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Quartz Countertop Cost in Ontario (2026): Per Square Foot, Installed, With the Extras Shops Leave Off
Kitchen Countertops
What Quartz Countertops Cost in Ontario, and Why Two Quotes for the Same Kitchen Are $2,000 Apart
Quartz is the countertop in most new Ontario kitchens now, and it is priced in a way that makes quotes hard to compare: a per-square-foot number that covers the slab and the basic fabrication, and a second list of charges for everything that makes it your kitchen. This page gives you both lists.
The per-foot numbers
$85per sq ft, entry quartz installed
$105per sq ft, mid-tier
$135per sq ft, premium and marble-look
$6,300mid-tier, 60 sq ft kitchen, installed
Those are supplied-and-installed figures for 2 cm or 3 cm quartz with a standard eased edge, a sink cut-out, templating and delivery, from a Southern Ontario fabricator. They line up with the countertop cost guide and they are what the countertop calculator uses. North of Barrie and in cottage country add 5 to 10% for the trip; in Toronto the fabricator’s rent does the same thing from the other direction.
What moves a slab from $85 to $135
Quartz is about 90% ground quartz and 10% resin and pigment, pressed and cured into a slab. The ground quartz is the same everywhere. What you pay for is the pattern, the brand, and the thickness.
| Tier | What it looks like | Who makes it | Installed, per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | Solid colours, fine speckle, small-grain patterns. White, grey, cream, black. | Importers’ house brands, Chinese and Indian lines, some Vicostone and Hanstone basics | $75 to $90 |
| Mid | Subtle veining, larger-grain patterns, concrete looks, most of the popular whites | Caesarstone, Silestone, Hanstone, Vicostone, Cambria entry, LG Viatera | $95 to $115 |
| Premium | Marble looks with wide veining that runs through the slab, book-matched pairs, heavy textures, the “Calacatta” names | Cambria, Caesarstone top lines, Silestone Eternal, Dekton-adjacent | $120 to $150 |
Two things to know about the tiers. First, the entry-tier slab from a reputable importer is the same material, with the same resin, as the mid-tier one; you are paying for pattern and warranty, not for durability. Second, a marble-look quartz with veining that goes right through the slab costs the fabricator more to cut, because they have to match the veins at the seam and lay the slab out so the vein runs the right way. That is why premium quartz has a premium fabrication charge, not just a premium slab price.
The second list: what is not in the per-foot price
This is where the two quotes diverge. A good quote shows these as lines; a thin quote rolls some in and leaves the rest for the invoice.
| Item | Typical charge | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Undermount sink cut-out and polish | $150 to $300 | One is usually included. A second sink or a prep sink is extra. |
| Cooktop cut-out | $100 to $200 | Drop-in cooktop. A slide-in range needs no cut-out. |
| Faucet, soap dispenser, outlet holes | $25 to $50 each | Count them. Three or four is normal. |
| Edge upgrade (bullnose, ogee, mitred) | $10 to $40 per linear foot | Eased or pencil edge is standard. A mitred edge to fake a thicker slab is at the top. |
| Waterfall end on an island | $900 to $2,000 each | Its own page: waterfall island cost. |
| Backsplash, 4 in. quartz strip | $25 to $40 per linear foot | Full-height quartz backsplash is priced per sq ft like the counter. |
| Removal and disposal of the old counter | $250 to $600 | More for tile or an old granite top that has to be cut out. |
| Plumbing disconnect and reconnect | $250 to $500 | The fabricator does not do this. Some arrange a plumber; most say “by others”. |
| Seam, each | Usually included | A premium-pattern seam match can be $150 to $300. Where seams go is on the seams page. |
| Minimum charge | $1,200 to $2,000 | A small bathroom top does not get the per-foot price. |
| Support brackets for an overhang over 10 in. | $60 to $150 each | Needed on 2 cm, and on 3 cm past 12 in. An island seating overhang needs two to four. |
On a typical kitchen with an undermount sink, four holes, an upgraded edge on the island only, old laminate removed and a 4 in. backsplash, those add $900 to $1,600 to a $6,300 top. Both quotes you got probably covered the same kitchen; one of them just listed these and the other did not.
2 cm or 3 cm
Three-quarter-inch (2 cm) quartz costs about 15 to 20% less per foot than 1-1/4 in. (3 cm) and needs either a plywood sub-top under it or a laminated edge build-up to look right, which eats most of the saving. It also needs support at any overhang. The 3 cm slab sits on the cabinets with no sub-top, carries a 10 to 12 in. overhang on its own, and is what nearly every Ontario kitchen fabricator quotes by default. Unless the quote says 2 cm, assume 3 cm, and if it says 2 cm, ask what is under it.
A worked example
L-shaped kitchen plus island, 58 sq ft, mid-tier white quartz, 3 cm.
Counter: 58 sq ft x $105 = $6,090
Island edge upgrade, 14 lin. ft x $20 = $280
Second sink cut-out (prep sink) = $200
Holes, 4 x $35 = $140
4 in. backsplash, 22 lin. ft x $30 = $660
Remove old laminate = $350
Overhang brackets, 3 x $90 = $270
Total before HST: $7,990. With HST: $9,029.
Plumber to reconnect, by others: about $350.
Counter: 58 sq ft x $105 = $6,090
Island edge upgrade, 14 lin. ft x $20 = $280
Second sink cut-out (prep sink) = $200
Holes, 4 x $35 = $140
4 in. backsplash, 22 lin. ft x $30 = $660
Remove old laminate = $350
Overhang brackets, 3 x $90 = $270
Total before HST: $7,990. With HST: $9,029.
Plumber to reconnect, by others: about $350.
Run your own numbers through the calculator; it has the extras as check boxes so nothing gets left out.
Where it is worth spending, and where it is not
- Spend on the island. It is the slab people see and touch. A premium pattern on the island and an entry solid colour on the perimeter is a common and sensible split, and it saves $1,500 to $2,500 on a typical kitchen.
- Do not spend on a thick-looking mitred edge unless the design needs it. It is $40 a foot and it is a seam you will be looking at.
- Do not skip the brackets. A 12 in. seating overhang on 3 cm with no support is fine until a teenager sits on it.
- Spend on the fabricator, not the brand. The same Caesarstone slab installed by a shop that mitres corners and matches veins is a different counter from the same slab installed by a shop that does not. Ask to see a seam on a finished job.
- Compare against the alternatives before deciding quartz is the answer: quartz vs. granite, quartz vs. quartzite, and laminate vs. quartz if the budget is tight.
Questions people ask
How much is quartz countertop per square foot in Ontario?
$85 to $135 installed for most lines, with entry solids from about $75 and premium marble-look slabs to $150. Supply-only slab prices are $45 to $90 per sq ft but almost nobody buys quartz supply-only, because it has to be fabricated.
How much does a quartz countertop cost for a 10×10 kitchen?
A 10 x 10 kitchen has about 30 to 35 sq ft of counter without an island. Around $3,500 to $4,500 installed in mid-tier quartz, before the extras and before HST.
Is quartz cheaper than granite?
At the entry level, granite is slightly cheaper ($70 to $90 vs. $85). In the mid and premium tiers they overlap. See quartz vs. granite for the real comparison.
Does quartz need to be sealed?
No. The resin makes it non-porous. It does not like heat over about 150 C, so a hot pan goes on a trivet; the stains and repairs page covers what does mark it and what to do.
How long does a quartz install take?
Templating is a one-hour visit after the cabinets are in. Fabrication is 7 to 14 days. Installation is 2 to 4 hours. You are without a counter for one to two weeks; plan the sink accordingly.
Get the second list in writing
Ask every fabricator for the extras as separate lines on the same 60 square feet, and the quotes compare themselves. If they still do not, the quote review reads them side by side for you.
