Why Can Sintered Stone Be Affordable While Fabrication and Installation Cost So Much?
Compare total installed cost across a consistent scope, including material, fabrication, logistics, installation, waste and maintenance.
Project sintered stone cannot be priced by one square-meter rate
Buyers often ask for a price per square meter, but the final installed cost of project sintered stone usually extends well beyond the slab price.
Site measurement, layout, cutting, cutouts, edge finishing, mitres, steel frames, hardware, accessories, packaging, transport, vertical delivery, installation, waste and after-sales service may all contribute to cost.
What significantly increases fabrication cost?
Large formats, irregular shapes, waterjet work, complex cutouts, 45-degree mitres, very high installations and work at height all increase fabrication and installation difficulty.
Two projects using the same slab model at the same material price per square meter can therefore have entirely different final totals.
Transport and handling are also part of the cost
Large slabs require suitable racks, multi-point support, handling equipment, enough workers and a planned site route.
Between the warehouse and the finished wall, a slab may pass through trucks, unloading areas, lifts, stairs, corridors and corners. A difficult route raises both handling cost and risk.
Confirm the handling route during procurement and construction planning, not after the slabs arrive on site.
How detailed should the quotation be?
At minimum, define the slabs, model, thickness, quantity, fabrication, cutting, edge finishing, cutouts, steel frames, rails, hardware, adhesives, packaging, transport, vertical delivery, installation, waste, taxes and warranty.
A quotation that only says “installation included” makes it difficult to know what is covered and invites later extras.
Why should slab prices not be compared alone?
If Supplier A quotes only slabs while Supplier B includes slabs, fabrication, packaging and transport, the two offers do not cover the same scope.
Standardize specifications, details and services before comparing total prices.
For an unusually low quote, ask whether it includes hardware, steelwork, cutouts, high-rise handling, finished-work protection and warranty.
Project buyers should compare total installed cost
A more meaningful formula is: material + fabrication + logistics + installation + waste + future maintenance.
Only after these items are separated can you tell whether a quote is genuinely lower or simply postpones part of the cost.