Countertop Installation
Quartz, granite, and quartzite countertops, installed as part of a full kitchen remodel.
Licensed Florida General Contractor GCG1524886, verifiable at MyFloridaLicense.com. Free written quote, no trip fee, same-day appointment scheduling. Call (786) 397-8380 to talk it through.
Over 500 projects completed since 2015. 5.0-star rating on Google, based on 60+ reviews.
Four checks before you sign anything.
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License GCG1524886
Florida Certified General Contractor, verifiable at MyFloridaLicense.com.
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500+ projects since 2015
Full remodels of kitchens, bathrooms, homes, and additions across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County.
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5.0 stars · 60+ Google reviews
A verified Google Business Profile, so you know the ratings are genuine and not curated.
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37+ permits on record
Verifiable on BuildZoom. Permit history is the receipt for licensed work.
Countertop installation as part of a kitchen remodel.
New countertops are one of the most satisfying parts of a kitchen remodel, but they are not the first thing that happens, and they are not something Gaven does on their own. The countertops go in toward the end of the project, after the cabinets are set and leveled, because the counters are templated to fit the cabinets exactly as they were installed. Before that, the kitchen has to be demoed, the electrical and plumbing roughed in, the drywall hung, and the cabinets mounted. A full kitchen remodel runs 8 to 16 weeks and lands somewhere between $20,000 and over $300,000 depending on what you choose. You can see the full kitchen remodel scope and tier pricing on the main kitchen page.
Full kitchen remodels with new countertops.
- Demolition and disposal of the existing countertops and cabinets
- Cabinet install first — counters are templated to the actual run
- Slab selection at the yard for natural granite or quartzite
- Templating, fabrication, edge profile, and seam planning
- Undermount sink, cooktop, and faucet cutouts coordinated with plumbing
If you are remodeling the whole kitchen and new countertops are part of it, it is worth a quick call to grab a free quote and book a same-day appointment to talk through material and layout.
Countertop swaps as a standalone job.
- Replacing countertops with no other kitchen changes
- Countertop fabrication or templating as a single-trade job
- Seam repair, polish, or chip restoration on existing counters
- Refinishing or resurfacing existing countertop material
- Commercial countertop work — Gaven is residential only
If all you want is to swap the counters while leaving the rest of the kitchen alone, Gaven is not the right fit. A countertop fabricator or specialist who does that one trade will serve you better.
Quartz vs. granite vs. quartzite — picking the material.
The first real decision with countertops is the material, and it usually comes down to three: quartz, granite, and quartzite. Here is the honest difference. Quartz is engineered, made from roughly 90 to 93 percent ground stone bound with resin. Because of that resin, it is nonporous, which means it never needs sealing and it shrugs off stains. Granite and quartzite are natural stone, cut straight from the earth, so every slab is one of a kind, but they are slightly porous and need to be sealed periodically to stay protected. You can read the care standards for natural stone at the Natural Stone Institute, and the spec sheets for engineered quartz at a maker like Caesarstone.
So which is right? If you want the lowest maintenance and a consistent look, quartz is hard to beat. If you love that no two pieces are alike and you do not mind sealing it once a year or so, natural granite or quartzite gives you something quartz cannot fake. There is no wrong answer, just the one that fits how you live.
Why countertops are templated after the cabinets go in.
Here is something most people do not realize until they are in the middle of a remodel: the countertops cannot be ordered until the cabinets are already installed and leveled. The fabricator comes out and makes a template, a precise pattern of your actual cabinet run, and the countertops are cut to that template, not to the floor plan. The plan is close, but it is never exact, and a counter cut to the plan instead of the real cabinets will have gaps or overhangs that do not line up.
This is also why the cabinet work and the countertop work have to be coordinated as one job. The base cabinets set the height and the line that the counters follow. If the cabinets are off, the counters will show it. It is the same reason cabinet installation gets so much attention earlier in the project; the counters are only as straight as the boxes underneath them.
Countertop thickness, edges, and the details that change the look.
Standard countertop slabs come in 3 centimeters, which is about an inch and a quarter, and that is what most kitchens use because it looks substantial and needs no extra support. You can also get 2-centimeter slabs, but those usually need a plywood backing or a built-up edge to look full thickness, which adds labor. The edge profile is the next choice: a simple eased or square edge reads modern, while a bullnose or ogee edge reads more traditional. It is a small detail that changes the whole feel of the counter.
Then there are the cutouts. An undermount sink, a cooktop, and a faucet all need precise openings cut during fabrication, and each one adds time. Seams matter too. On a big kitchen, you will almost always have a seam somewhere, and a good fabricator plans it to fall over a cabinet support, not over an open span like the gap above a dishwasher, where the counter has nothing under it.
How material choice drives your countertop cost and tier.
Countertop cost moves with the material, the slab size, the edge work, and the number of cutouts. Engineered quartz tends to sit in a predictable price band because it is manufactured to be consistent. Natural stone swings more, because an exotic granite or a rare quartzite can cost several times what a common one does. The fabrication, the edge profile, and the cutouts then layer on top of the slab price.
These costs map onto the same tier ladder as the rest of the remodel. You can see the full kitchen tier pricing breakdown to see where your countertop choice lands inside the whole budget. As a rule, the cabinets and countertops together are the single biggest line in a kitchen remodel, so the counter you pick moves the tier almost as much as the cabinets do.
What to expect on slab selection and install day.
If you go with natural stone, there is a step that surprises people: you go and pick your actual slab. Because granite and quartzite vary piece to piece, you approve the specific slab at the stone yard before anything is fabricated, so you know exactly what you are getting. With engineered quartz you usually skip this, since the material is consistent from batch to batch and a sample matches the finished product.
On install day itself, the fabricated pieces come in, get set onto the cabinets, leveled, and seamed. The sink and cooktop get set into their cutouts, the seams get filled and polished, and the plumber reconnects the faucet and disposal. It is usually a one-day install once the pieces are fabricated, and it is the moment the kitchen finally starts to look finished.
Countertop installation FAQs.
Is countertop installation available as a standalone project?
No. Gaven installs countertops only as part of a full kitchen remodel that also includes the cabinets, plumbing, electrical, and the rest of the kitchen. If you only want your countertops replaced and nothing else, look for a countertop fabricator or specialist. We are not the right contractor for standalone counter swaps.
Which costs less to install — granite or quartz?
It is close, and it depends on the specific slab. A common granite and a mid-range quartz land in a similar price band. Granite swings lower for ordinary colors and higher for rare ones, while quartz stays more consistent because it is manufactured. Install labor is similar for both, since each is heavy stone that has to be templated, cut, and set the same way. Inside a full remodel, the material choice matters less to the total than the cabinets do.
Are there any drawbacks to choosing quartz?
Two things. Quartz is not as heat-proof as natural stone, so a hot pan straight off the burner can scorch the resin, which is why you use a trivet. And because the pattern is manufactured, it can look a touch more uniform than the one-of-a-kind veining you get in natural granite or quartzite. For most kitchens those are easy trade-offs for never having to seal it.
What should I know before picking granite?
Granite is natural stone, so it is porous and needs sealing periodically to resist stains, and it can chip on a sharp edge if something heavy hits it. Every slab is also unique, which is a plus for looks but means you should approve your actual slab at the yard so there are no surprises. Sealed and cared for, it lasts decades.
Will a hot mug damage a quartz counter?
A warm coffee cup is fine. What you want to avoid is a hot pan or pot straight from the stove, since sustained high heat can damage the resin in quartz. Use a trivet or a hot pad for anything coming off the burner or out of the oven, and the surface stays perfect.
Does the old countertop get taken out for you?
Yes. In a full kitchen remodel the old countertops come out during demolition, along with the old cabinets, so the new install starts from a clean slate. Removal and disposal are part of the project, not a separate charge you have to arrange.
Where does most of a kitchen remodel budget go?
Cabinets and countertops together are usually the single biggest line in a kitchen remodel budget, which is why these two choices drive your tier more than anything else. You can see the full kitchen tier pricing breakdown to see how the pieces add up.
Are you licensed for this work across the tri-county area?
Yes. License GCG1524886 is a Florida Certified General Contractor license, verifiable at MyFloridaLicense.com, and it covers full kitchen remodels across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County.
Florida CGC GCG1524886. Free quote, no trip fee.
Countertop installation is part of the full kitchen remodel work Gaven handles across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County. License GCG1524886, verifiable at MyFloridaLicense.com. Free quote, no trip fee, same-day appointment scheduling.
Want to see your new kitchen come together? Start with a full kitchen remodel quote or read the sibling deep-dive on cabinet installation — the phase that comes right before counters. Or call (786) 397-8380 to take the first step.
Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM