Those prices are insanely high! I live in an affluent zip code as well, and we get quotes into the stratosphere because of it. The poster above got a terrific deal, which I believe is fairly atypical. We had a bit more work done for a total of $1,650. Here's a breakdown: Tile whole house floor (except bedrooms and baths), in 12" porcelain tile (purchased separately by homeowner) in straight-grid pattern: Home Depot: $4.00/sq. foot (not sure what it includes, or if you have to buy their tile). My tiler: $2.00/sq. foot, including labor, thin set, and grout. Bath remodel: Install Tyvek in surround area, R13 insulation, Hardibacker, backer sealant, install tile in 5'x 3' tub surround to ceiling, tile bathroom floor, plus, tile another small area in the living room: $1,000. Demo and remove old tub, install new drop-in tub with mortared base, plumb new shower supplies, install shower valve/diverter, replace tub drain and in-ground tub trap, install tub spout, valve cover, shower head, install new Toto toilet, install vanity fixture, drain and supplies: $650.

The subfloor extra cost may apply to a wood subfloor but certainly not to a concrete slab. Even with a wood subfloor it seems a bit cheap to build a weaker one for non stone tiles. Mortar bleed through is an issue with stone tiles but it's in the vicinity of a few cents per sf for the stone compatible mortar. Stone tile is cut with a wet saw, which is more work to set up and clean vs. score and break. 40% upcharge includes a luxury labor charge because if clients are willing to pay for stone, it's likely they part with money a bit more freely than clients with a tighter budget who chose ceramic tiles instead.

If we go to rectified ones will we be able to stay in that same price range? Highly doubtful. The lowest I've seen rectified porcelain for is more in the 7-8.00 range, and as high as 16-20.00 a foot, just for the tile. And won't labor be a LOT more, like it is for marble or anything that closely fitted? Exactly. It gets set just like polished natural stone, and the labor charge is the same as it would be for setting polished stone. I don't know that it'd be double the ceramic charge, but it would definitely be considerably more. My prices for ceramic installation start at 5.00 a foot, and for polished stone or rectified porcelain, the price starts at 8.00, just to give you an idea

Chip Minimizer is an edging enhancement to the sink cutout. The most common area for chips is around the sink from handling pots and pans. Chip Minimizer is the addition of a rounded or beveled edge around the sink cutout. I’ve been quoted $195-$250 for this and it comes with a warranty where they will repair any chips that occur on a sink cutout with Minimizer. Many Home Depot fabricators will offer this feature, and their direct competitors have been offering it too in recent years. Some of the smaller companies or ones in more rural areas sometimes don’t include this in their quotes (but might be able to do it). The cost to repair a chip is more than $250 so it can make a lot of sense. Visually it is only noticeable if you’re looking for it. It feels smoother to the touch too. One of the companies in my area supports Home Depot. They warehouse all the slabs, fabricate, Demo and install, coordinate all plumbing, offer sinks and faucets, assist with design for backsplashes, repair walls and uneven cabinetry, and order the tile, and hire the tile installers. They are able to quote all of this in minutes right in your home. I’ve also seen some move toward digital measurements with a handheld scanner instead of using measuring tapes. They are also able to measure, template, and fabricate without demolishing the counters. That means you don’t live without counters and the demo and install happen the same day. More and more products are now sold by the sf, not slab, including selected granite, quartzite, and quartz (not sure on Marble - I’ve never gotten a quote). Every quartz I got quoted was by the sf, not slab (with a 25 sf minimum). We needed about 1.3 standard slabs so this mattered to me. Financing options with 12 months interest free is popping up too (in addition to discounts, free sinks, and free vanity counter fabrication with your remnants). Sorry if I’m explaining stuff everyone knows and encounters. I’ve just noticed differences between the big and small companies and changes in capabilities and integrated services over the last 10 years.