Quartz (engineered stone) is the most-specced counter in our showroom, and the question is always the same: what's it going to run installed, not just per square foot on a sign. Here are real numbers for the Monadnock Region in 2026.

Installed price by grade

Installed means template, fabrication, edge, cutouts, delivery and setting — everything but the plumber reconnecting the sink.

• Entry group (basic whites and greys, e.g. builder-tier Silestone/MSI): $55–$75 / sq ft
• Mid group (most Caesarstone, Cambria's core range, Viatera): $70–_$95 / sq ft
• Designer group (heavy marble-look veining, Cambria premium, Dekton): $95–$135 / sq ft

A typical kitchen with 40–55 sq ft of counter lands around $3,000–$6,500 in the mid group. A kitchen with a big island and a run of perimeter can hit $7,000–$10,000.

What moves the number

• Edge profile — eased or beveled is included; ogee, mitered "waterfall" or a built-up thick edge adds material and labor. See our edge profile guide.
• Waterfall ends — a mitered island end panel is essentially another half-slab plus precision work: budget $600–$1,200 per end.
• Cutouts — undermount sink, cooktop, and faucet holes; farmhouse sinks and flush cooktops cost more to fabricate.
• Slab yield — a large island or long runs may need a second slab even if the extra square footage is small, and full-slab pricing applies.
• Demo & disposal of the old tops, and any cabinet leveling before templating.

Where to save without regretting it

Pick a pattern from the mid group rather than the designer group — the jump is mostly for dramatic veining. Keep a standard eased or beveled edge; it's timeless and free. Skip the waterfall island end and put that $1,000 toward better lighting or a nicer faucet. Where not to save: fabrication quality and a proper template — a cheap fabricator with a bad seam over the dishwasher is the thing you'll look at every day.

Quartz vs. the alternatives

If you're still deciding on material, read granite vs. quartz and quartz vs. quartzite. Then run your real square footage through the countertop calculator and bring the number to a consult — we template with a laser and cut once.