Quartz vs granite vs quartzite countertops

Quartz vs granite is the first question most people ask when choosing countertops in Edmonton, and quartzite usually enters the conversation soon after. All three are hard, good-looking and expensive enough that you want to get it right. They behave differently in daily use, though, and the differences matter more than the sample board suggests.

Prices below are our 2026 installed rates in CAD, before GST.

What each one is

Quartz is engineered stone: crushed natural quartz bound with resin and pigments, made into slabs in a factory. Because it is manufactured, colour and pattern are consistent from slab to slab, and it is non-porous.

Granite is natural igneous rock, cut from quarries into slabs. Every slab is different. It is hard and heat-tolerant, and somewhat porous, so it is sealed.

Quartzite is natural metamorphic rock, formed when sandstone is changed by heat and pressure. It often looks like marble, with soft veining, but true quartzite is harder than granite. It is porous and needs sealing.

Side by side

Quartz countertops: the low-maintenance choice

Quartz suits most busy kitchens. You wipe it, and that is the routine. No sealing, and coffee, wine and oil do not soak in. The look is predictable: what you see on the sample is what you get on the island.

Watch for:

• Heat. Do not put a pan straight from the oven onto quartz. The resin can mark. Trivets solve it.
• Seams. Engineered slabs come in standard sizes. Long islands may need a seam, so ask where it will fall before you approve the layout.
• Sun. Strong direct sunlight over years can shift some colours. Rarely an issue indoors in Edmonton, but worth knowing for a sunroom.

Quartz countertops cost about $90 per square foot installed with us. A typical kitchen with 45 to 60 square feet of counter lands around $4,000 to $5,500 in quartz.

Granite countertops: natural and heat-tolerant

Granite is the practical natural stone. It handles hot pans, resists scratches and hides crumbs and wear well because of its pattern. It is slightly cheaper than quartz at our rates, about $85 per square foot.

Watch for:

• Sealing. Most granite should be sealed when installed and resealed periodically. A simple water drop test tells you when: if water darkens the stone within a few minutes, it is time.
• Pattern variation. Choose your actual slabs, not just a sample. Movement and colour vary across one slab.
• Style. Busy speckled granites read as older to many people. Leathered and honed finishes on quieter granites look more current.

Quartzite countertops: the marble look without the softness

Quartzite is for people who love marble but cook every day. It has the veining, is hard, and handles heat. It is also the most expensive of the three, about $140 per square foot installed, because slabs cost more and the stone is harder to cut.

Watch for:

• Mislabelled stone. Some stones sold as quartzite are really marble or dolomite, which etch with lemon juice or vinegar. Before you commit, ask for an offcut and test it: a glass bottle edge should not scratch real quartzite, and a few drops of lemon juice for ten minutes should not leave a dull mark.
• Sealing. Like granite, quartzite is porous and needs sealing.
• Thickness and edges. Mitered thick edges and waterfall ends show off the veining but add fabrication cost.

Thickness, edges and seams

Most stone countertops here are 3 cm thick, about 1 1/4 inches, which sits directly on the cabinets and gives a solid edge. 2 cm slabs are used for backsplashes and sometimes for a slimmer look, often with a built-up mitered edge at the front.

Edge profiles change the feel more than people expect:

• Eased edge. Square with slightly softened corners. Clean, modern and the least likely to chip.
• Small bevel or half bullnose. Softer to the touch, a good choice with small children.
• Mitered edge. Two pieces joined at 45 degrees to look like a thick block. Common on islands and waterfall ends, and more labour.

Seams are part of every larger kitchen. A good fabricator places them away from the sink and cooktop, matches the pattern across the joint and colour-matches the filler. Ask to see the seam layout on the shop drawing before cutting. On veined quartz and quartzite, also ask how the veins will run across the seam and down a waterfall end.

Sinks and cut-outs

Undermount sinks need a polished cut-out and are standard with stone. Cooktop cut-outs and faucet holes are usually part of fabrication, but confirm it in writing.

Which one should you choose?

• Busy family kitchen, low maintenance: quartz.
• You cook with hot pans and like natural stone: granite.
• You want a marble look and will seal it: quartzite.
• You want a matte, warm-to-touch modern surface: look at Fenix NTM, about $115 per square foot. See what is Fenix NTM.
• Budget is tight: laminate at about $40 per square foot is far better than it used to be, especially with a square edge.

How countertops fit into a kitchen project

Stone tops are templated once the cabinets are installed and level, and installed about 1–3 weeks later. Plumbing and cooktop hook-ups follow, by licensed trades. We coordinate all of it, and our countertop warranty is 5 years. See quartz, granite and Fenix countertops for the service, custom kitchen cabinets for full projects, and pricing for every range we publish.

Price your countertops below by counter length, island size and material.