How much should I be paying, and is there a quality-related reason for the difference in prices? There sure is. The cheaper stuff most likely varies alot more with reference to thickness, size, and squareness. You also might find somewhere down the road that it's also actually more of a grey color, and has been colorized. For good AB 12x12, I'd expect to pay somewhere between 13-17.00 a foot. That's going to be a helluva bathroom! I did one for a guy on the Atlanta Falcons years ago down in Miami Beach. It was awesome! Even subtle lighting reflected off the stone, making it alot brighter than one would expect with that stone.

Okay, I could never figure out how to post photos to the site here (I am not savvy) but I think I can embed a link to my mac.com account where I have a few stored. Also- a caveat - I *just* noticed that the original post indicated "high end" which is not our house, so my cost figures are really not comparable. I don't know how I missed that when I first read the posting, sorry all; I hope this reply is still relevant. The house is 6290 sq ft (porches add another 2410) and the finished space above the garage is 1175. You will see the garage to the left of the house. (You drive around the back of the garage.) Ceilings are 10' on basement and main floor, 9' on second floor. (Garage apt is 10'.) I thought of a few items I did spend more money on that I was not prepared for...like wood-mould brick (Old Virginia Brick) on the walk-out basement level (not visible in these photos) and the masonry fireplace. My DH wanted three true masonry-built fireplaces (only God knows why they had to be "true," the boxes with masonry surrounds and chimney look great to me), and the labor cost of doing that really blew my mind. I also thought of a few other "saves" ... Anyone on a tight budget like mine might find these useful, but they are more time-consuming so if I were building a dream house on a dream budget I might pass! I bought my marble direct from a Ga quarry, because I had my heart set on "Georgia White" which is similar in color to Carrara but is harder and less porous (so better in a kitchen application, though still not perfect) and is from Georgia (Tate). It has been a bit of a PITA because it is no longer quarried, so the only slabs were the ones still in the yard, and the quarry is not really set up for individuals walking in and buying half a dozen slabs. (They are more of an institutional source.) But, I got a beautiful material at $22/sq ft which was far less than similar marbles quoted from fabricators. For windows, I really wanted true divided lights, and I love casements. But, I restricted myself to casements in the places where I could see really using them (kitchen and master bath) and I put double-hungs everywhere else because they saved $$. Also, I have not accounted for window treatments/drapery in my budget. I have saved a ton on appliances by shopping at discount stores over a long period of time and so far, I have not made a compromise in what I wanted. For example, higher-end panel-ready units often sit at discount stores because people who shop scratch & dent discount stores are usually not buying custom cabinet panels. So the stainless dishwashers sell quickly but the panel-ready ones sit there and get marked down. I bought my new DW - Kitchen Aid, stainless-tub, panel-ready, hidden controls, etc. for $199. I got a built-in Jenn-Air panel-ready fridge for $1300. I did compromise on my cooktop - I wanted the Viking 36" induction because it has true knobs not touch controls, but I saved $2200 by buying a discontinued Siemens 36" all-induction at 50% off. The icemaker was discount because it had a nick on one side of the door that is hardly noticeable (and won't hold a candle to the havoc my toddler will bestow anyway). I won't buy the ovens discount because I really want the white Viking ovens, one convection and one steam. (A girl can have one perfect appliance, right?) And, the tile I used in the shower surrounds and kids' & guest bath floors is super-basic white ceramic (3"x6" and penny rounds). For mudroom and utlity rooms, instead of Peacock Pavers (Athensmom, they look great, get samples, they are gorgeous) at $6/sq ft I used gray pavers at $2.25/sq ft for mudroom floors. Savings on the tile all around. At the outlets (up 400 near Dahlonega), I found amazing deals on hardwired light fixtures. I bought 7 solid brass sconces for the stairwell for $7/ea, which was probably my greatest find. So, I saved enough that I could then go a little overboard with Circa Lighting in the areas that meant the most to me. Sorry for the very long post! I hope this info is helpful to those of you with budget constraints. Like I said, someday perhaps I will not spend the kind of time that shopping discount requires, but then again, it has been really fun! I will try to remember to post updated photos. I hope in 6 weeks we are complete, and then I can share the final finishes and interiors. At this point, if we stay on track in these last 6 weeks, the per sq ft construction cost is just under $72, so not in the high end category for sure. I will keep ya'll posted if there is interest. Here is a link that might be useful: New house photos (mid-October)

storklady, Good for you for keeping the budget in mind. I bet the Wilsonart looks really good, even if it's not your first choice. It's hard sometimes to look at what other people on this site have done and then settle for less. We replaced floors on the first floor (including kitchen) last spring/summer, and hope to deal with appliances and countertops this year. I'm beginning to think that we, too, will have to settle for laminate countertops, instead of solid surface that I really wanted. But so far we've paid cash (or used credit card and paid off before any interest charges) for the home improvements we've been doing. Yes, I'd like to do a complete reno with all my wish list materials, but I like being virtually debt-free better (in a little under 2 years we should have the mortgage paid off early and then we will be debt-free). So, while understand the angst of giving up on something you dreamed of, I applaud your decision. It sounds like it was the right one for you.

If you can only get a steak at the restaurant, go there FIRST and get a ballpark quote on their entry level (chopped steak) and a mid-range one (Boneless ribeye). THEN go to the farmer's market and see which steak you like the best. Tag it if you really want THAT steak. Then the restaurant will get you pricing on the steak that you liked best. In my area, my "restaurant" (aka fabricator) also buys "steak" direct. Only about 60 colors.....but that restaurant cuts out the farmers market, which can make it easier and less $ for my customers. Keep in mind granite is a commodity and prices will fluctuate, which is why it is so difficult for the industry to list firm prices. Granite's price has a LOT to do with how far it must travel, not how beautiful it is. Also, some fabricators or suppliers will buy certain colors in bulk and offer special pricing. Here is a guideline for pricing (per square foot) on some of the more popular granite colors based on prices now in the Midwest and ONE fabrication shop. Hope this helps. KOMPY GROUP A ($49 to 52 per SF) Azul Platino Bainbrook Brown Blanco Taupe Crema Carmel Giallo Fantasia Rosa Fresca-Peach Purse Tan Brown Uba Tuba Giallo Arctic GROUP B ($54 to 56 per SF) Amber Yellow Baltic Brown Black Pearl Amarillo Boreal Coffee Brown Desert Brown Giallo Fiorito Giallo Ornamental Kashmir White New Venetian Gold Peacock Green Rosewood Santa Cecelia Sapphire Blue Steel Gray Tropic Brown Verde Butterfly Verde Jade GROUP C ($63 to 68 per SF) Butterfly Gold Carrara White Marble Giallo Napoleon Giallo Veneziano Giallo Vicenza Impala Black Madura Gold Typhoon Green Vyara Juparana GROUP D ($70 to 76 per SF) Absolute Black (Prem.) Bianco Antico Black Galaxy Blue Pearl Emerald Pearl Imperial Coffee Santa Fe Brown Volga Blue White Springs GROUP E ($73 to 78 per SF) Brown Antique Crema Bordeaux Juparana Delicatus Juparana Persia Solaris Yellow River GROUP F ($79 to 84 per SF) Donna Sandra Golden Beach Juparana Beach Labrador Antique Red Dragon Star Beach Typhoon Bordeaux GROUP G ($84 to 89 per SF) Persa Spectrus Ballpark prices above do not include labor charges such as: range/cooktop cutouts, polished sink cutouts and template/delivery fees. Average fees per job typically add up to $400-$500. For an 18g stainless steel sink, add $150+ or purchase your own.