Quartzite countertops in Chantilly, VA

What quartzite is, and why people choose it

Quartzite starts as sandstone. Heat and pressure deep underground fuse its quartz grains into one dense rock, and the quarry cuts that rock into slabs. Nothing is mixed or poured, so the veining, the depth and the translucency are the stone’s own. That is the reason people pick quartzite: it can read like marble from across the room, yet it is usually a much harder stone.

It is also one of the few natural stones that light can pass through. Some quartzites, the Crystallo kitchen in Herndon, VA above among them, are thin and clear enough to glow when LED panels sit behind them. A backlit counter or backsplash takes planning before fabrication: the light panels, the wiring, the space behind the stone and access for service all have to be settled before the slab is cut.

Quartzite holds up to sunlight and weather better than engineered stone, because there is no resin in it to yellow or soften. That is why we use it outdoors, as on the Excalibur quartzite outdoor kitchen in McLean, VA further down this page, as well as inside.

Living with a quartzite countertop

Quartzite is hard, but it is still a natural stone with some porosity, and slabs differ. Most need sealing; how often depends on the stone, and we tell you what the slab you pick needs before you commit to it. Wipe spills up rather than leaving them overnight, use a cutting board to protect your knives, and clean with warm water and a mild soap. Heat is rarely a problem for the stone itself, though a trivet still protects the sealer and the seams.

One caution matters when you shop. Some stones are sold as quartzite but behave more like marble: softer, and liable to etch where lemon or vinegar sits. If you are unsure about a slab, ask us; we will tell you what we know about how that stone behaves. For granite, marble and quartzite, support depends on the stone; we will advise for yours. We stock both 2 cm and 3 cm.

Still comparing? Granite or quartz? sets quartzite beside the other materials we cut, and our quartz countertops page covers engineered stone, including printed quartz made to look like quartzite.

Choosing your quartzite slab in Chantilly

Come to the shop at 14805 Willard Rd, Ste H, Chantilly, VA 20151, near Dulles Airport. Walk-ins are welcome for slab viewing, no appointment needed. We are open Mon–Fri 7 AM–6 PM · Sat 7 AM–4 PM · Sun 12–4 PM. Walk the slab warehouse, look at the quartzite under shop light, and stand back from it, because a slab’s movement shows from a few steps away in a way a photo cannot.

If the kitchen needs two or three slabs, choose them together so the color and veining match. A 50% deposit holds a slab for one week. That gives you time to bring a cabinet door, a tile sample or your designer to see it.

How a quartzite job runs

1. Send your layout. A sketch with rough sizes, a photo of the room and your town are enough. Mark the sink, the cooktop and any seating or overhang.
2. Pick the slab. Choose the actual quartzite on our racks, or tell us the slab number from our online inventory.
3. Digital template. We measure with Prodim digital templating on site once your cabinets are installed. If we are mounting your sink, send us its make and model. Major brands such as Kohler and Kraus publish cutout templates, so the model is all we need. Many unbranded sinks bought online don't, and then the sink has to be on site when we measure. The faucet doesn't need to be there. Just tell us what you bought: single hole or 3 holes, 4-inch or 8-inch spread, plus any soap dispenser or garbage-disposal button. Small holes like these we can drill on site.
4. Approve the layout. Before we cut, you approve a layout drawn on photos of your actual slab, including seam and vein placement. Vein matching is standard on our jobs. On quartzite this step decides where the strongest vein runs on the island and how the pattern turns a corner.
5. Cut and finish. We cut on a BACA robotic SawJet and on Donatoni and Park Industries CNC machines. Each cutout is made to the sink, cooktop and faucet you named, and every edge is polished here before it leaves.
6. Install. Our own install crew sets and levels the pieces and joins the seams. Usually 2–3 business days from the day we measure, when your slab comes from our yard. Special-order stone takes longer. Your countertops are ready once the silicone dries, usually 5–8 hours after installation.

Quartzite brands and suppliers

We are an authorized fabricator for MSI, Cambria and Cosentino. Most quartzite is quarried and sold by stone importers rather than by the quartz brands, so our racks carry quartzite from several suppliers. We write the color first and the supplier after it, because the same name can mean a different stone from a different quarry. We also fabricate Caesarstone, LG Viatera, Daltile and Venezia, plus slabs bought elsewhere.

What a quartzite quote covers

Your quote shows fabrication, installation and templating, with cutouts, edge upgrades, backsplash and supports listed as separate lines. With quartzite the stone itself moves the total most: colors vary widely, and a dramatic or translucent slab costs more than a quiet one. Square footage, the edge, the number of cutouts, backlighting work and any tear-out move it too.

An eased edge is standard. Mitered and waterfall edges are quoted as upgrades. We remove and haul away old countertops. We disconnect the plumbing before we remove the old top. We don't reconnect plumbing and aren't responsible for it. We give you two plumber references to contact directly. Tear-out and the plumbing disconnect each appear as separate lines on your quote. For a number, send your drawing and we will price it line by line. How our pricing works.

Where we install quartzite

We cut every quartzite top in Chantilly and our own crews install it across Fairfax and Loudoun counties, Arlington, Alexandria and the rest of Northern Virginia, as well as in Washington DC and Maryland. An outdoor kitchen follows the same steps once its base is built.

See where we install for every county and city. Tell us your town when you send your sketch.