Countertops are where your kitchen or bathroom gets used — every day, thousands of times. The right material depends on how you cook, how you clean, how much maintenance you're willing to do, and what you want the space to look like in five years. We carry a wide range and we'll help you pick the one that fits your life, not just your design board.
The Main Materials
Quartz (Engineered Stone)
Our most popular choice — and for good reason.
Quartz countertops are engineered from natural quartz crystals (93–95%) bound with resins and pigments. The result is a surface that's non-porous, extremely durable, and consistent in colour and pattern. It doesn't need sealing and won't stain from wine, coffee, or cooking oils if you wipe it up.
The trade-off: quartz can be damaged by prolonged heat (always use a trivet) and it won't have the unique character of a natural stone slab. But for most kitchens and most homeowners, it's the right balance of beauty, durability, and low maintenance.
Brands we carry: Cambria, Silestone, HanStone, Caesarstone, Corian Quartz
Typical investment: $85–$175/sq ft installed
Granite
Natural stone with character you can't replicate.
Granite is quarried in slabs and no two are identical — the movement, veining, and colour variation is genuinely unique to that piece of stone. It's extremely hard and heat-resistant. With proper sealing (once a year or so), it's also durable for daily kitchen use.
The maintenance question is the honest one: granite is porous and needs periodic sealing to resist staining. Skip the sealing and a red wine spill can leave a mark. If that's not something you want to think about, quartz is probably a better fit. If you love the natural look and don't mind the upkeep, granite rewards you with a surface you can't get any other way.
Typical investment: $75–$150/sq ft installed
Marble
Beautiful, demanding, and not right for every kitchen.
Marble has a timeless look that no engineered material fully replicates — the soft veining, the depth, the way it takes the light. It's also softer than granite and quartz, more porous, and more susceptible to etching from acidic foods and drinks. Etching is a chemical reaction, not a stain — it shows up as a dull spot and can't always be cleaned away.
We're honest about this with every client: marble in a busy kitchen with young kids requires ongoing attention. Marble in a bathroom vanity, a baking station, or a lower-traffic kitchen with someone who enjoys the patina it develops over time — that's a different story.
Typical investment: $90–$200/sq ft installed
Butcher Block
Warm, workable, and genuinely useful — with conditions.
Wood countertops (typically maple, walnut, or oak) bring warmth that stone can't match, and they're a natural cutting surface. Oiled properly, they're more durable than people expect. They're also repairable — scratches and minor damage can be sanded out.
They're not waterproof, so they work best away from the sink or in applications where water won't pool. Many of our clients use butcher block for an island or prep section alongside a stone perimeter.
Typical investment: $55–$110/sq ft installed
Laminate (Modern)
Not what it was 20 years ago.
High-pressure laminate has come a long way. Modern options credibly mimic stone, wood, and concrete finishes, and they're the most budget-friendly surface on this list. They're not heat or scratch resistant the way stone is, and the seams at edges remain a limitation. For rental properties, secondary spaces, or budgets that need to prioritize elsewhere, laminate is worth considering.
Typical investment: $25–$60/sq ft installed
Quartz vs. Granite — The Decision Most People Actually Face
| Quartz | Granite | |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Consistent, uniform patterns | Unique, natural variation per slab |
| Porosity | Non-porous — no sealing needed | Porous — requires annual sealing |
| Heat resistance | Moderate — use trivets | High — handles hot pots better |
| Durability | Very high | Very high |
| Maintenance | Low | Low-moderate |
| Price range | $85–$175/sq ft installed | $75–$150/sq ft installed |
| Best for | Busy kitchens, families, low-maintenance | Those who want natural stone character |
What Drives Countertop Cost
Material grade — Within any material category, there are entry-level and premium grades. A mid-range Silestone quartz and a premium Cambria slab are both quartz, but the colour options, warranty, and thickness differ.
Edge profile — Eased, bevelled, bullnose, ogee, waterfall. The more complex the profile, the more fabrication labour.
Thickness — Standard is 3cm (about 1¼"). Thicker slabs or double-laminated edges look more substantial and command a premium.
Cutouts — Each sink cutout, cooktop cutout, or outlet opening adds fabrication time and cost.
Square footage — A standard kitchen runs 30–40 sq ft. Islands, peninsulas, and full-height backsplash panels add up quickly.
Countertops for Bathrooms
The same materials apply — quartz is just as popular in bathroom vanity tops as in kitchens, and for the same reasons. Marble is more commonly used in bathrooms than kitchens precisely because it gets less abuse from heat and acidic foods. Integrated sinks (where the basin is cut directly into the slab) are a popular choice for a seamless look. See our bathroom vanity options for more on integration.
Our Approach
We source slabs, not just samples. When you come to our showroom, we can show you actual material examples so you can see how a slab looks in real light before committing. Countertops are one of the most visible elements of a kitchen renovation — getting the material right matters, and it's hard to do from a 4-inch sample tile.
Our design team will also help you think through the combination: how the countertop reads against your cabinet colour, what backsplash works with it, and whether a single material or a mixed approach fits your project better.
See the Slabs in Person
Countertop decisions are hard to make from a screen. Come into our Ajax showroom and we'll walk you through the options for your specific project.
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