Kitchen Countertop Replacement in Dearborn, MI

Kitchen countertop replacement makes sense in many Dearborn homes where the cabinets are still good, but the laminate is peeling, the tile grout is stained or the old granite is chipped and dated. New tops change the room without the cost and weeks of a full remodel. The work involves more than swapping one slab for another, though, and planning it well is what keeps your kitchen out of commission for the shortest time.

What comes out

Tear-out depends on what you have now. Laminate tops are screwed up through the cabinet corner blocks and usually lift off once the screws and caulk are cut. Tile counters come off with their mortar bed and plywood or cement board underlayment. Old stone is often glued to the cabinets and has to be cut loose carefully so the face frames are not cracked. In homes from the 1940s and 1950s, older layers of tops are sometimes stacked under newer ones. HomeGuide lists removal at about $7 to $14 per square foot for granite, and Fixr puts old-countertop removal at about $50 to $300 for a typical kitchen. Your quote states whether removal and disposal are included.

The sink, faucet and appliances

The sink is disconnected before tear-out and reconnected after install. If you are switching from a drop-in sink to an undermount, the sink must be on site before the template so the cutout fits it exactly. A cooktop also needs its cutout specs. If you want to move the sink, add a dishwasher or add a prep sink on the island, that is new plumbing, and in Dearborn it falls under a city plumbing permit. The city's form lists a $100 administrative fee plus an $80 minimum permit fee, and a licensed plumber must be on site for inspections.

Backsplash timing

If your old backsplash is tile set on top of the old counter, it often gets damaged when the counter comes out. Most homeowners replace the backsplash at the same time. We remove the bottom course or the full splash as needed, and new tile goes in after the counters are installed. A 4-inch stone splash cut from the same slab is a simple alternative.

How long you will be without a kitchen

The usual sequence is: measure and quote, choose material, tear out and template, fabricate, install. Because the template is taken after the old tops are removed, there is a gap while the new tops are fabricated, often several days to a couple of weeks depending on the material. For families that cook every day, that gap is the hard part. Options include templating over the existing tops when the cabinets will not move, setting up a temporary counter or sink, and scheduling the tear-out right before a slower week. We talk through the timeline at the estimate and put it in writing.

Surprises in older kitchens

Removing old tops sometimes reveals water damage at the sink base, cabinets that are badly out of level or walls that need patching behind the old splash. If we find something that affects the install, we stop, show you, and agree any added work in writing before going further.