| Description: | Fabrication, installation, cutout, and edging costs for marble are around the same cost. Material costs for marble are higher, starting at around $60 a square foot and going as high as $100. This makes the material costs for a marble counter of the same size between $1,800 and $3,000 making the total range $3,800 to $5,000 on average. The durability of the stone you choose is dictated by its makeup. Most marbles are made of calcite, which is a very soft and porous mineral. This means that marble will be more likely to absorb stains and to etch or lose its finish over time. Having a honed, or matte finish, for your marble counter can help disguise some of the etching. However, not all marble is made primarily of calcite. Green marble, made of serpentine, does not etch as easily, but it can spall or flake with prolonged contact with water. Quartzites that are labeled as marble, like Thassos or Azul Celeste, are extremely durable and much harder than some granites. Granite can range dramatically in terms of durability. True, igneous granites and gabbros, such as Absolute Black, are nonporous, do not require sealing, nor easily scratch or etch. Most dark-colored granites are also impervious to staining and etching. Some light-colored granites, however, are actually dolomites, which is a metamorphic stone. These may scratch, etch, or stain. In general granite counters are considered more durable than marble. However, each stone is given a rating from A to D. Any stone rated D is considered weak, while stones rated A are considered strong. |
