Customising Granite Worktops in Derby
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Granite is one of the few worktop materials where no two slabs look quite the same, so choosing one is less about picking a swatch and more about picking an actual piece of stone -- its colour, its veining, how it takes an edge profile and a finish. A free design visit lets you work through those choices against samples in your own kitchen lighting, with CAD layout options to see how a run, an island or an upstand will actually look before anything is cut. Once a design's settled, the worktop is laser-templated for an exact fit and fabricated by stonemasons at the Sunny Hill workshop in Derby, so what arrives on fitting day matches the space down to the joint.
What's Included in a Granite Worktop Customisation
- A free design visit with granite samples and CAD layout options for your kitchen
- Laser templating for an exact, seamless fit once your units are in place
- Your choice of edge profile -- straight, bevel, bullnose, ogee or waterfall -- cut and polished to order
- Your choice of surface finish -- polished, honed or leathered
- Cut-outs for sinks, hobs, pop-up sockets and integrated drainage grooves
- Stonemason fitting, jointing and sealing on installation day
- Removal and legal disposal of your old worktop as a registered waste carrier
Not Included / Costed Separately
- Full granite backsplashes and upstands are quoted and cut separately from the worktop, since they use additional slab
- Waterfall edges and large overhangs for seating use extra slab and more fabrication time than a standard edge, so they cost more
- Structural alterations to cabinetry needed to support an overhang or an undermount sink are priced outside the worktop quote
- Rewiring, replumbing or gas work behind the worktop is not part of the worktop fit itself -- where needed it's carried out by our own Part P electricians, NVQ-qualified plumbers or Gas Safe engineers as a separate, quoted part of the job
How a Custom Granite Worktop Gets Made and Fitted
- Design visit -- A designer talks through colour, edge profile and finish options with you, ideally against samples viewed in your own kitchen lighting, and puts together CAD options for the layout.
- Laser templating -- Once your base units are fitted, the space is laser-templated to capture exact dimensions, joins and any cut-outs needed for sinks, hobs or sockets -- this is what makes the fit seamless rather than approximate.
- Fabrication -- The slab is cut, edge-profiled and finished off-site by stonemasons to the template, with cut-outs and drainage grooves machined in before delivery.
- Installation and jointing -- Stonemasons fit the worktop on site, jointing sections where the run is too long for a single piece, and sealing the granite as part of the fit.
- Sign-off -- A final walkthrough confirms everything's level, sealed and finished as agreed, with your written guarantee and care advice handed over.
What Affects the Price of a Custom Granite Worktop
What you pay depends on how much of the slab your choices use up. A straight edge in a polished finish is the simplest to fabricate; an ogee edge, a leathered finish, or a waterfall run down to the floor all take more slab, more machining time and more careful handling, so they cost more than a standard specification. Cut-outs for undermount sinks, drainage grooves and pop-up sockets add a little more again. Because every kitchen has a different run length, number of joints and awkward corners, we can't give an accurate figure without seeing the space -- a site visit and laser template lets us put together a written, itemised quote with no hidden extras before any work is booked in.
Comparing Granite Surface Finishes
| Finish | Everyday look | Maintenance | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polished | High-shine, colours and veining at their most vivid | Wipes clean easily, day to day | Can show fingerprints and is more slippery when wet |
| Honed | Matte, soft-touch surface with a subtler colour depth | Needs more regular sealing and wiping to avoid staining | Good where you want less glare and a quieter finish |
| Leathered | Textured, slightly dimpled surface that keeps the stone's natural colour | Resists fingerprints and smudges well | Suits rustic and industrial-style kitchens; not every granite colour takes the texture well |
One Stonemason Team, From Slab Choice To Sealed Joint
Granite is a natural stone, so no two slabs behave quite the same at the joint -- matching veining across a seam, or cutting a clean ogee or waterfall edge without the face chipping, is stonemason's work rather than something a general kitchen fitter picks up as a sideline. That's the specific skill applied to every granite worktop here, by the same in-house stonemasons who work marble, quartz, Dekton, Corian and Minerva, rather than the job being handed off to a separate worktop-only supplier. Because the same crew covers the whole kitchen rather than just the stone, a granite worktop that's part of a bigger change -- a new sink, a new hob -- gets tied in with our own Part P registered electricians, Gas Safe engineers and NVQ-qualified plumbers under one accountable team, and your old worktop is taken away for legal disposal as part of the job, since Derby Kitchen Fitter is a registered waste carrier. On top of that stone-specific know-how, every fit still carries a 5-year labour and installation guarantee plus a 2-year product guarantee in writing before work starts.
Granite Worktop Customisation Across Derby and the Surrounding Area
Design visits take place in your own kitchen, and once a design's agreed the granite is fabricated at the Sunny Hill workshop in Derby before being brought back out for fitting. The same customisation and templating service is available across most of Derbyshire, from Belper and Duffield in the Derwent Valley up to Matlock, Bakewell and Buxton on the edge of the Peak District, and out to Ilkeston, Heanor, Alfreton, Ripley, Dronfield, Wirksworth, Chesterfield, Long Eaton and Swadlincote, as well as into Nottingham. A finished granite worktop is heavy and awkward to move, so access for delivery on fitting day -- a narrow hallway, a flight of stairs, limited parking outside -- gets talked through at the design visit wherever you're based, not just the distance from Derby.
Got Questions?
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see the actual slab before it's cut, not just a sample?
Yes -- because no two granite slabs are the same, it's worth viewing the specific slab (or at least a large sample) rather than relying on a small chip, especially if you're choosing a stone with bold veining or colour variation. This gets arranged as part of the design visit.
How long does it take from choosing a design to having it fitted?
The worktop can't be templated until the base units are in place, so timing depends on where you are in the wider kitchen fit. Once templated, fabrication and fitting of a granite worktop typically takes under two weeks, but this varies with edge profile, finish and how many joints are needed -- your quote will include a realistic date.
Which edge profile is safest for a family with young children?
The bullnose edge is the usual recommendation, since it's fully rounded with no sharp angles. A straight edge is also softened with a slight round-over for safety as standard, so it's not as sharp as it looks.
Do you match granite worktops to existing cabinetry, or only new kitchens?
Both. A granite worktop can be templated and fitted to existing cabinets as a standalone upgrade, or specified as part of a full kitchen redesign. Either way we'll look at your cabinet colour and layout during the design visit to help narrow down colour and finish choices.
What happens to my old worktop when the new granite goes in?
It's removed and taken away for legal disposal as part of the job -- Derby Kitchen Fitter is a registered waste carrier, so you don't need to arrange separate removal.
Is a leathered or honed finish more work to look after than polished?
Generally yes. Polished granite is the easiest to keep clean day to day. Honed surfaces are more prone to staining and benefit from more regular sealing, while leathered surfaces resist fingerprints well but the texture won't suit every granite colour or every kitchen style, which is worth checking against a sample first.
Can you add a granite backsplash or upstand to match the worktop?
Yes, a full granite backsplash or upstand can be cut from the same slab for a continuous look, or you can pair the worktop with tiled options instead. Because it uses additional slab, it's quoted separately from the worktop itself.
Ready to Choose Your Own Granite Worktop?
Granite slabs are sold in limited runs, so the colour and pattern you view in the showroom today may not be available in a few months. Once you're happy with your design, get a written, itemised quote and a laser template date booked in — every fit carries a written guarantee, so there's nothing to lose by getting the ball rolling.
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