How to Measure Countertop Square Footage for Estimations

Our goal is to make it easy for you to measure the square footage of your existing kitchen countertops or bathroom vanity tops for an estimation. These measurements are for estimation purposes only, we will not cut your new countertops according to these measurements!

Calculate the Square Footage of Your Countertop

We will send a measuring professional with a digital measuring device to take the final measurements that we use for fabricating your new granite countertops.

The following are example diagrams of various kitchen shapes that we have installed in the St. Louis metropolitan area. You will most likely find a kitchen that is similar to your own in the diagrams below, and you will be able to easily measure your countertops with a tape measure. It does not make a significant difference if your measurements are ½” off here or there because this is purely for estimation purposes.

Measuring Your Backsplashes

In addition to calculating your countertop square footage, most people want a small backsplash that backs the countertop along the wall. To calculate your backsplash, take the combined length of each backsplash section. Multiply that combined length by the height of the backsplash you want to have installed. This creates the length and width of the additional slab pieces you will need to complete your countertop design.

Drawings of Kitchens

 

The Average Countertop Square Footage

The average measurement for a kitchen countertop is 30 square feet. However, the variation between kitchen designs is vast. There are kitchens with much smaller or significantly larger countertop measurements. The right size for your kitchen will depend on the floorplan and counterspace you want in your kitchen design.

Depth and Length

The standard depth for cabinets and countertops is about 25 inches. Therefore, the 30 sq-ft average assumes a total countertop length of about 14 feet. However, you can change the profile and square footage of your countertops by choosing to make them (and your cabinets) narrower for a slimmer countertop or shorten your counter for a little more exposed wall in the kitchen.

Islands and Countertop Sections

Measure every section of your kitchen that will be counter-topped. If you have counter sections separated by the fridge, stove, and doors, be sure to include their square footage in your measurements. Measure the island as well, along with any island second-level as some islands have a countertop and bar surface both in beautiful slab.

How to Calculate Square Feet from the Measurement in Inches

For example, say the length of the countertop is 108” and the depth of the standard countertop (on a 24” deep cabinet) is 25 ½”;

108” X 25.5” = 2,754  (Divide this number by 144)

2,754/144 = 19.12 Sq Ft

Please note that granite countertops have a 1 ½” standard over hang from the face of the cabinets. This is about ½” longer than the conventional overhang used with laminate countertops.

What About the Sink Cutout?

If you have cutouts in your countertop, include them in your square footage requirements. Because we’ll be cutting your countertops from a solid slab, cutouts and shaping till factor into the size of the countertop you’ll need. We’ll remove these cutouts, aprons, and indentations based on your unique kitchen design from the total size of each countertop section.

The good news: You don’t have to worry about calculating your sink, stove, or butcher-block size and subtracting them from the countertop size measurements.

What Size Slab Do I Need for My Countertops?

The average size of a countertop-ready stone slab is about 115″ by 70″,  or 60-70 square feet each – give or take according to the slab, quarry, and shipment. But how much slab do you need to fulfill your countertop needs? Should you buy one or two? Can you buy a half-slab or just as much as you need for the countertops? The question depends on how you want to choose your custom countertop cut, grain, and if you want first pick of the remnant stone.

Countertop Measurements and Your Stone Slab

Many homeowners choose to buy an entire slab to cut their countertops and additional stone surfaces. However, you can also choose to commission your specific countertops and leave the remnant and half-slab concerns to your stone fabricators.

If you want to optimize your slab use, talk to us about how your countertops will fit into the slab cut and how much margin is needed between each cut piece on the slab. Then we’ll talk about the remnants created and how to make the most of them.

Artistic Cuts Along the Grain

As stone fabricators, we are passionate about beautifully cut countertops. Sometimes, that means finding the slab with the perfect grain for your kitchen. We can line up the cutout of your countertops on the slab so that the grain sweeps beautifully over your surface and each seam is nearly invisible. This is an artistic cut, though can often leave larger remnants from the unselected sections of the slab. A creative stone fabricator can often help you build a beautiful multi-surface counter with careful and artistic cuts through each unique grain.

Ways to Use Your Slab Remnants

If you bought a whole slab (or more) and have stone remnants, make use of them! There are some wonderful smaller pieces you can make with granite or marble remnants, and some remnants aren’t that small. Adorn smaller countertops, make a stone-topped table, or cap your mantlepiece. You can also have small items like platters and bowls crafted, use them for outdoor paving, or even have a chess boar etched into a remnant.

Waterfall Islands and Counter Ends

What about waterfall counter design? A waterfall counter is one where the slab extends vertically beyond the edge of an island or countertop end. Often, it is cut artistically so the grain extends perfectly, like a waterfall, over the top and edge of the counter to spill down the side. This is a beautiful if extensive renovation choice for any kitchen. If you have the additional square feet in your slab, it can be the perfect upgrade to make your kitchen luxurious and breathtaking while making great use of smaller square feet and grain that extends from the center of your favorite grain pattern.

To add the square footage of a waterfall-end, measure the height and width of the space you plan to cover. Be sure to talk to your stone fabricator about cutting the waterfall section to flow perfectly with the end of your island or countertop piece.

Ready to start officially measuring your kitchen for new countertops? So are we! Here at Arch City Granite, we are not just purveyors of beautiful stonework countertops, we don’t just install it – we’re also expert stone fabricators. Find your slab and trust in our team to get you from the design-start to the picture-perfect finish of your new gorgeous kitchen countertop installation. It all starts with your vision and a few essential measurements.

Our team will work with you for the perfect countertop design. We’ll start by discussing your desires for color, style, and shape. We’ll talk islands, sink cutouts, appliances, and aprons. Choose a beautiful new slab and we’ll help you pick the perfect spaces to cut for each of your countertop surfaces. From there, trust in our team to expertly craft your countertops, install them, and leave you with a truly gorgeous new kitchen. 

Please let us know if you have a very complex kitchen or if the overhangs you are planning for your new granite countertops are difficult to measure. An Arch City Granite project manager will be glad to make a no-obligation in-home estimate for you.

Please call our office to schedule an appointment.