Need help with kitchen fitting? Get a quote from Herts and Essex Renovations.
Need it sorted? Book a worktop replacement
If you already know you want new tops, our kitchen worktop replacement service covers the whole job on your existing units: removing the old worktops, checking the carcasses, templating or measuring, cut-outs, upstands and reconnecting the sink and hob. The figures below help you budget, and the written quote then prices your own kitchen line by line.
Read more: Book a worktop replacement, Quartz and granite worktops, Request a written quote
Cost per linear metre, supplied and fitted
Prices assume a standard 600mm depth with a straight edge profile.
| Laminate | £70 to £160 per metre | Fitted same day, no templating wait |
|---|---|---|
| Solid wood | £180 to £350 per metre | Needs oiling once or twice a year |
| Granite | £350 to £550 per metre | Natural variation, each slab differs |
| Quartz | £380 to £650 per metre | Consistent pattern, no sealing needed |
| Sintered stone | £550 to £900 per metre | Best heat and scratch resistance |
How each one behaves day to day
Quartz is the safe choice for a family kitchen: non porous, no sealing, and it shrugs off red wine and turmeric. Its weakness is direct heat, so a pan straight off the hob can mark it.
Granite handles heat better but is porous enough to need sealing, and the pattern varies slab to slab, which matters if you are joining two pieces. Solid wood is warm and repairable but needs oiling and hates a standing puddle beside the sink. Laminate is far better than its reputation, and a good one with a square edge looks convincing until you meet a cut edge at the sink.
The timeline difference
Laminate is cut and fitted on site, usually the same day the units are finished. Every stone worktop is templated after the carcasses are in and then manufactured off site, which adds seven to ten days to the job. That single fact is the most common reason a kitchen runs into a second week.
What changes the cost of replacing kitchen worktops
The price per metre is only part of the cost of replacing kitchen worktops. The other parts are the labour to take off and dispose of the old tops, any packing or repairs to units that have dropped or swollen, the number of joints, and each cut-out for a sink, hob or tap. Edge profiles, drainer grooves and upstands add to stone in particular.
Reconnection matters too. The sink, tap and hob all come off and go back on, and if the new sink or hob is a different size the cut-outs and connections change with it. Comparing two quotes is far easier when both list these items separately, which is how ours are written.
Our honest recommendation
If the budget is tight, a quality laminate with a matching upstand beats a cheap stone every time. If you can stretch, quartz in a 20mm thickness gives the best balance of price, durability and appearance for most homes in our area. Save sintered stone for the kitchens where a chef genuinely puts hot pans down.
What is included when worktops are replaced
Replacing worktops is more than lifting one top off and dropping another on. The old tops are disconnected from the sink and hob and removed, and the carcasses underneath are checked for level and soundness. Stone is then templated against the units, while laminate and wood are measured and cut on site.
The sink and hob cut-outs are made to suit the new appliances or the existing ones, upstands or a splashback are fitted along the walls, and the sink, tap and hob are reconnected. Finally the walls and tiles disturbed during removal are made good, and joints are sealed. If you are considering timber, our guide to living with solid wood worktops explains the care involved.
Read more: Living with solid wood worktops, Replacing kitchen worktops only
- Removing and disposing of the old worktops
- Templating or measuring against the existing units
- Sink and hob cut-outs
- Upstands or splashback
- Reconnecting sink, tap and hob, then making good
Free quote
Replacing your worktops?
Tell us what you need and we will quote. Send the room details through our contact form, or call us, and we will come back with next steps and a survey date.
Want a professional to handle it?
Send us the room details and we will come back with a written quote, or call us for a chat first.
Common questions
- Is quartz or granite better for a family kitchen?
- Quartz, in most cases. It is non porous so it never needs sealing, the pattern is consistent across joins, and it resists staining better. Granite wins only on heat resistance.
- How much does a quartz worktop cost for an average kitchen?
- For around five metres with a sink cut out and upstands, expect £2,200 to £3,800 supplied and fitted, depending on the colour and thickness chosen.
- Can a laminate worktop look expensive?
- A square edge laminate with a matching upstand and a good undermount style sink module looks far better than a rolled edge budget board, and costs a fraction of stone.
- Do wooden worktops work next to a sink?
- They can, with a properly sealed cut out and regular oiling, but standing water is their enemy. We usually suggest wood on an island and a harder material around the sink run.
- Can you replace just the worktop?
- Yes, provided the existing carcasses are sound and level. We check that first, because fitting new stone to failing units is money wasted.
- Can worktops be replaced without replacing the kitchen?
- Yes. New tops can go on existing units if they are level and in good condition. Our guide to replacing kitchen worktops only covers what we check first.
- How much does it cost to replace kitchen worktops in the UK?
- Start with the per metre figures in the table above for your chosen material, then allow for removing the old tops, cut-outs, upstands, joints and reconnecting the sink and hob. Your written quote itemises each of those for your kitchen.
- How much is kitchen worktop fitting?
- The figures in our table are supplied and fitted. The fitting part rises with the number of joints, cut-outs and edge details, and with any repairs the units need before the new tops go on.
- How much are replacement worktops?
- Laminate is the lowest cost and sintered stone the highest, with solid wood, granite and quartz in between, as the table shows. Thickness, colour and edge profile then move the price within each band.
The service behind this guide
Covering Hertfordshire and Essex.