Granite Countertops in North Charleston, SC

We put in granite countertops for North Charleston homeowners, from a single bath vanity to a full kitchen with an island. You choose the stone, and we measure your cabinets and plan every cut around them.

Why people build with granite

The U.S. Geological Survey says people have been building with granite for thousands of years.

The EPA says granite's durability and decorative appearance make it a popular building material in homes. It is one of several countertop materials on the EPA's list, along with quartz, marble, slate and man-made options. If you want to compare, we also fit quartz and marble tops.

City rules that can come up on a granite job

The City of North Charleston has its own plumbing permit, and its page says no work can be done until a permit is issued. The application has to include a contract that lays out the scope of work and the cost of materials and labor. The same page says work on the sewer line needs a second permit from the sewer district.

Then there are the outlets. The city's electrical permit page says all kitchen countertop receptacles, the outlets along the counter, must be GFCI protected. The Consumer Product Safety Commission describes a GFCI as a device built into your wiring or a power cord that guards you from severe electrical shocks. The city also says only a licensed electrician or a home builder can pull an electrical permit. If your new layout moves the sink or an outlet, we will tell you up front which permits your job needs.

Does granite give off radon?

The EPA describes radon as a radioactive gas with no color or smell that may cause lung cancer.

According to the EPA, granite can hold small veins of natural radioactive elements such as uranium and thorium, and the amount can change from one stone to the next, or even across a single slab. Any radon that does come off granite is usually thinned out by the air moving through your home, the EPA says. It calls it extremely unlikely that a granite countertop would push your yearly radiation dose above normal background levels. Radon seeping up from the ground under a house is the bigger and more common risk, in the EPA's words.

Dust from cutting granite

A report held in the CDC's library puts granite at about 30% crystalline silica, while engineered stone usually runs over 90%. OSHA says sawing, grinding and drilling stone, and making stone countertops, put workers in that silica dust. OSHA calls silicosis, the lung disease that dust causes, incurable, and says it can lead to disability and death. Whoever you hire, ask where your slab gets cut and how they keep the dust down.

How we put your quote together

We come out and measure before we price anything, and you get the quote in writing. The slab you pick, how many square feet of counter we cover, the edge shape and the number of cutouts for a sink or a cooktop, the burners set into the counter, all change what you pay. Your written quote should name:

• The granite by name and the slab thickness.
• A layout drawing with each seam and cutout marked.
• The edge profile you chose.
• Whether tearing out and hauling off the old tops is included.
• Who disconnects and reconnects the sink, faucet and cooktop.

Questions about granite countertops in North Charleston

Ready to price granite?

Call us or fill in the quote form with your ZIP code and the rooms you want done. We will measure, walk through slabs and edges with you, and send a written quote. See every countertop we fit on the North Charleston Countertops home page.