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So we are in the process of planning a kitchen expansion and redo. Today we went to a tile/stone store our contractor recommended to begin to look at countertops and tile. DW and I have always loved the look of soapstone so we have pretty much decided that this it what our countertops will be. Then they told me the price and I nearly fell over - $100 per square foot!!!
I knew it was going to be expensive but nearly $10,000 for countertops. We had looked at them for our current kitchen several years ago but the price was no where near that. In fact I seem to remember it being around $65 per square foot. I will definitely be shopping around for a better price but tell me, am I just going to be disappointed? Jay
At that price I hope it's Brazilian or Indian. Domestic should be cheaper.
But also keep in mind that there is little tooling for fabrication, it's just labor for cutting, seaming, and actual installation.
Thanks, I had not thought to question that. It could be that they were imported. I am going to have to check. Any idea what the price difference would be for domestic. I do not care where it is from. We just like the look of it. Jay
I have found WIDE variation in pricing for stone outside the mainstream of granites. I have had individuals that own / run countertop firms hint that firms that quote very high prices with materials that are not as widely available are doing so because they DO NOT want to bother stocking / tracking down things are not mainstream. Soapstone falls into that category. Some people love it, but the size of that pool is TINY compared to the overall market. It have downsides, chiefly in its softness / wear characteristics. I came very CLOSE to using it in my current kitchen (which I remodeled a few years back) BUT when my wife and I visited friends with soapstone we agreed that the way that every day use does literally leave its mark on soapstone was not the look we wanted. The upsides include a great deal of flexibility in fabrication (great for built-in sinks, drainboards, carved back-splashes / medallions, perfect fit in period / retro kitchens. It ought to be MUCH more affordable than the price you were quoted. Shop around for a stone yard that either specializes in it OR at least understand that it is stupid to charge a premium as a way to discourage users...
We liked the look of soapstone too. We were able to get what we thought was a similar look using absolute black granite with a leathered (non-glossy) finish.
Negotiate or shop around. My former partner was quoted $20,000 for a special kind of granite for a conference table she loved. She foudn a couple of much cheaper alternatives so she had some leverage and then negotiated with the stone company and got it for $4,000.
Be careful about cheap soapstone that is too soft. It stains easily.
Just to update everyone, we shopped around and found a local place for much less. After a bit of negoiations they came down further. We are now at about $75 per square foot plus they gave us a great price on a soapstone farm sink as well. We are pleased but our budget is not. Between the cabinets and the soapstone we are way over our original budget. Oh well it is only money. Jay
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