Hello,
I am replacing the countertops in my kitchen and received a quote from a local supplier for laminate which looks to have come out at roughly $30-40 per linear foot. This seems quite high to me, but I don’t know that much about laminate countertops other than what I see in the Menard’s ad, which is much cheaper in price.
What is a fair price for laminate?
We don’t want the cheap stuff. The town we live in tends to charge a lot for things so I want to make sure we aren’t getting gouged.
thanks for any advice
Replies
This is just a wild observation but It seems to me that with the popularity of granite and other solid surface materials, it seems that laminate isn't being used nearly as much as it was five or ten years ago. According to supply and demand, one would think that prices for laminate would be low, but I've heard some crazy high per square foot prices. I have no idea why but some prices seem to rival those of granite.
I bought two 4 x 8 sheets of vertical grade laminate about a month and a half ago from my yard and they were about $120 each. Crazy if you ask me.
Maybe I'm starting to sound like my mother did forty years ago . . . "thirty cents for a loaf of bread! That's just ridiculous! It's highway robbery!"
Ah, but at least you can still get ground round for 39 cents a pound. (Can't you???)
A friend of ours is the purchasing manager for a large national builder. She says granite is relly not that much more than "mica" these days. (installed)
I agree the material is outragous in the big box stores.
Many variables affect price.
Does the price include backsplash? Self edge? Underlayment?
Is this a small kitchen?
Are there seams involved?
Will there be a lot of waste? (Laminate comes in sheets up to 60"x144")
Is the cabinetry installed in such a way that makes countertop replacement easy? Difficult?
Are these high value cabinets? Expensive floor coverings in kitchen? (think liability)
Are there reasons particular to your job that might make it unique? Like maybe exotic pets, or chemical sensitive people living in your house?
Do you want it done immediately?
Did you give off the vibe that you'd be difficult to work with?
These are just a few of the potential reasons a professional might give what seems like a high price. There could be many, many more. My advice would be to get pricing from other sources and then compare proposals, of course considering your gut reaction to each company. Saving even 50% on a couple thousand dollar project might prove to be penny wise and pound foolish. I try to find a professional I trust (at whatever I need to hire someone for) then hire then at their price with very little negotiating.
How does that Rotary quote go "The misery of poor craftsmanship continues long after the satisfaction of a bargain price is forgotton"? Or something like that?
All that being said - 10.00/sq ft for plastic laminate, installed, plus edging and backsplash, is nowhere near over the top expensive. But like I outlined above, there are many, many factors that can drive that price much higher.
Price ?
Who does the tear out of the old?
Is there a splash included?
Whats the layout and size of the tops?
etc.....................
30-40 a lineal foot is already containing a 25% variance. Why?
And granite is not getting close to laminate in cost-maybe close to corian, but not laminate.
Laminate
uh, Jade. I think you need to do what we all do. Shop and compare. Apples to Apples. Blodgett asks way too many questions, but, he's right. Site installed or post formed? Are there other big box stores in your area to compare with Menards?
It's a pretty basic and small kitchen....nothing out of the ordinary.
The laminate quoted was High Def so that drives up the cost a bit.
There are only two L-shaped pieces, one approx 9' x 7' with one seam and standard size, and the other approx 5' x 5' with a larger area and also one seam.
Thanks for the responses. We already purchased. We live in a rural area and don't have too many options....Menards is 90 miles away and we don't like that store much anyways.
thanks again