nguyendtt- there are NO dumb questions when you don't know the answer... Your question is a very good one, and hopefully VR James will chime in on this one too.... in the 23 years that I have been doing slabs, here are a few of the things I have learned and kind of use as "rules of thumb".... Slab sizes usually average around 63" x 110" - although as larger processing facilities install larger "gang saws" the blocks can be cut bigger that will yield a larger slab, but that will have maximum limits in most cases too, as the trucks that haul the blocks out of the quarries can only carry so much weight on the dirt roads out of the quarry (imagine what those roads look like during a rainy season?...YIKES!!!!). Slabs in the 70" x 120" range are not uncommon at all........(maybe back in the '80s but 20 years later, they're pretty common) Let's put it this way - as a Fabricator - I have seen the tallest slab measure in at 82" tall, and the longest slab I have ever workerd with was 143" long.... These are maximums, and most slabs will be smaller in both height and length, so the 63" x 110" benchmark has always worked for me....but many will be taller, longer or both..... hope that helps kevin

You can't be sure that a particular granite you want will come in a big enough slab. You'll have to keep an open mind and visit a stone yard to find one you like that is big enough. FWIW, we are getting Ceasarstone (had granite before, and just decided we wanted a different look), and designed the island's size based on the size of the slab (I ended up with 2 35" drawer stacks, a 4-1/2" filler for power, 24" microwave cabinet, 18" drawer stack, 3/4" panels on each end), which although nominally 120" really only allows for an island of 118" (plus 3/4" on each end, plus a little tolerance). I guess they need a little tolerance for making the edges.

budiningsih thank you so much. Your countertops look great. So the problem in my area is there are literally no white quartzites. I have been to so many enormous warehouses. The luce di luna/white macaubas here is beige. I was told all of the actual white quartzite is bought by fabricators before it hits the warehouse floor and is shipped to Nantucket etc. Princess White is the only one I have found with a white background with grey parts and not beige/tan. We like the grey but just want there to be enough of it to repeat and establish a pattern, so it does not look like a random blob. The first time I saw Princess White was at a place with a remnant and a cracked slab and ever since then I have been searching for real slabs. I knew it was what I had been searching for. After that I only found one place in all of MA that has it. Overall we want a white/grey kitchen so we are trying to avoid brown/tan/sand which is every other quartzite I have seen. I even told my fabricator I would drive anywhere in New England to look at other slabs but they had zero recommendations. Thank you so much for your help. I agree that a second quote would really help clarify whether I am getting ripped off or whether I will be making princess white cutting boards out of the leftovers for all of my family members for Christmas:)

I am a fabricator. Many fabricators have inventory of engineered stone ("quartz") products. For a long time all the ES colors were various homogeneous random patterns so there was little need for previewing slabs although it was still a good idea due to the manufacturers acceptance of so called "resin pools" which were often hideous visual flaws that could otherwise end up in your countertops. As the various engineered stone manufacturers developed the ability to produce slabs with movement it became much more important for the end user to preview the slabs and consult on the options for grain transitions at the seams. All you have to do is read this forum regularly to know how often a grain transition issue comes up. if you want a countertop with movement you either take the risk of getting rain transitions at seams you find highly objectionable or pick a fabricator with inventory and the expertise to involve you in the layout decisions prior to sawing.