You really need to shop your local fabricators and answer your own question. The variables in are too numerous to give you an answer.

Like what kind of granite? Mid grade in DesMoines may be bottom of the barrel in Manhattan. How much competition is there in any given sector? In ATL there are hundreds of granite shops and several distributors so prices are about as low as anywhere in teh country. In Oxford, MS, there are no distributors and few fabricators. Same project there is much $$$ than ATL.

What kind of wood? Who'll make it. A worldwide purveyor like SPEVKA? It'll cost you big $$$. Get ol' man Fritz to do it in his basement with leftover lumber off of craig's list and it might just be cheaper than white laminite.

In short, it only matters what the price is for your specific project installed in you house.

I can tell you that depending on how resourceful and lucky you are finding slabs, the granite itself can sometimes be remarkably cheaper than you think. I went to about 5 yards, each about 3-4 times (so many visits partially because I was so indecisive) and I found 2 slabs that were reduced to 25% of their original cost because they had blast holes in awkward places and scratches. Amazingly, they were a perfect match, and because of the shapes/sizes I needed, I was able to work around all those damaged areas, and I still have enough left over for the bathroom!!!! (Someday.) This was volga blue granite, normally about $23/SF in my area, and I got it for $5.99/SF. For me, granite was cheaper than high-end laminate!!!!!!

Dang muscat! I can't seem to find granite in Madison WI for less than $50/SF

That is probably because muscat is quoting you the price of the granite only, with no installation, something not available to people in most parts of the country. Sounds like granite costs less than a yard of discount material in the sewing dept at Walmart. I have yet to hear of anyone in any other part of the country who sees those kinds of prices. Unless you can cut it, fabricate it and install it yourself, it doesn't mean a lot. Plus, most people could not use granite slabs with "blast holes" in it unless you had a very small kitchen that needed a number of small pieces. I only have a medium sized kitchen and passed by a piece that had a single crack through the center, top to bottem. I was not offered ANY discount and it would have meant I could not work around any natural patterns or marks that I didn't like. I was told of one place around here that had "left overs" and my installer also has them, enough maybe to do a fireplace hearth, but certainly not a kitchen unless it very tiny, NYC style.

Don't worry, most people can't find it much less than you, and most people would not want to pay the cost of fabricating and installing pieces "with blast holes in awkward places and scratches". If you really want to try some type of salvage of granite that would other wise be thrown away, call around locally and see if you can find some. You might be disappointed in what you would end up getting. But who knows, you might save some on the material, but the fabrication cost of the granite is the same, whether you get first quality or not.

Muscat, please make her feel a LITTLE better and tell her how much the fabrication cost. :)

Sue