Marble Countertops: 14 Marbles and 8 Dolomites, Installed from $49 per Sq Ft

We carry 14 marbles and 8 dolomites in our catalog: Bianco Carrara, Calacatta Lincoln and Calacatta Golden among the whites, Elephant Grey for a black marble, Fantasy Brown, and the Super White family of dolomites. Five carry a list price, from $49 per sq ft installed (Fantasy Brown) to $70 (Namib Bianco). White Carrara and Calacatta slabs are quoted from the slab.

One honest sentence first: polished marble etches when lemon or wine sits on it, and that is the whole decision. Want the veining without the care? The same catalog has 8 dolomites, 49 quartzites and 79 marble-look patterns.

Of the 22 marbles and dolomites in our catalog, five carry a list price, from $49 to $70 per sq ft installed.

Every installed price covers template, fabrication and install on 3cm stone, with $32 per sq ft of labor inside it. A standard eased or quarter-round edge costs $0, a sink cutout adds $113 and a full-height slab backsplash adds $225. Each top is fabricated and installed within 100 miles of Alpharetta, including Atlanta GA. Colors run from white to brown. Finish is polished on every stone, plus honed on Calacatta Lincoln and Namib Bianco and leathered on Fantasy Brown. "Quoted" means a custom quote from the slab you pick.

The list price for the other 17 is quoted from the slab.

Carrara, Calacatta and the White Marbles

Carrara is the cost-effective white: a soft grey-white with fine feathering, and Bianco Carrara is ours. Calacatta runs brighter, with bold grey-gold veins: Calacatta Lincoln and Calacatta Golden. Etching shows least on honed marble, and Calacatta Lincoln comes honed. For the look without the care, see our white options page.

Is marble cheaper than granite?

On our list, barely. Entry marble, Fantasy Brown, is $49 per sq ft installed, and our entry granite, Dallas White, is $47. The white Carrara and Calacatta slabs are quoted from the slab,. Compare with our granite countertops.

Polished calcite marble etches: a lemon, a glass of wine or a splash of vinegar leaves a dull ring where the polish dissolved.

That ring is the surface, not a stain. Honed marble hides etching and polished shows it. Marble is also porous, so sealed marble sheds water for a while, but oil or wine left overnight gets in.

It is softer than granite, so it scratches under a cutting board and chips at the sink edge first. Eased and quarter-round edges are standard and included; bevel, bullnose and ogee are available and quoted per project.

Marble stays cool under pastry and takes a warm pan better than quartz, but you still need a trivet. Clean it with pH-neutral soap and water, never bleach, vinegar or citrus cleaners. Some owners want the patina of a worn stone, a style choice.

8 dolomites, 49 quartzites and 79 marble-look patterns in our catalog give you the veining with less to worry about.

Comparing marble granite, quartz quartzite and dolomite stone countertops comes down to how much care you accept.

• Dolomite: all 8 are white, including Super White, Montana Bianco at $65 and Namib Bianco at $70 per sq ft installed. It is harder and denser than marble and etches slower and less, though not never. Elsewhere it is often sold as super white granite, but it is dolomite.
• Quartzite: 49 patterns from $53, including Taj Mahal, White Macaubas, Mont Blanc and Cristallo. It keeps the natural stone look and still wants sealing. See quartzite.
• Marble-look quartz countertops: 79 of 126 patterns. Calacatta looks run $61 to $72 (Calacatta Verona, Solaris, Amber), and White Carrara sits at Level 1, $49 to $50. Nothing to seal, nothing etches. See the full range.

Which is better, granite or quartz or marble?

Each of the three gives something up. In a granite marble comparison, granite wins on heat and price, starting at $47 per sq ft installed in our catalog. Quartz wins on zero upkeep. Marble wins on the look and as a baking surface, if you accept the care. Marble quartz or a granite countertop: pick what you will tolerate. The full side-by-side is on our side-by-side page.

Send photos of the room from all sides, the ceiling height and your plan. Your estimate comes from your free 3D design, valid 10 days.

Pick marble, dolomite or "not sure, show me the look", polished or honed, and kitchen, bathroom or island only, then add your ZIP and plan.