Kitchen Benchtops Cost in Australia: Price Guide

Kitchen benchtops cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars for a short laminate run to well over $10,000 for a large stone kitchen with a waterfall island. Where you land depends on the material, the size and shape of your benches, the fabrication work, and whether removal and installation are in the quote.

Disclaimer: The prices in this guide are general market estimates for Australian metro areas, gathered in late 2026. They are not quotes from any single business. Use them for planning, then get a written quote for your own kitchen.

How Much Do Kitchen Benchtops Cost in Australia?

Most mid-sized Australian kitchens spend roughly $3,000 to $8,000 on a supplied and installed stone benchtop. Laminate costs less. Premium natural stone or a large island can push the total well past that.

Benchtops are usually priced per square metre (m²), with supply, fabrication and installation included. A typical mid-sized kitchen has about 6 to 8 m² of benchtop. So if a surface costs $600 per m² installed and you need 7 m², your stone benchtop cost starts at about $4,200 before any extras.

Here’s how the main materials compare. All figures are indicative installed costs per m² in AUD, as of late 2026.

Material	Indicative installed cost (per m²)	What it’s like to live with
Laminate	150–500	Cheapest up front; edges and joins show, and water can damage the core
Silica-free engineered surface	450–1,000	Stone look, non-porous, no sealing needed
Porcelain	400–1,200	Heat and UV-resistant; thin slabs need skilled edge work
Sintered stone (including Dekton)	450–1,500	Very hard and heat-resistant; premium brands sit at the top
Granite	600–1,700	Tough natural stone; needs sealing from time to time
Marble	800–2,500+	Beautiful veining; soft and porous, so it can stain or etch

The ranges overlap because brand, colour tier, thickness, and fabrication all shift the price within each material. A plain white silica-free top and a rare veined marble are both “stone,” but they sit at opposite ends of the budget. Not every fabricator works with every material, so check what each business actually offers.

One rule has changed the market. Australia banned engineered stone benchtops from 1 July 2024, and WorkSafe WA confirms the ban applies in Western Australia. Older price guides that quote for “quartz” or low-silica stone can therefore mislead you. Today’s options are silica-free surfaces, porcelain, sintered stone and natural stone.

What Factors Affect the Cost of Kitchen Benchtops?

The cost of kitchen benchtops comes down to five main things: the material, how many slabs you need, the edge profile, the cut-outs, and how easy your home is to work in.

Slab count

Stone comes in fixed slab sizes. If your island is a little too big for one slab, you may pay for a whole extra one. A good fabricator lays your kitchen out against the slab size early to cut waste and joins.

Edges

A simple pencil-round or square edge is usually included. The chunky 40 mm look is normally made by joining an extra strip to the front of a 20 mm slab, called a mitred or built-up edge. That extra cutting and polishing costs more. A waterfall end, where the stone runs down the side of the island to the floor, often adds around $400 to $1,200 on its own.

Cut-outs

Every hole for a sink, cooktop, or tap has to be cut by machine. Market quotes commonly sit around $150 to $400 per cut-out, with undermount sinks and drainer grooves at the higher end.

Site access

Stone slabs are heavy. Stairs, narrow halls, or a long carry from the truck can mean more people or lifting gear, and that shows up in the quote.

This is why custom kitchen benchtops vary so much in price. Two kitchens using the same stone can end up far apart once the layout, edges, and cut-outs are added.

What Is Included in Kitchen Benchtop Installation Cost?

Kitchen benchtop installation cost usually covers measuring your cabinets, delivering the benchtop, and fitting and sealing it in place. Disconnecting and reconnecting your sink, cooktop and dishwasher is often a separate job.

Plumbing, gas and electrical work must be done by licensed trades. Some benchtop businesses organise these trades for you, while others leave you to book them. If you’re replacing an old top, removal and disposal can add roughly $300 to $800, depending on the material and access.

Use this table to check that every quote covers the same work:

Cost item	What changes the price	What to ask
Material	Brand, colour tier and thickness	Which exact product and colour is quoted?
Measurements	Total area and number of slabs	How was the area worked out, and how many slabs?
Fabrication	Edges, cut-outs, joins and waterfalls	Which edges and cut-outs are included?
Installation	Access, lifting and site conditions	Are delivery and fitting included in the price?
Extra work	Removal, disposal and trade reconnections	Are these included or charged separately?

Master Tops walks through each stage, from templating to reconnection, in its kitchen benchtop replacement guide.

Which Benchtop Materials Offer Better Value?

Better value means a surface that suits how you cook and clean, not just the lowest price per square metre.

Silica-free surfaces sit in the middle of the stone price range and don’t need sealing, which suits busy family kitchens. You can learn more in our guide to zero silica stone benchtops. Porcelain and sintered stone handle heat well and work outdoors, but their thin edges need careful fabrication. If you’re torn between the two, our comparison of Dekton and porcelain benchtops explains the differences.

Natural stone is a different kind of investment. Granite is tough but needs resealing now and then. Marble is softer and reacts to acids like lemon juice and wine, so it suits people who don’t mind the surface ageing. Our article on whether marble is good for kitchen benchtops covers the care involved.

Master Tops manufactures and installs porcelain, Dekton, natural stone and silica-free benchtops, so you can compare these options side by side rather than being steered toward one material.

How Can You Find Affordable Kitchen Benchtops?

You can find affordable kitchen benchtops by keeping the design simple and comparing quotes for exactly the same work.

Start with the layout. Straight runs with fewer joins and a standard edge cost less to make than curves, mitred edges and waterfalls. If you love a feature stone, a common approach is to use it on the island only and choose a quieter, lower-tier colour for the back benches.

Next, check whether you can keep your cabinets. If they’re solid and level, replacing only the benchtop costs far less than a full new kitchen. Stone is heavy, though, so the cabinets need checking when the benchtop is measured.

Finally, be careful with the lowest price. Affordable benchtops are only good value if the quote includes the same edges, cut-outs and installation as the others. A low figure that leaves out cut-outs or fitting can end up costing more.

What Should You Check Before Choosing Kitchen Makers in Perth?

Before choosing kitchen makers in Perth or a benchtop fabricator, make sure you have written, itemised quotes that cover the same scope of work.

WA Consumer Protection recommends getting at least three quotes and keeping all your paperwork. Check each quote for the business’s ABN, contact details and terms. If your job counts as home building work worth more than $7,500, WA law limits the deposit to 6.5 per cent. Consumer Protection explains this in its advice on finding the right tradie.

It also helps to see real stone before you sign, because a small sample can look quite different across a full benchtop. Master Tops keeps natural stone and silica-free samples at its Willetton showroom, and you can view finished kitchens in the project gallery.

Master Tops: Talk to Us About Your New Kitchen Benchtop

Master Tops manufactures and installs porcelain, Dekton, natural stone and silica-free benchtops for homes across Perth. Book a free, no-obligation in-home consultation. We’ll help you compare materials and understand your quote before you commit.

Contact Master Tops today

FAQs

Why can two quotes for the same stone be so different?

The slab is often only part of the price. Most of the gap usually comes from fabrication and from what each business includes, such as cut-outs, edge profiles, delivery and fitting. Ask for itemised quotes so you can see exactly where the difference sits.

Is a silica-free benchtop more expensive than engineered stone used to be?

Not necessarily. Silica-free surfaces generally sit within the normal stone price range. As with any stone, the final price depends on the brand, the colour tier and how complex your benchtop is.

Do I have to remove my old engineered stone benchtop?

No. The ban doesn’t require you to remove engineered stone that’s already installed, and it’s considered safe when left undisturbed. If you do replace it, the business removing it must notify WorkSafe WA first, so ask whether that’s part of their process.