’s take a quick look back at your countertop again. There’s one important thing you may have forgotten to consider when learning how to measure for granite countertops for kitchen upgrades: overhang.
Flush countertops are out there, but most countertops will feature some level of overhang from the surface of the countertop. This looks great from a styling perspective. Still, it’s yet another measurement you’ll have to consider when placing an order with your stone fabricator.
The standard measurements for overhang dictate an overhang of 1.5 inches. Of course, you’re not limited to this measurement alone, but you will want to let your fabricator know how much overhang you want before the fabrication process begins. Make sure to measure your current overhang as well, so you know where you’re starting from.
Calculate the Backsplash
If you really want to make your countertops shine then installing a backsplash on your kitchen walls is the next step you’ll want to take. There are plenty of stylistic options you can choose so make sure to take a look at all the options.
It’s a good idea to measure your current backsplash—if you have one—to use as a reference and starting point. If your new countertop will be longer than your current one, you’ll want to use the new total length instead when shopping.
That said, if backsplashes aren’t your thing, don’t fret. You can always use some beautiful wall art to highlight your new countertops as an alternative.
Measure Twice, Purchase Once
I can’t stress this enough. The most important thing to bear in mind when learning how to measure for granite countertops for kitchen upgrades is that you want to get the correct measurements. As such, I recommend measuring multiple times, even if you have complete faith in your own measurements. This is a bit more important if you’re doing the project yourself, as a professional may come in and measure before beginning.
Still, if you’re trying to figure out an accurate budget, adjust measurements to match changes in your home’s layout, or just ensure that you have space for all of your important appliances, then making sure you have the right measurements is very important.
Shopping Considerations
Now that you know how to measure for granite countertops for kitchen upgrades, let’s delve a bit more into the fun side of things. Most of the points I bring up below are stylistic considerations, although a few are practical as well.
There’s no denying that granite countertops can be expensive. This makes it important that you end up with the exact countertop you want. Keep these points in mind as you’re shopping around and making your selection.
Spruce up your new countertop with this handy mug tree.
Shape
While most countertops are made from large rectangular slabs or L-shaped slabs, these aren’t your only options. Fancier designs and shapes are possible, although these unique shapes make getting the exact measurements right even more crucial.
Aside from the overall shape of the countertop, there are also the corners to consider. Do you want a squared edge for your countertop, or would you prefer something a bit more rounded? These factors affect both the look and the feel of your countertop so be sure to give them some thought.
Coloring
Just like when shopping for quartz countertops, you’ll quickly notice that there are many different colors of countertops to choose from. After you’ve mastered how to measure for granite countertops for kitchen upgrades and picked the perfect shape, getting the color to match your current kitchen is the logical next step.
Remember, you’ll want your countertop to complement the things around it. Depending on the size of your countertop, it may act as a main focus point or as a pleasant background palette. I suggest looking online for some kitchen design inspirations.
Depending on your budget, it may even be worth upgrading other large surface areas in your kitchen—such as kitchen rug runners—if you want to go for an entirely new aesthetic.
Pattern
Most granite slabs that become countertops can be fit into one of three categories: solid, speckled, or marbled. Solid surfaces tend to look uniform overall, while speckled gives you dashes of color throughout the surface.
Marbled, as the name implies, ends up looking like a marble surface, despite being made from granite. Generally, I would recommend solid for small kitchens, speckled for accents, and marbled for larger areas. Glossy finishes also work great in smaller kitchens, although honed finishes certainly have their strong points.
All things considered, it’s a good idea to look at the options yourself to determine what you think will look best.
DIY Vs. A Professional Installation
A huge part of getting an accurate estimate for your upgrade will be figuring out whether or not to take the DIY approach. Home improvement projects can be fun, but is this one worth taking on yourself? I’ll quickly lay out the pros and cons of each approach so you can decide for yourself.
Do It Yourself
Doing it yourself will definitely help you save on labor costs. Now that you know how to measure for granite countertops for kitchen upgrades, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting the right size of countertop for the job, but the installation itself can prove quite challenging.
Once you have the slab, you’ll also need the right tools for the job. This includes specialty equipment like a circular saw with a diamond blade, safety gear, epoxy, sealer, a grinder, and a few other items. If you don’t already have these on hand then this can significantly increase the costs of the DIY method.
After cutting the slab yourself, the rest is made up of fairly simple steps. Still, placing and attaching the slab can be risky business. If you drop the slab, you could get injured, your kitchen floor will be damaged, and you’ll likely need another slab. You’ll also be fully responsible for how the finished product turns out, which includes epoxy and finish applications.
On the plus side, if you manage to pull these crucial steps off correctly, you’ll have a beautiful countertop that you’ve made yourself.
A Professional Install
Unlike the DIY approach, you won’t be responsible for obtaining any of the necessary tools if you hire someone to do the job for you. They’ll provide you with accurate quotes, be able to show examples of their current accurate quotes, answer any questions you might have, and—of course—will install the countertop for you.
It’s also worth noting that professionals will be insured, protecting you and your property from any accidents or injuries. Fortunately, since they do these jobs all the time, the chances of an incident are relatively minimal.
Still, this method doesn’t give you the satisfaction you’d get from doing it yourself, and could also cost you a bit more due to the added labor costs.
Final Thoughts on How to Measure for Granite Countertops for Kitchen Upgrades
Well, we’ve learned how to measure for granite countertops for kitchen upgrades as well as a few extra tidbits that I thought were useful. I hope you found this helpful, as it’s definitely all information you’ll want to know before upgrading your countertops.
True, the installation process will take a bit of effort, from the planning stage to the actual installation itself. Still, when you’re using the brand-new countertop to prepare a tasty meal for your family and friends, I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s definitely worth the investment.
Considering upgrading your countertop? Maybe the upgrade is already in progress? Whatever the kitchen situation is, I’d love to hear about it. Feel free to leave me a comment below. As always, thanks for reading. Until next time, y’all, have a great week!
FAQs About How to Measure for Granite Countertops for Kitchen Upgrades
How do you measure countertops for a quote?
To measure your countertop, length, width, and height should be enough for rectangular countertop quotes. For more intricate designs, I would recommend writing down accurate measurements for each section, and then using the measurements to calculate the square footage of the countertop.
Keep in mind that more intricate countertop designs may result in additional costs.
What color granite is most expensive?
Blue is easily the most expensive granite type, with the next most expensive types being blacks, grays, and red granites.
How thick should granite be for kitchen countertops?
Most granite kitchen counters measure around an inch and a quarter thick.
How much overhang do I need for granite countertops?
1 and a half inches is generally used as the standard overhang for a new granite countertop.
Can granite countertop hold my weight?
While it’s possible—and likely—that your new kitchen countertop or kitchen island could hold your weight, I wouldn’t recommend trying it. While granite can generally hold up to 1,000 pounds of distributed weight across the surface, there’s no guarantee the structure underneath it can support this much. Accidents are pricey, so why risk it?
How heavy is a 10 ft granite countertop?
Granite is fairly dense, weighing about 20 lbs. per sq. ft. Let’s assume we have granite countertops that are two feet wide and ten feet long, giving it a size of 20 square feet. Simply multiply twenty by twenty, giving the countertop a total weight of approximately 400 pounds!
