Short answer: four things move a countertop quote — the material, the edge profile, how many cut-outs you need, and slab yield.
Slab yield is the one nobody expects
Slabs come in a fixed size. An awkward layout that spills a few inches past what one slab can yield needs a second slab — and you pay for the whole slab, not the few inches. A small change to an island size at design stage can genuinely change which side of that line you land on.
Edge profile
An eased edge is standard. Mitred aprons and waterfall panels are fabrication labour rather than material, which is why they move the number more than people expect. See our guide to edge profiles.
Cut-outs
Every sink and cooktop opening is machined in the shop from the template. Tell your estimator about a second sink or a downdraft before quoting, not after.
The three-quotes trap
Companies that advertise the lowest headline rate often exclude cut-outs, edge upgrades and removal. Ask every quote to itemise the same lines and the cheapest one frequently stops being the cheapest.
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