Color that matches the sample
Because the slab is made rather than quarried, its internal structure is uniform. The small sample you hold at the kitchen table is a fair picture of the whole top, which is not true of any natural stone.
Engineered Quartz Countertops for Busy Asheville Kitchens
Buncombe Custom Countertops is Buncombe County's trusted source for quartz countertops in Asheville, NC, specializing in engineered stone kitchen tops, undermount sink cutouts and seam-matched quartz islands. We offer polished and honed quartz finishes and matching quartz vanity tops.
- Free in-home measure
- Slab approved before any cut
- Licensed, bonded & insured
Get a free countertop estimate
Or call (828) 470-1105. Calls only, we do not receive text messages.
About our quartz countertops
Our team provides full shop fabrication of engineered quartz, delivering low-maintenance countertops for family kitchens and dependable work surfaces for both residential and commercial projects. The same crew that templates on your installed cabinets carries the finished pieces in and sets them, so the person who measured your kitchen is the person who answers for the fit.
From placing seams where the even pattern of a quartz slab hides them to tear-out of the old top and the final bead of silicone under an undermount sink, our team handles every detail. Serving Asheville, Woodfin and Weaverville, we book the measure around your household and write the install date on the quote.
Why Buncombe Custom Countertops
How We Work
The crew that measures your kitchen is the crew that sets the tops.
Written quoteSlab, edge profile, cutouts and seams listed line by line
Slab firstYou approve the slab, or the quartz sample, before we cut
Templated on siteMeasured on your cabinets after they are set and level
Access checkedThe drive, the steps and the carry path looked at before install day
Why homeowners in Buncombe County choose quartz
Quartz is the pick for a kitchen that gets used hard and cleaned fast: it holds one consistent color from slab to slab, it never needs sealing, and it resists stains better than most surfaces a family puts food on. Engineered quartz is roughly 90 to 93 percent ground silica by weight, held in a polyester resin that makes up the rest, pressed under vacuum by the vibrocompression method the Italian firm Breton developed. That manufacturing is what separates it from granite or quartzite, and it explains every strength on this list.
No sealing schedule
The body of the slab is non porous, so there is nothing for a sealer to fill. Cambria's own care guidance says its quartz never requires sealing, polishing or reconditioning, and warm water with a mild soap is the routine.
Stain resistance you can test
Independent testing reported by Consumer Reports found engineered quartz the most resistant to discoloration from foods and household products among common countertop surfaces. Coffee rings, turmeric and red wine wipe off rather than soak in.
Toughness from the resin
The resin gives the slab a little give that raw stone lacks, which improves impact resistance at the edge of a sink or along a busy island where pots get set down hard.
Heat and quartz: where a trivet still matters
Quartz handles everyday warmth, but a pan straight off a burner can scorch or crack it, so a trivet or hot pad belongs under anything that has just left the stove or oven. The resin that makes quartz stain resistant is also its limit. Published material data puts engineered stone as unaffected below about 150 degrees Celsius, roughly 300 degrees Fahrenheit, and notes it can be damaged by sudden temperature changes. A cast iron skillet coming off high heat is well past that.
Manufacturers say the same thing in plain words. Caesarstone's care page tells owners to always place hot cookware on a trivet or hot pad, and Cambria's lists slow cookers, air fryers, electric griddles and roaster ovens among the appliances that should sit on a closed-weave pad or a breadboard, since the heat builds for hours in one spot.
In a busy kitchen the practical answer is layout, not worry. When we plan a quartz kitchen we talk through where the hot things land: a stretch of counter beside the range for a trivet, a spot for the slow cooker away from a seam, and an island edge that does not become the default place to drop a sheet pan. The same resin is why quartz stays indoors; it is not meant for a sunny deck.
Choosing a quartz color from samples
With quartz you choose from samples and a supplier's catalog, not from a slab on a rack, because the color is consistent enough that the sample tells you the truth. That saves a trip and makes it easy to compare a dozen whites side by side under your own kitchen light, which is the light that matters.
- Solid and speckled colors hide seams best. The even pattern continues across the joint and the eye does not find it.
- Veined designs made to look like marble need more thought. The veins run in one direction on the slab, so the seam layout decides whether a vein flows around an L or stops dead at the corner.
- Honed finishes read softer and show fingerprints less on dark colors; polished finishes reflect light into a kitchen with small windows.
- Thickness and edge profile change the look more than people expect. A thicker, square edge on an island reads heavier than the same color with an eased edge.
For a veined quartz, we mark the seam positions on the shop drawing before cutting and show you where each joint falls, so the vein layout is a decision you made rather than a surprise on install day.
How a quartz job runs from measure to install
A quartz project runs in five steps, and each one is booked with you in advance and written on the quote.
- Measure and quote. We look at the cabinets, the sink, the range and the path from the driveway, and price the job in writing.
- Templating. The template is taken on the installed, level cabinets, never from a plan, because an inch of drift along an old wall shows at the backsplash.
- Layout approval. You see where the seams and the sink cutout fall and sign off before any slab is cut.
- Shop fabrication. Every cut, cutout and edge is made in the shop, not in your kitchen. Engineered stone is at least 93 percent silica according to OSHA, and OSHA notes that applying water to a blade when cutting stone substantially reduces the dust it creates, which is the reason that work belongs on a shop floor.
- Installation. The pieces are set, seams are filled and leveled, and the undermount sink is attached with a silicone joint. A licensed plumber disconnects and reconnects the faucet and drain, before and after.
Quartz countertop cost in Asheville
Quartz countertops in Asheville are typically estimated at roughly $60 to $150 per square foot installed, with the brand line, the thickness and the number of slabs moving the figure most. A standard kitchen of about 30 to 40 square feet in quartz is usually estimated in the range of roughly $2,500 to $6,000, and a large island or a veined designer color pushes that higher.
What moves a quartz price:
- Square footage and slab count, including whether an island forces a second slab.
- Color group. Plain and speckled colors usually sit lower than veined designs.
- Thickness and edge profile.
- Seams and where they fall, especially with a veined pattern.
- Cutouts for an undermount sink, a cooktop or a faucet.
- Overhang support for seating at an island or peninsula.
- Tear-out and disposal of the old top.
- Leveling cabinets that have settled.
- Access: a steep or gravel drive, stairs up to a raised house, or a long carry from where the truck can park, which is a real cost in the hills around Asheville.
The sink and faucet disconnect and reconnect is plumbing, done by a licensed plumber, and it is listed separately on the quote so you can see it. These figures are estimates, they are subject to change with material prices and your kitchen's details, and the written quote after the free in-home measure sets the final price.
Quartz for builders, cabinet shops and rental owners
Quartz is also the easiest material to repeat, which is why trade buyers ask for it. A builder can put one color in every house on a street and know the fifth kitchen will match the first. A rental owner gets a top with no sealing schedule, so nothing is forgotten between tenants. A cabinet shop or remodeler can quote a client from a sample chip with confidence. If you buy countertops for more than one kitchen, call and ask about a trade account; we template on your installed boxes and schedule around your other trades.
Same Cabinets, New Countertops
Drag the handle. The cabinets stayed; only the top changed.
BeforeAfter
BeforeAfterThe process
How a Countertop Job Runs
The measure
We come to the house, look at the cabinets, the walls and the way in from the driveway, and talk through materials and edges.
The written quote
You get the slab, the edge, the cutouts, the seam plan and the dates in writing. Nothing is cut until you sign off.
Template and fabrication
Once the cabinets are set and level, we template them, then cut and finish the tops in the shop to that template.
Install and walk-through
We set and join the tops, then walk the finished kitchen with you before we call it done.
Questions
Quartz Countertops: Common Questions
Do quartz countertops need to be sealed?
No. Engineered quartz is non porous, so there is nothing for a sealer to soak into, and its manufacturers say it never needs sealing. Clean it with warm water and a mild soap, and skip abrasive pads and harsh chemicals that can dull the resin at the surface.
Can I set a hot pan on a quartz countertop?
Not straight from the burner or oven. Quartz is unaffected by ordinary warmth, but the resin can scorch or crack from high heat or a sudden temperature change, so use a trivet or hot pad under hot cookware and under appliances that run for hours, like a slow cooker or an air fryer.
What changes the price of a quartz kitchen most?
The square footage and how many slabs it takes come first, then the color group, thickness, edge, cutouts and any island overhang support. Tear-out, cabinet leveling and a hard carry up a steep drive add to it. Your written quote after the measure sets the final price.
How long does it take from the measure to installation?
It depends on the color you choose, whether the supplier has it in stock, and how soon your cabinets are ready to template. We set the dates at the measure and write them on the quote rather than promising a number of days on a website.
Can you install quartz on my existing cabinets?
Usually, yes. Quartz is heavy, so we check that the boxes are sound, level and fixed to the wall at the measure. Cabinets that have shifted are shimmed and leveled before templating, and any that cannot carry stone are pointed out before you commit.
Who takes care of the sink and faucet?
We cut the sink and faucet openings in the shop and attach an undermount sink to the stone at installation. Disconnecting and reconnecting the faucet and drain is plumbing, and a licensed plumber does that part, shown as its own line on your quote.
Do you install quartz outside Asheville?
Yes. We work across Buncombe County, including Weaverville, Woodfin, Black Mountain, Swannanoa, Fairview, Arden and Candler. Call with your address and we will book the measure.
My house is up a steep gravel drive. Can you still get a slab in?
Usually, with planning. We walk the drive, the steps and the doorways at the measure, and if the carry is tight we plan the seams so each piece fits the route. Access is priced into the quote so it is not a surprise later.
Free in-home measure
Talk to us about quartz countertops
Free measures across Buncombe County. Builders, cabinet shops and property owners can send drawings for a bid.
Licensed, bonded & insured. Calls only, we do not receive text messages.