A countertop quote has two parts
Almost every countertop quote bundles two separate costs into one price per square foot. Knowing the split is how you spot the markup.
- The slab: the fabricator buys the stone from a distributor at a wholesale rate per square foot based on material and grade. This is where the real wholesale-vs-retail gap lives.
- Fabrication: the labor to cut, polish, and install. Edge profiles, sink and cooktop cutouts, and seams are line items. A basic eased edge is usually included.
Where the markup normally hides
Most homeowners comparison-shop cabinets hard and then accept the first countertop number, because counters feel like a commodity. They are not. The slab markup is often the single largest hidden margin in a kitchen.
A showroom marks the slab up before passing it to you, then adds its fabrication margin. Neither markup makes the stone better. If you can reach the fabricator’s actual cost, the product is identical.
How our dealer-cost pricing works
We send our fabricator partner steady volume, so they extend their dealer cost to our customers. Buying your cabinets through STL Cabinetry is what unlocks it. You buy the counters directly from the fabricator at that wholesale rate; we make our money on the cabinets, not the stone.
How to tell a real dealer-cost quote from a fake one
Some showrooms advertise "dealer pricing" that is really just a discounted retail number with margin still baked in. Here is how to check.
- Ask to see the slab cost per square foot separately from fabrication.
- Ask directly: are you marking up the stone, or passing it through at cost?
- Ask to visit the stone yard and pick your actual slab in person.
- A real dealer-cost arrangement means the fabricator’s actual invoice is what you pay, not a discounted showroom number.