Buyers Guide
How to Measure Your Kitchen Worktops
The Bottom Line
Get a fast, accurate online quote in minutes. Getting an instant price for your new quartz or sintered stone worktops is incredibly straightforward. You do not need to be a professional surveyor or a kitchen fitter to use our online Quote Builder. All we require are a few basic dimensions to calculate the amount of material and fabrication work involved. The most important thing to remember is that you do not need to be millimetre perfect at this stage. Once you accept your quote, our Stevenage-based templating team will visit your home with advanced laser-measuring equipment to capture the exact, final dimensions before a single piece of stone is cut.
1. Sketch a Simple Floor Plan
Grab a piece of paper and draw a rough bird’s-eye view of your kitchen layout.
Identify the Shape
Is your kitchen an L-shape, a U-shape, or a simple straight galley run?
Include the Island
If you are having a kitchen island or a freestanding breakfast bar, draw a separate rectangle for this.
Label the Pieces
Break the worktops down into rectangular sections (e.g., Run A, Run B, Island) to make it easier to enter into the calculator.
2. Measure the Length and Depth
Grab a standard tape measure. We recommend working in millimetres (mm) or centimetres (cm), as these are the standard units used in the UK kitchen industry.
Measuring Length
Measure along the back wall for each straight run of cabinets. If your worktop will overhang an exposed end panel, add an extra 20mm to your measurement to account for the overhang.
Measuring Depth
Standard base cabinets in the UK require a worktop depth of around 600mm to 620mm. If you are measuring an island, simply measure the total width and total length of the island units, remembering to add any extra depth if you plan to have a seating overhang for bar stools.
3. Identify Your Cutouts
Fabrication costs rely heavily on the holes our stonemasons need to cut into the slab. Note down the following on your sketch:
The Sink
Are you having an undermount sink (where the stone sits over the sink lip) or an overmount/inset sink (where the sink drops in and rests on top of the stone)? Undermount sinks require polished inside edges, which changes the fabrication cost.
The Hob
Note the approximate width of your hob (e.g., standard 600mm or a wider 900mm induction hob).
Tap Holes
Count how many holes need to be drilled for your main tap, boiling water taps, or pop-up sockets.
4. Choose Your Finishing Touches
To get the most accurate price from the Quote Builder, think about the aesthetic extras that complete the kitchen.
Upstands
These are the small strips of matching quartz that run along the back wall to seamlessly bridge the gap between the worktop and the wall. Measure the total length of the walls that will require upstands.
Splashbacks
If you want a full piece of stone behind your hob, measure the width of the hob area and the height from the worktop to the extractor fan.
Drainer Grooves
If you are choosing an undermount sink, decide if you want our CNC machines to mill sloped drainage grooves directly into the stone beside the sink.
5. Enter Your Details into the Quote Builder
Once you have your rough dimensions and cutouts noted down on your sketch, simply click the "Start Your Quote" button. The calculator will guide you through entering these details step by step, allowing you to instantly swap between different brands and colours to see how it affects your final price.
The Cawdor Peace of Mind Guarantee
| The Cawdor Process | What Happens Next? |
|---|---|
| 1. Your Online Estimate | You use your rough tape measurements to get a budget price. |
| 2. Professional Templating | Our expert team visits your home and uses laser technology to create a flawless digital template. |
| 3. Precision Fabrication | We cut your chosen stone in our Stevenage workshop using the exact laser measurements. |
| 4. Flawless Installation | Your new worktops fit perfectly, first time. |
Ready to Get Started?
Use the Quote Builder
Enter your rough dimensions and instantly compare prices across hundreds of quartz and sintered stone designs. No commitment required.
Visit Our Showroom
If you prefer hands-on guidance, our Stevenage showroom team can help you measure, choose your stone and walk you through the entire process in person.
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Ready to See Prices for Your Kitchen?
Ready to get your instant price? Use our Quote Builder to see exactly how much your new worktops will cost.
Start Your Quote