If you want high quality, be prepared to pay for it.

Shop several places and compare!

you need to shop around. some fabricators are able to give better prices because they purchase large volume of certain brands. for example, my guy buys literally hundreds of Silestone so i was able to get it for 25% less than competitors. But my guy's price on MSI was much higher than that of others.

^^^agree with ST - if you have a fabricator definitely ask them first.

The longer you shop, the lower the price will go. I avoid customers who shop on price alone, I never bid, and have plenty of work.

Everyone wants to save costs. That's totally normal. When shopping for countertop not only do you want the best product, you also want the best install.

I would get 2-3 quotes from reputable countertop fabricators who have been in business for years. Companies who have their own trained, employees who do the installs.

I have seen clients go for the cheaper bid of the estimates who ended up with the stone at a better price, however they ended up with an install that was obviously, subpar.

You can get it cheaper when it's cheaply done.

If it's too cheap, buyer beware.

When you are shopping, ask the seller if they have any suggestions as to how to get a better price. They may be able to suggest a comparable product at a lower price or counsel you on how to choose options which avoid costly upcharges. If you know exactly what you must have, be prepared to pay exactly the amount quoted. If you want a good result and are open to suggestions and compromises, be sure to mention that option. Sometimes you want just the right item for a great result but some circumstances only require a good result.

The seller may have a special deal on some materials due to an overstock, closeout, cancelled special order or able to combine your order with another to use material more efficiently. If you are flexible on schedule, let them know. Don't shop for a good price, shop instead for a good value which is a combination of material, price, workmanship and low hassle factor.

Q.: How is this any different from negotiating anything?

A.: It's not.

This is going to depend on how you source the material.

Where I am located, you purchase the stone from the stone yard directly and then arrange for your fabricator to pick it up and install and that is a separate price for fabrication/installation negotiated with the installer.

As others have posted, it's not different than any other aspect of home renovation. I wouldn't use a fabricator or any other trades person who wasn't recommended or in some other way I knew produced high quality work. Quality of work is more important to me than price but obviously high price doesn't necessarily correlate with high quality work.

We did business with a specialty shop that had been in business quite a while and specialized in kitchen remodeling. They dealt with a high-priced and a middle-priced quartz and provided the fabricator. Everything was very clearly explained and written in a contract with the timeline for the installation. Our consultant was in touch with us every step of the way and kept us informed and offered suggestions for a new sink and faucet purchase. This is what I would recommend -- a shop owned locally and references they can offer of their work. I would not use a box store. Good luck!

I went to two places, but one sold it by the square foot instead of making me pay for an entire slab. That brought the price down considerably. I would just visit different show rooms abd compare.

I sought quotes from several places, just so I could get an idea of the ballpark range (since I had absolutely no idea what prices to expect). There was about $1k range from highest to lowest quote. After that, I looked closely at the fabrication quality & plan, including proposed seam location, support product used for overhang, underside polishing of overhang, craftsmanship of edge, etc. We ended up choosing a quote on the high end of the cost range, in order to get the quality of fabrication we wanted. However, without having shopped our project around to several places, we wouldn't have been able to notice those important differences in fabrication!

We have all seen the triangle... "Good... Fast... Cheap... Pick two."

What I was hoping for was slightly different. For example, a friend wanted to purchase a used car. He was guided to understand the Kelly Blue Book to determine first what a dealer would purchase it for as part of trade-in. He was then given a formula for ascertaining what the price of the vehicle would go for at auction. He then applied the 20% standard targeted markup used car dealers seek as the floor and negotiated accordingly...

Your comparison is flawed. When you buy a car, that's all you're buying,. When you buy quartz you're getting the stone and/and the expertise of the fabricator. There is no green or blue book for skill.

Reread @oldryder answer above.

BUYERS BEWARE!!!! Many distributors are selling "throwbacks" aka damaged slabs and offering a discount with no warranty. The public is fooled into thinking they are getting a premium product at a deal. Instead, buy directly from the manufacturer. Always go the day it is being picked up or delivered to be sure there is no bait and switch. Avoid subpar cheaper slabs made in China. Do your research!

And your proof of this happening is linked where?