Granite Worktops

Granite was the original luxury worktop, and nothing engineered has ever quite replaced it. Formed over millions of years, every slab carries its own crystal structure, movement and depth — your kitchen gets a surface that exists nowhere else on earth.

It is also supremely practical. Granite is one of the hardest materials used in any home, tolerates hot pans far better than quartz, and with a modern sealant applied at fabrication it resists staining well in daily family use.

We have supplied and fitted granite across Surrey and South West London since 2011, from classic speckled blacks to dramatic flowing slabs chosen one by one. Supplied-only granite starts at £220 per m²; supplied and fitted from £280 per m². Start with the instant quote calculator or order free samples.

What makes granite different from engineered stone?

Granite is quarried, not manufactured. Each slab is sawn from a single block of igneous rock, so its pattern, crystal sparkle and colour movement are entirely natural and entirely unrepeatable — unlike quartz, where the design is printed and pressed to be consistent.

For some kitchens that uniqueness is the whole point. A granite island is a piece of geology in your home, and when customers visit to choose their actual slab, the decision is rarely difficult — one slab always speaks.

The trade-off is variability. Photographs are indicative only; the slab you receive will be its own thing. That is why we encourage slab viewing for Premium and Luxury granite, and why our laser templating matters — we plan the cuts so the best movement in the stone lands on the most visible runs, and we book-match where the material allows.

What colours does granite come in?

The dependable core of the granite palette is black and near-black: dense, even-grained stones that polish to a mirror and suit every kitchen style, usually at the gentlest prices. Around them sit speckled greys and silvers, warm golds and browns, and greens and blues shot with crystal.

At the dramatic end are the flowing, veined granites and related natural stones — rivers of white, grey and rust across a full slab. These are genuinely spectacular and priced accordingly; they are chosen slab by slab, never from a swatch.

Finish changes the character as much as colour. Polished granite is classic and glossy; honed (matt) granite looks softer and more contemporary; leathered and flamed textures add grip and depth, and work beautifully for outdoor stonework and landscaping. Most colours can be supplied in more than one finish — ask when you request samples.

How much do granite worktops cost?

As a guide, granite starts at £220 per m² supplied only and £280 per m² supplied and fitted in our Essential band — typically the even-grained blacks and speckled greys. Premium slabs run around £350 per m² fitted, and Luxury statement granites about £460 per m² fitted.

A straightforward granite galley kitchen often lands between £1,300 and £2,500 all-in; a large kitchen with an island and waterfall ends can run well beyond that. Cut-outs, drainer grooves, upstands and edge profiles are priced item by item, and the worktop costs guide sets out typical numbers.

Every figure is guide only — the exact fixed price is confirmed after your free laser template, and we beat any written like-for-like quote. Because we buy slabs direct and fabricate in-house in West Molesey, granite from us routinely undercuts the same stone sold through a kitchen showroom. Try the calculator for an instant range.

Is granite heat resistant?

Yes — granite is the most forgiving mainstream worktop around heat. It formed in molten rock, and a hot pan set down briefly will not scorch or blister it the way it can mark a resin-bound quartz surface. For serious cooks, that alone often settles the choice.

We still recommend trivets as good practice. Extreme, repeated thermal shock — a cast-iron pan straight from a 250-degree oven onto a cold stone, every day for years — can in rare cases stress any natural stone, and no sealant enjoys being cooked.

Granite's heat tolerance also makes it the right stone for fireplace surrounds and hearths, where we cut hearth slabs, mantels and slips to order, and for outdoor kitchens in shaded, covered positions — though for fully exposed outdoor worktops we usually recommend porcelain or Dekton for UV stability.

Does granite need sealing, and how often?

Yes, but far less often than people fear. Granite is mildly porous, so we seal every worktop with a penetrating impregnator during fabrication. On dense dark granites that factory seal can last many years; lighter, more open stones benefit from re-sealing roughly every one to three years.

Re-sealing is a twenty-minute job you can do yourself — clean the surface, wipe on the impregnator, buff off — and the simple water-drop test tells you when it is due: if water stops beading and starts darkening the stone, re-seal. Our sealing guide covers products and technique for every natural stone.

Between seals, care is easy: warm soapy water, no vinegar or lemon-based cleaners (acids degrade the sealant), and prompt wiping of oils. If a stain does get in, most can be drawn out with a poultice — see removing stains from stone.

Where does granite work best?

The kitchen first: worktops, islands, upstands and window boards, anywhere heat and hard use are daily realities. A polished black granite run with machined drainer grooves remains one of the best-value premium kitchens you can buy.

Granite's toughness takes it beyond the kitchen. We cut granite for staircases, halls and flooring, window sills and thresholds, hearths, and a growing amount of landscaping work — paving, steps, copings, pier caps and setts — where its frost resistance makes it the natural choice for Surrey gardens.

In bathrooms granite makes a handsome vanity top, though cosmetics demand a well-maintained seal; many bathroom clients choose quartz for zero maintenance. For bespoke pieces — tables, counters, furniture tops — granite offcuts and remnants from our workshop are an economical route to real stone.

How do you choose and cut our slab?

We buy A-grade slabs from established UK importers, inspected before purchase for colour consistency, fissures and resin quality. For Essential-band blacks and speckles the stone is dependable enough to order by colour; for veined Premium and Luxury material we arrange for you to view and approve the actual slabs.

Fabrication happens on our own CNC sawing and polishing machinery. Your kitchen is laser templated — a digital template accurate to the millimetre, captured around out-of-true walls — and the cutting plan is laid over photographs of your slab so the pattern flows along the run and around cut-outs.

Edges are machined and polished in-house: pencil round, bevel, bullnose, ogee or full mitred builds for a chunky look. Cut-outs for undermount sinks are polished, hob cut-outs relieved against heat stress, and the finished pieces sealed before delivery. Fitting typically follows the template by 7 to 10 days.

Granite or quartz — which should I choose?

Choose granite if you want a natural one-off, cook seriously and want heat tolerance, or love the depth and sparkle that only real crystal structure gives. Choose quartz if you want guaranteed colour consistency, zero sealing and maximum stain resistance with minimum thought.

Price-wise they overlap heavily — Essential granite often costs less than fashionable veined quartz, which surprises people. Both are cut, edged and fitted to exactly the same standard in our workshop, so the quality of fabrication is identical; the decision is honestly about material character and maintenance appetite.

Our quartz vs granite vs porcelain comparison goes deeper, and the practical path is simple: order free samples of both, live with them on the worktop for a week, then price both options — the calculator makes switching materials a one-tap comparison.

Can granite worktops be repaired or re-polished?

Almost always, and far more cheaply than replacement. Edge chips — the commonest granite injury, usually around the sink or dishwasher corner — are filled with colour-matched resin, cured and polished back so the repair takes a careful eye to find. Our chip and crack repair guide shows the process.

Dulled polish is equally recoverable. Years of acidic cleaners or abrasive pads can tire a polished surface; our team re-polishes granite in place, machine-buffing through finer grits until the original mirror returns, then re-sealing. See re-polishing stone worktops for what is involved.

Cracks are rarer and more case-by-case: hairline fissures that were always in the stone are usually stable and cosmetic, while a true structural crack over an unsupported span may need a section replaced. We will always tell you honestly which you have — photographs to our contact page get a quick opinion.

What should I check when comparing granite quotes?

Four things separate honest granite quotes. First, is it like-for-like stone? Granite names are not standardised, and a cheaper quote may price a different grade or origin under a similar name. Ask for the slab to be identified, and view it where possible.

Second, what does the metre rate include? Our fitted rates include templating, fabrication, edge polishing, sealing, delivery and installation; some quotes exclude templating or delivery and reveal them later. Third, cut-outs and extras: sink and hob cut-outs, drainer grooves, upstands and removal of old tops should be itemised, not vague.

Fourth, who actually cuts the stone? A showroom reselling fabrication adds a margin and removes accountability. We publish our guide rates on this page, itemise everything in the written quote after your free laser template — and we beat any written like-for-like quote. Run your numbers through the calculator first so you walk in informed.

How quickly can you fit granite in Surrey and SW London?

Typically 7 to 10 days from laser template to fitted worktop, anywhere across Surrey and South West London. Our workshop and slab stock sit in West Molesey (KT8), so Esher, Kingston, Wimbledon and the whole KT, TW and SW belt are inside our daily fitting runs — see all areas.

The sequence that keeps it quick: your base units must be fitted and level before template day, your sink and hob on site (or their exact specifications confirmed), and decisions on edge profile and extras made. With those in place, nothing waits on third parties — we template, cut and fit with our own people.

Worktop-only swaps are quicker still: for a straightforward laminate-to-granite replacement we can often template within days of your call to 0208 123 3004, and the instant estimate tells you before we visit whether the budget works.