A steel rack shaped like the letter A that stores slabs standing on edge, leaning slightly back against each side. Slabs are loaded evenly on both sides so the rack cannot tip, and small A-frames on trucks carry finished pieces to the job on edge.

A voluntary credential from a private body that audits a company against its standard. In the stone trade the main one is Natural Stone Institute accreditation, held by 98 U.S. fabricators as of May 2026; some commercial specs require it to bid.

Silicone sealant that releases acetic acid as it cures and smells like vinegar. The acid can etch polished marble, limestone, travertine and onyx and corrode metal sink clips, so stone installers use neutral-cure silicone instead.

Under OSHA's silica standard, an airborne respirable crystalline silica level of 25 µg/m³ averaged over an 8-hour day, half the legal limit. Reaching it triggers ongoing exposure monitoring, and workers exposed at or above it for 30 or more days a year must be offered medical surveillance.

The 2010 federal accessibility standards that apply to government buildings, businesses open to the public and commercial facilities. For countertops they set knee and toe clearance (Section 306) and a maximum height of 36 inches for sales and service counters. Private single-family homes are not covered.

Any charge that is not part of the base square-foot price, such as an upgraded edge, a sink or cooktop cutout, extra faucet holes, a backsplash, a waterfall, vein matching, tear-out or travel.

A person or company, usually a general contractor, added to a fabricator's liability policy by an endorsement so the policy also protects them. A certificate of insurance alone does not make anyone an additional insured; the endorsement does.

Committing a specific slab in inventory to a sold job. It is firmer than a hold, which only reserves a slab while a customer decides.

A builder pricing model where the base house price includes a builder-grade countertop (the allowance) and the homebuyer pays the difference for an upgrade (the overage).

The sharp line where two faces of stone meet, such as the top surface and the sawn front edge. A raw arris chips at the first knock, which is why even the plainest edge is eased with a small radius or chamfer.

One direction a machine can move or rotate. A basic bridge saw or router moves on 3 axes: X (along the table), Y (across it) and Z (up and down). A 5-axis machine adds A (blade or spindle tilt) and C (head rotation), which lets it cut miters and bevels without moving the slab.

A closed-cell foam rope pressed into a wide gap before caulking. It keeps the caulk bead about 1/4 inch deep and stops the caulk from sticking to the back of the joint, so it can stretch without tearing.

The vertical surface on the wall behind a countertop. Stone shops sell a short 4-inch splash cut from the countertop stone and a full-height slab backsplash that runs up to the upper cabinets, usually about 18 inches.

A raised counter at about 42 inches, compared with 36 inches for a standard kitchen counter and 30 inches for a table. Stools and knee space are sized to match.

A flat angled cut across the top corner of an edge, usually at 45 degrees. A small bevel of 1/8 to 1/4 inch is often called a chamfer; a bold one runs to 1/2 inch or more.

The large piece of stone cut from the quarry face, typically 8 to 10 feet long and 20,000 to 40,000 lb. Blocks are sawn into slabs at a processing plant, much like slicing a loaf of bread.

The metal or resin that holds the diamond grit on a blade, bit or pad. As the bond wears, it exposes fresh diamonds. Hard, abrasive stone such as granite needs a softer bond that releases dull diamonds quickly; soft stone such as marble needs a harder bond.

Two slabs cut one after the other from the same block, whose touching faces were both polished, laid side by side with one flipped like the page of a book. The pattern mirrors across the seam. Some engineered quartz is also sold in bookmatched pairs.

The one step in a shop that limits how many jobs finish each week. Adding capacity anywhere else raises cost without raising output.

The monthly sales volume at which revenue covers all costs, both the costs of each job and the fixed costs the shop owes every month.

A saw with a large diamond blade, usually 14 to 16 inches across, that hangs from a gantry (the bridge) running on rails over a flat table, with water flooding the cut. Manual saws make straight cuts; CNC bridge saws cut programmed shapes and miters to within about 1/32 inch.

A textured finish made with abrasive brushes, the same process as a leathered finish but usually lighter. The two terms overlap in the trade, so look at a sample.

The entry-level material and options included in a builder's base price, typically a Level 1 granite or basic quartz with an eased edge and a standard sink cutout.

A rounded edge profile. A full bullnose rounds the top and bottom into one half circle; a half bullnose rounds only the top corner. Many price sheets use "bullnose" alone to mean full bullnose, so confirm which one is meant.

A set of slabs sawn in sequence from one block and kept together, numbered in order, usually 4 to 10 slabs. Slabs from the same bundle look most alike, so multi-slab jobs are pulled from one bundle when possible.

A rough texture made by pounding the stone surface with a hammer head covered in pyramid-shaped teeth. It is used mostly on paving and steps.

A joint where two square-cut edges meet flat against each other, the most common seam type. It contrasts with a miter, where both pieces are cut at an angle.

An organization that pools the purchases of many independent shops to get better prices on stone, tooling and supplies. Some are member-owned co-ops that pay rebates.

Drawing software used to turn a template into an exact shop drawing of every countertop piece.

California's state workplace safety agency. Its silica rule (Title 8 section 5204) was made permanent in 2025 with extra requirements for engineered stone, and in September 2026 it drafted an emergency ban on fabricating engineered stone above 1% crystalline silica. Comments closed September 30, 2026, and as of October 3, 2026, no Standards Board vote had been scheduled (it is not on the October 15 agenda). Check Cal/OSHA for current status.

A family of white Italian marbles with bold gray or gold veining, priced at the top of the marble range. The name is also borrowed for marble-look quartz and porcelain designs.

Calcium carbonate, the main mineral in marble, limestone, travertine and onyx. Acids such as lemon juice and vinegar dissolve it, which causes etching. True granite and quartzite contain essentially none.

A slab ground to an even thickness across its whole face. Uncalibrated natural stone can vary a few millimeters from end to end, which shows at seams.

Any return trip to a finished job to fix something, whether the cause was the shop, another trade or no one.

Software that turns a finished drawing into toolpaths: which tool the machine uses, in what order, how deep and how fast.

Any part of a countertop that sticks out past its support with nothing underneath, such as a seating overhang. Weight on it bends the stone over the cabinet edge.

A white to gray Italian marble with soft, feathery gray veining, usually the least expensive of the well-known Italian marbles.

A flexible sealant, for stone usually 100% silicone, that fills the joint between the countertop and the wall or backsplash. It is used because those surfaces move independently and grout would crack.

A one-page form, often an ACORD 25, that summarizes a company's insurance policies and limits. Customers and contractors ask for it before work starts.

A small bevel, typically 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide, cut across a sharp corner.

A joint where two surfaces meet at an angle, such as countertop and backsplash. Industry installation standards call for a flexible sealant there, not grout.

A signed amendment to the contract that describes a change in scope, its price and its effect on the schedule. Every change after signing needs one, including changes that cost nothing.

An edge chipped by hand or air hammer into an irregular, quarry-like face while the top stays polished or honed. It suits granite, quartzite and outdoor work.

An international shipping term where the seller pays ocean freight and insurance to the destination port, and the buyer handles customs and inland trucking from there.

A tank designed to settle fine stone particles out of shop water quickly, often with angled plates or tubes to pack a lot of settling area into a small space.

The share of quotes that turn into signed jobs.

Machine control by a computer that follows a digital file, used on saws, routers and waterjets to cut shapes, holes and profiles the same way every time.

A computer-controlled spindle machine that swaps diamond tools to cut sink and cooktop openings, drill faucet holes, and shape and polish edge profiles. Most shops cut pieces on a saw and finish them on the router.

A penetrating sealer that darkens stone and deepens its color, much as water does, while also protecting against stains.

Supplies used up in fabrication: blades, polishing pads, router bits, adhesive, sealer. They typically run about $1.50 to $3 per finished square foot (2026 U.S. range).

A full shipping container of slabs imported directly from a quarry country. It can cut material cost but ties up cash and shifts freight, customs, damage and quality risk onto the buyer.

A web page or app where a builder, contractor or designer logs in to see all their jobs with a shop: status, dates, drawings, documents and invoices, often with trade pricing and a way to submit new jobs.

The opening cut for a cooktop or rangetop, sized from the appliance's installation guide, with rounded inside corners and enough stone left in front and behind to carry the load.

A bracket mounted under a countertop overhang to support it, often decorative wood, metal or stone. Hidden flat steel brackets do the same job out of sight.

A tube-shaped diamond drill bit that cuts round holes, such as the standard 1-3/8 inch faucet hole, by grinding a ring and leaving a solid core.

The rounded inside corner of a sink, cooktop or notch cutout. A square inside corner concentrates stress and cracks, so shops use at least about 3/8 inch (10 mm), often 1/2 inch or more on marble, and drill relief holes at tight corners.

Costs that come with each job: the slab including its waste, consumables, direct labor for templating, fabrication and install, and subcontracted work.

Setting a price by adding up material, labor and overhead and then adding a markup. It is common on trade and institutional bids that require cost documentation.

The finished height of a standard kitchen countertop, about 36 inches from the floor. Standard base cabinets are about 34-1/2 inches tall, and the stone and any subtop make up the rest.

The horizontal work surface fitted over base cabinets or other supports in a kitchen, bathroom, bar or laundry. In stone shops each countertop is templated to the site, cut from slabs, finished and installed as one or more pieces.

A concave, scooped curve in an edge profile. It appears at the top of a cove dupont edge, and some shops also sell a standalone cove edge; the names are not standardized, so check the sample.

A break through the stone whose two sides are separated or offset. It often cuts across the grain and can widen over time. Compare fissure, a natural feature that is usually not structural.

Software that keeps every lead, customer, contact and open quote in one place so follow-ups happen.

Placing pieces from several jobs in the same material on one slab to use it more fully.

Silicon dioxide in crystal form, mainly quartz. Its fine dust causes silicosis when breathed. Engineered quartz is roughly 90% or more crystalline silica, quartzite often over 90%, granite up to about 45%, porcelain and sintered stone roughly 5 to 25% depending on the product, and marble very little.

A cast product of crushed limestone or marble mixed with polyester resin and coated with a thin clear gel coat. The sink bowl is often molded in, which makes it a common vanity top.

The time an adhesive, sealant or sealer needs to reach full strength. Two-part stone adhesives usually set in minutes and cure fully in about 24 hours at room temperature; cold stone slows curing.

A web page, usually opened from a link, where a customer can see job status, dates, documents and drawings, and sometimes approve layouts or pay online.

Any opening cut through a countertop: sink, cooktop, faucet holes, outlets or accessories.

Daily fees charged when an import container stays at the port or with the buyer longer than the free period, often because of customs delays.

Money paid when the contract is signed, usually to buy the slab and hold a place in the schedule. Some states cap it; California limits a home improvement deposit to $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less. The shop owes the deposit back in work until the job is delivered.

A steel saw blade with diamond grit held in a bond on segments or a continuous rim. It has no teeth; the diamonds grind the stone into slurry. Segmented blades cut fast; continuous-rim blades cut smoother and suit brittle materials such as porcelain.

Measuring installed cabinets with a digital device, such as a contact digitizer (wire or stylus), a laser or a camera system, that records points and produces a CAD file, usually a DXF, that goes straight into the shop's software. Field accuracy is typically 1/32 to 1/16 inch.

A digital templating device that records each point by touching it with a probe on a retractable wire or arm, so it works around obstructions without line of sight. The Prodim Proliner is a contact digitizer, not a laser.

Natural stone quarried and cut to specific sizes and shapes, such as slabs, tiles and blocks, as opposed to crushed stone. Countertop granite, marble and quartzite are dimension stone.

A wholesaler that imports or buys slabs and sells them to fabricators, usually through a slab yard where customers can view stock.

A carbonate stone made mostly of the mineral dolomite, a little harder than calcite marble (Mohs 3.5 to 4). It etches more slowly than marble but still etches, and it is sometimes sold as quartzite.

Shallow grooves routed into the countertop beside a sink and sloped toward it, so water drains off dishes into the bowl.

A sink with a rim that rests on top of the countertop and hides the cut edge of the stone. It is cheaper and more forgiving than an undermount, but the rim collects grime.

Assembling pieces without adhesive to check fit, alignment and vein match before bonding, in the shop or on site.

Setting the cut and finished pieces out together in the shop before delivery to check seams, color, vein flow and fit. Not the same as a dry layout, which places templates on uncut slabs.

Laying slabs flat in the shop and placing the templates or chalk lines on them so the customer or fabricator can see exactly which part of the stone goes where.

A natural plane of weakness in stone, often along a vein, that looks like a fissure but may be partly open. It needs judgment and sometimes stabilizing with resin or placing away from stress points.

An edge where the flat top drops over a small vertical step, then curves down and under. The step chips most easily and must line up exactly across seams.

An open drawing file format published by Autodesk in 1982. It is the standard way templates and drawings move between templating devices, CAD software and CNC machines.

A flat vertical edge whose top and usually bottom arris are softened with a small radius or chamfer of about 1/16 to 1/8 inch. It is the default edge at most shops. Some shops use "flat polish" for an edge with no ease at all, so check the sample.

A machine that grinds and polishes straight edges as pieces travel past a row of heads, each with a finer grit.

The cross-section shape of a finished countertop edge: square with a softened corner, rounded, angled, S-curved, stepped, or thickened with an extra strip of stone.

A diamond tool with a single layer of diamonds on its surface. It cuts fast but is done when that layer wears through.

A man-made slab of crushed stone or quartz held together with resin; in practice it usually means engineered quartz. Australia banned engineered stone from July 1, 2024 over silicosis in fabricators; resin-free porcelain and sintered stone are not covered by that ban.

A published, independently verified report of a product's environmental impact, such as embodied carbon, water and energy, based on a life cycle assessment. Commercial projects use EPDs for green building credits.

A two-part adhesive used for seams, miters, laminated edges, rodding and filling pits. It bonds stronger and cures more slowly than polyester adhesive, and many quartz makers specify epoxy or acrylic adhesives for seams. Most epoxy and polyester adhesives can yellow in strong sunlight, so outdoor and sunny seams call for a UV-stable product.

One system that runs sales, inventory, purchasing, production and full accounting on a single database. In the stone trade the term is used loosely for any shop management system.

A dull, slightly rough mark left when an acid dissolves calcite in marble, limestone, travertine or onyx. It is surface damage, not a stain, and sealing does not prevent it. Honed surfaces hide it better than polished ones.

Any countertop edge that shows and gets profiled and polished: fronts, open ends and all open sides of an island or peninsula. Edge upcharges are billed per linear foot of exposed edge.

A shipping term where the buyer takes over at the seller's warehouse and handles loading, freight, insurance and customs.

A company that turns slabs into installed countertops: it templates, cuts, shapes, polishes and usually installs.

A sink whose finished front panel shows below the countertop. It sits on a reinforced cabinet, and the stone is cut around the installed sink, so the sink must be in place before templating.

A round hole for a faucet, soap dispenser or air gap. Almost every deck-mounted fixture uses 1-3/8 inch (35 mm), but some need 1-1/4, 1-1/2 or up to 1-3/4 inch, so check the spec sheet.

How fast a cutting tool moves through the stone. Too fast chips the stone and overloads the tool; too slow makes the tool rub, heat up and glaze.

Measuring a job on site with a tape and notes rather than a full template, usually to price it before the customer commits. It gives square footage and cutout counts for the quote; cutting still waits for a proper template.

A check of site conditions before templating, such as cabinets, sink and cooktop models, backsplash plans and access, to confirm they still match the quote.

A machine that squeezes water out of settled stone sludge between plates and cloths, leaving a stackable cake that can go to a landfill.

A small cylindrical diamond milling tool on a CNC router that cuts sink and cooktop outlines in several passes.

The texture and sheen of the stone's surface: polished, honed, leathered, brushed, flamed or sandblasted. The finish changes how the stone looks, how much stains and etching show, how it is cleaned and what it costs.

Granite slabs with even color, full size, consistent thickness and only minor, well-filled flaws, as opposed to lower commercial grades.

A natural, healed line in stone that formed with it. It follows the grain or a vein, both sides are flush, and a fingernail glides over it. It is a characteristic, not a crack, though it can open under stress at narrow sections.

A workplace organization method from lean manufacturing: sort, set in order, shine, standardize and sustain.

A bridge saw that adds powered blade tilt and head rotation to normal X, Y and Z movement, so it can cut miters, waterfall joints and bevels in the same setup as straight cuts. It still cannot make routed profiles such as an ogee.

A rough, slip-resistant texture made by passing a very hot torch over granite or true quartzite so surface crystals pop off, leaving a texture about 1 to 2 mm deep. It is used outdoors and does not work on marble, limestone or quartz.

The flat rim around the top of a sink bowl. On an undermount sink it presses against the underside of the stone and is held by silicone and clips.

All cabinet tops sitting in one flat surface with no high or low boxes. Stone cares about flatness more than level, because an out-of-plane base makes it bridge and crack.

A chemical, usually a polymer, added to shop water so fine stone particles clump together and settle faster.

A shipping term that says where ownership and damage risk pass from seller to buyer. Under FOB origin (or shipping point) the buyer owns and insures the slabs from loading; under FOB destination the seller owns them until delivery.

The narrow strip of stone in front of a sink cutout (or behind a cooktop) that carries the load of the run across the opening. It flexes when the piece is lifted and is the most common crack point, so it is often rodded.

An edge rounded on top and bottom into a continuous half circle, with a radius of about half the slab thickness. It has no hard corner.

A slab backsplash that covers the wall from the countertop to the upper cabinets, usually about 18 inches, or all the way to the ceiling or hood.

A dark igneous rock with little or no quartz. Absolute Black and most near-solid black "granites" are gabbro or diabase.

A large processing-plant saw with many parallel blades or diamond wires that slices a block into slabs in one pass.

A crane on its own legs that spans a work area, used to lift slabs with a vacuum lifter or clamp. An overhead bridge crane does the same job but runs on rails attached to the building.

The hard mineral sand mixed into a waterjet stream as the abrasive that does the cutting.

An outlet or breaker that cuts power when current leaks to ground. The National Electrical Code requires GFCI protection for all kitchen countertop receptacles.

A thin, lighter concrete mix reinforced with glass fibers instead of steel, used for concrete countertops because it resists cracking better than plain cast concrete.

When a diamond tool stops cutting because the diamonds have dulled and the bond has not worn to expose new ones. Running dry, too slowly or with the wrong bond causes it.

A metamorphic rock with a layered, banded pattern. Many white and banded stones sold as granite are gneiss.

A quoting and showroom method that presents three tiers of material and options at rising prices, so the customer compares within the shop rather than against competitors.

The direction the veins or pattern run across a slab. Neighboring pieces, and the strips cut for laminated or mitered edges, are usually cut in the same direction so the pattern flows. Locking the direction on a layout lowers yield.

In the trade, any hard, crystalline natural stone formed from cooled magma, mostly feldspar and quartz, with a Mohs hardness around 6 to 7. It handles heat well and most colors need occasional sealing. Many stones sold as granite are geologically gabbro, gneiss or other rocks.

A UL certification that tests a product's chemical emissions into indoor air. It says nothing about food contact.

The number that describes how coarse an abrasive is. Lower numbers remove stone fast; higher numbers are finer. A polished finish typically runs from about 50 grit up to 3,000.

Revenue minus cost of goods sold, as a percentage of revenue. It is what is left to pay overhead and profit.

An edge with the top corner rounded into a quarter circle and the lower face left flat and vertical. Some shops use "quarter round" for a smaller radius, so check the sample.

Polishing with a handheld wet polisher and a sequence of diamond pads where machines can't reach: inside corners, cutout edges, seams on site and repairs.

A flat steel bar or angle fastened to the cabinet frame under an overhang, recessed so it is not seen. It supports seating overhangs without visible corbels.

The ranking of ways to control a hazard from most to least reliable. For silica: substitute lower-silica materials, use engineering controls such as wet cutting and dust extraction, set work practices, then provide respirators.

A reservation of a specific slab at a distributor or in a shop's inventory while a customer decides. A hold is not yet a sale.

A matte finish made by stopping the polishing sequence early, usually between 200 and 800 grit. Honed marble hides etching better than polished marble, but honed stone can show oily marks and may need sealing more often.

Insurance that covers stone and equipment while in transit or at the job, which general liability usually does not.

The last stage of a countertop job: the crew delivers the finished pieces, sets them level on the cabinets, joins the seams, mounts an undermount sink and caulks. A typical kitchen takes a crew of two or three 2 to 5 hours, and a plumber usually reconnects the sink the same day or the next.

The price per square foot of finished countertop that normally covers the stone and its waste, templating, fabrication, a standard edge, usually one sink cutout, seams, delivery and installation.

A sink made of the same material as the countertop, molded in with no rim or seam (solid surface, cultured marble) or built from mitered stone pieces.

A trade association for countertop fabricators of all surfaces, including quartz, natural stone, solid surface, porcelain and sintered stone. It began among solid surface fabricators in the 1990s, is based in North Kansas City, Missouri, and runs the ISFA Academy for training. Its shop accreditation program was still in development in 2026.

A freestanding cabinet run with a countertop, open on all sides, often with a seating overhang.

Comparing what a finished job earned with what it actually cost in material, labor, machine time and overhead.

Everything about one job kept in one place, paper or digital: contract, template, drawings, slab information, work orders, approvals and change orders.

Any place two pieces meet: a glued seam in the countertop, a miter at a waterfall or mitered edge, a butt joint, or the caulked gap where stone meets a wall or backsplash.

A larger slab format, for engineered quartz about 126 to 132 by 63 to 65 inches, compared with a standard quartz slab of about 120 by 55 to 57 inches. Deep islands often need one to avoid a seam.

The NKBA's annual trade show for kitchen and bath products, held alongside the NAHB International Builders' Show.

The width of material a blade or waterjet turns into slurry in each cut. A bridge saw blade removes about 3 to 5 mm (roughly 1/8 to 3/16 inch); a waterjet about 1 mm. Layouts must leave room for it between pieces.

The open space under a counter where a seated person's knees go. NKBA guidelines call for 18 inches deep at a 30-inch table, 15 inches at a 36-inch counter and 12 inches at a 42-inch bar.

A short partition wall, usually 36 to 48 inches tall, capped with a countertop that may overhang one or both sides.

A kitchen layout with counters on two adjoining walls meeting at a corner. The corner usually needs a seam or a large slab.

A countertop made of a thin sheet of high-pressure plastic laminate (HPL) glued to a particleboard or MDF core. It comes as factory post-form tops or custom flat-lay tops and is the least expensive common countertop.

A strip of the same stone glued flat under the front edge, then profiled with the top as one piece to make the edge look thicker. Common builds are 2cm plus 2cm for about a 4cm (1-1/2 inch) edge and 3cm plus 3cm for about 6cm. A thin glue line shows on the face.

What a slab really costs once it is in your rack: the price plus freight, insurance, duties and handling. Suppliers should be compared on landed cost, not list price.

A digital templating device that measures points with a laser beam from a tripod. It is fast on open layouts but needs a clear line of sight to each point.

The plan for which part of which slab each countertop piece is cut from, and which way it faces. A good layout balances how the veins and seams look, the strength of narrow pieces and how much of the slab is used. Nesting is the step of fitting the pieces onto the slab to make that plan.

The time from contract (or template) to install.

A way of running production, from the Toyota Production System, that delivers what the customer ordered with as little wasted time, motion and material as possible.

A soft, textured, low-sheen finish made with diamond or abrasive brushes that wear away softer minerals faster than harder ones. It hides fingerprints and works best on granite and quartzite; most leathered slabs arrive already finished from the processor.

A green building rating system. Under LEED v4 and v4.1, products extracted, made and bought within 100 miles of the project count extra; the older 500-mile rule belonged to LEED 2009.

A drop of lemon juice or vinegar left on a hidden spot for about 5 minutes. A dull mark means the stone contains calcite and will etch, which exposes marble sold as quartzite.

Cabinet tops that do not slope in any direction. Compare flat (in plane): two runs can each be level and still meet at different heights.

Price categories that distributors and shops assign to stone colors, such as Level 1 to 5 or Group A to E. No industry body defines them, and they track rarity and pattern, not durability.

A document in which a contractor or supplier gives up lien rights for a payment. A conditional waiver takes effect only once the payment clears; an unconditional waiver takes effect regardless, so it should not be signed before the money arrives.

A sedimentary stone made mostly of calcite. It is softer and more porous than granite, etches from acids, and is used more for vanities, fireplaces and floors than kitchens.

Length measured along the counter at an assumed standard depth of about 25 to 25.5 inches. Laminate, prefab tops, backsplash and edge upgrades are often priced per linear foot; custom stone is usually priced per square foot.

A height difference between the two sides of a seam, so one piece sits proud of the other. The Natural Stone Institute's guidance is no more than 1/32 inch.

The real hourly cost of labor: wages plus payroll taxes, workers' comp and benefits, divided by productive hours. It usually runs 1.4 to 1.6 times the hourly wage. A loaded shop rate also adds a share of machines, rent and overhead.

A larger batch of slabs than a bundle, often several bundles from the same quarry shipment. For engineered quartz, a lot is one production batch of a color, printed on each slab. Slabs from different lots can differ noticeably.

Thin plywood, about 1/8 inch (3 mm), ripped into strips and hot-glued together on the cabinets to make a physical template.

A metamorphic stone made mostly of calcite (or dolomite), prized for soft backgrounds and flowing veins. It is soft (Mohs about 3), scratches more easily than granite, and etches from acids even when sealed.

Markup is profit as a percentage of cost; margin is profit as a percentage of the selling price. A slab that costs $1,000 and sells for $1,500 has a 50% markup but a 33% margin. To hit a target margin, divide cost by (1 minus the margin).

A large international natural stone trade fair held each September in Verona, Italy.

The Construction Specifications Institute's numbering system for construction specifications. Stone countertops fall under section 12 36 40.

The part of an installed price for the slab itself, including the part the job wastes and the shop's markup. The rest is the work charge: templating, cutting, edges, cutouts, delivery and installation.

A legal claim against a property for unpaid work or materials that improved it. Rules and deadlines are set by each state and are strict.

The fee a financing company takes from the amount it pays the shop when a customer finances a job. It ranges from a few percent to 10% or more on long 0% promotions.

Fiberglass mesh glued to the back of a slab at the factory to hold fragile or fissured stone together during handling and fabrication.

When two colors match under one light and not under another. A stone chosen in a showroom can look different under kitchen lighting, so check samples at home.

The interim name of the merged Marble Institute of America and Building Stone Institute. It became the Natural Stone Institute on January 1, 2018.

A price floor for small jobs, such as a single vanity, so the trip, template and setup costs are covered.

A 45-degree cut on two pieces so they meet at a sharp 90-degree corner with the joint on the diagonal. Both pieces must be the same thickness.

An edge built by joining the top and a drop strip, often 2 to 6 inches tall, with two 45-degree cuts, so the joint sits on the corner and veining can wrap over it. It looks like one thick block of stone and costs more than a laminated edge.

A sample installation, such as one finished vanity top, built for approval on a commercial job before production. Once approved, it sets the quality standard for the whole project.

A 1 to 10 scratch-hardness scale where talc is 1 and diamond is 10. Marble is about 3, a steel knife about 5.5, granite and quartzite about 6 to 7, and engineered quartz about 7.

The flow and direction of veins and pattern in a slab. Stone with strong movement needs careful layout at seams.

A joint between surfaces that move independently, such as countertop to wall or countertop to backsplash. It is filled with flexible sealant, not grout or rigid adhesive.

Stone quarried from the ground, sawn into slabs and finished, such as granite, marble, quartzite, soapstone and limestone. Every slab differs, and most is somewhat porous.

The North American trade association for the natural stone industry, formed from the Marble Institute of America and the Building Stone Institute and based in Oberlin, Ohio. It publishes the Dimension Stone Design Manual and runs the main accreditation program for fabricators and commercial installers.

An undermount sink setup where the stone extends slightly past the bowl wall, typically about 1/8 inch, so the sink rim is hidden from above. Some shops use the terms positive and negative the other way round, so confirm with a sketch.

Fitting the countertop pieces onto the slab as tightly as the rules allow, while placing veins and seams where they look best. It is done on a photo of the real slab, in software, or on the physical slab.

The finished area of the countertop pieces, length times depth, before any waste. Some shops bill net area; others bill each piece's bounding rectangle or the whole slab.

What is left from revenue after all job costs and all overhead, as a percentage of revenue.

Silicone sealant that does not release acid as it cures, so it is safe on marble, limestone and other calcite stones and on metal clips. Many shops use it on every job.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the U.S. federal research agency for workplace health. It recommends a silica exposure limit of 50 µg/m³ for up to a 10-hour day but does not enforce rules; OSHA does.

The trade association for kitchen and bath designers, dealers and remodelers. It publishes the Kitchen Planning Guidelines, runs KBIS and awards designer credentials such as CKBD and CMKBD.

A cutout taken from the edge or corner of a piece instead of its middle, for example around a wall jog, post, window return or slide-in range. The inside corners of a notch need a radius like any other cutout.

A private, nonprofit standards and certification organization, founded in 1944 as the National Sanitation Foundation. It runs NSF/ANSI 51 and is not a government agency.

A standard for materials used in food equipment. A certified countertop material has been tested not to leach harmful substances into food and to be cleanable to a sanitary state. It does not mean the surface is antimicrobial.

Any piece cut away from a slab that is not part of the job. Large, usable offcuts become remnants; small or irregular ones are scrap.

The planned gaps between production steps, such as cutting 4 business days before install. Scheduling software can move all dates when the install date moves.

An S-shaped edge that combines a concave curve with a convex one, borrowed from classical molding. It needs 3cm stone to look right and takes several tool passes plus hand polishing. A double ogee is usually built on a laminated edge.

A common overhang guideline: no more than one-third of a piece's depth should overhang, so at least two-thirds rests on the cabinets.

A banded calcite stone formed in caves and hot springs, not the black gemstone. Thin slabs are translucent and can be backlit, but onyx is soft, etches easily and is fragile.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the federal agency that sets and enforces workplace safety rules, including the respirable crystalline silica standard.

How far a countertop extends past what supports it. A normal front overhang is about 1 to 1-1/2 inches past the cabinet box. As a common rule, 3cm stone can overhang about 10 to 12 inches and 2cm stone about 6 inches without added support, but manufacturers set their own limits.

Costs the shop has whether or not a job runs: rent, office staff, insurance, software, vehicles, utilities and owner salary.

A thin sheet of countertop material glued directly over an existing counter with no tear-out. Its main failure is delamination, usually starting at the sink.

A pay-if-paid clause makes the owner's payment to the general contractor a condition of paying the subcontractor, so the sub may never be paid if the owner does not pay. A pay-when-paid clause only lets the GC wait a reasonable time. Enforceability varies by state.

The legal maximum airborne exposure OSHA allows. For respirable crystalline silica it is 50 µg/m³ averaged over an 8-hour workday. Shops fall under the general industry standard (29 CFR 1910.1053); cutting and grinding on a job site falls under the construction standard (29 CFR 1926.1153).

An eased-style edge with a larger, visible radius on the top corner, typically 1/8 to 1/4 inch. "Pencil bullnose" sometimes means the same radius top and bottom.

A liquid sealer that soaks into stone pores and cures there, slowing oil, wine and coffee from soaking in. It does not change the look and does not stop etching.

A countertop run attached to a wall or cabinets at one end and open on the other sides, often with seating.

A lab test in which a geologist examines a thin slice of stone under a microscope to identify its minerals exactly. It settles whether a "quartzite" is really quartzite.

A full-size pattern of the countertop made from strips of thin plywood or plastic hot-glued together on the cabinets.

Paying installers by the job or by the square foot rather than by the hour. It must still meet minimum wage and overtime rules every week.

A small void, usually a couple of millimeters or less, where a softer crystal pulled out during cutting or polishing. Pits are normal in coarse-grained granite and are filled with resin.

A drawing that looks straight down at the countertops. Shop drawings are plan views; trust the written dimensions, not a ruler on the printout.

A glossy, reflective finish made by grinding and polishing through progressively finer grits up to about 3,000. It shows the stone's full color and is the default for most granite and quartz.

Flexible pads with diamond grit in a resin bond, used in a sequence from coarse to fine on hand polishers and machines to finish edges, seams and repairs.

A two-part stone adhesive that sets fast, tints easily and holds on vertical joints. It is the traditional choice for granite and marble but can yellow in UV light and is more brittle than epoxy.

A receptacle housing set into a hole in the countertop that rises when pressed and sits flush when closed.

A thin, dense slab made like a very large porcelain tile: clay, feldspar and minerals pressed and fired at about 1,200°C (2,200°F). It absorbs 0.5% of its weight in water or less, handles heat and UV well, and is brittle to fabricate. Common thicknesses are 6, 12 and 20 mm; 12 mm weighs about 6 lb per square foot.

How much open space a stone has between its crystals, which decides how fast liquids soak in. Most natural stone is somewhat porous; engineered quartz, porcelain and sintered stone are not.

An undermount sink setup where the stone is cut back from the bowl so a thin strip of the sink rim, typically 1/8 inch, stays visible all around. It is a common shop default and forgives small differences between sink and cutout.

Software that translates CAM toolpaths into the code dialect a specific machine's controller understands. Each machine brand and model needs the right one.

A factory-made laminate countertop in stock lengths with a rolled front edge and a built-in backsplash.

An absorbent paste spread on a stain and left for 24 to 48 hours to draw the stain out of the stone.

Granite or quartz pre-cut at a factory, usually overseas, into standard countertop blanks with one edge already profiled. Most are 2cm thick.

A notice some states require early in a job to preserve the right to file a mechanic's lien, such as California's 20-day notice.

A countertop brand owned by a retailer or distributor rather than the company that makes the slab.

The plan for which jobs get templated, cut, finished and installed on which days, balancing machine capacity, crews and promised install dates.

A diamond wheel ground to the shape of an edge profile, such as a half bullnose or ogee. A full profile needs a set: shaping wheels plus matching polishing wheels for each grit step.

The list of defects or unfinished items found at the final walkthrough that must be fixed before the job is complete.

A shop's written order to a supplier. It records what was ordered and at what price, so bills can be checked against it.

The site where blocks of natural stone are cut from the ground.

A man-made countertop of crushed natural quartz bound with about 7 to 10% polymer resin and pigment, pressed under vacuum and vibration and heat-cured. It is non-porous and needs no sealing, but direct heat from roughly 300°F (150°C) can scorch or discolor the resin. Not the same as quartzite.

A natural metamorphic stone formed from sandstone, made almost entirely of quartz. It is hard (about Mohs 7), resists scratches and does not etch. Some stone sold as quartzite is really dolomite or marble; see soft quartzite.

A written price for a defined scope, listing every chargeable item with its quantity.

Light held close to a surface and nearly parallel to it, such as a phone flashlight, which makes fissures, fills and pits cast small shadows.

A narrow strip of countertop, usually 4 to 6 inches deep, that fills the space behind a slide-in or freestanding range and joins the counters on each side.

Crystalline silica dust fine enough, around 10 micrometers and smaller, to reach the deepest part of the lungs. It is what OSHA's silica standard regulates and what causes silicosis.

A short checklist a job must pass before it moves to the next step, such as entering production or being scheduled for install.

A countertop piece that has to be cut again because the first one was wrong or damaged. One remake typically costs a U.S. shop $1,500 to $4,000 in material, labor, trips and lost production.

A leftover piece of slab large enough to use on another job. Shops often sell remnants at 30 to 60% below full-slab price for vanities, desks and small tops.

Resin applied to natural stone slabs at the processing plant to fill fissures, pits and voids and strengthen the slab.

A percentage of each payment, typically 5 to 10%, that the general contractor holds back on commercial work until the project is finished.

How the stone edge lines up with an undermount sink bowl, seen from above: positive (rim visible), negative (stone overhangs the bowl) or zero (flush). The word is also used for how far the countertop edge sits past the cabinet doors.

A fix done in the shop before a piece leaves, such as re-polishing an edge or enlarging a cutout. Compare remake.

A formal written question from a subcontractor to the architect or GC about a gap or conflict in the drawings.

Routing a shallow channel into the underside of the stone and epoxying in a fiberglass, carbon fiber or stainless steel rod, so a narrow strip such as a sink rail can resist bending. It is standard on marble, quartzite and 2cm stone, and many shops rod every sink rail.

A small diamond tool, such as a finger bit or shaped bit, used on hand routers and CNC machines for cutting and profiling.

One continuous stretch of cabinets and countertop along a wall or island. Shops measure, seam and schedule by run. A run longer than the usable slab length, roughly 9 to 10 feet, needs a seam.

A CNC bridge saw with an abrasive waterjet nozzle mounted beside the blade. The blade makes the long straight cuts and the jet cuts curves, inside corners and holes, all in one setup.

A breakdown of a commercial contract into line items with dollar values, used to bill progress each month.

Offcuts too small, irregular or damaged to use or sell.

Cutting or grinding the back edge of a countertop or backsplash to follow a wavy wall instead of a straight line, so the gap closes.

A product that protects porous stone. Penetrating sealers soak in and slow stains; topical sealers form a film on the surface and are generally avoided on countertops. Engineered quartz, porcelain and sintered stone never need sealing.

The joint where two pieces of countertop meet. The Natural Stone Institute's guidance is a seam no wider than about 1/16 inch with no more than 1/32 inch lippage. A seam will always be visible to some degree, especially in veined stone.

The bonding material used to join countertop pieces, usually a two-part epoxy, polyester (knife-grade) or acrylic adhesive tinted to match the stone. Many quartz makers specify epoxy or acrylic, and seams in sunlight need a UV-stable product because some adhesives yellow.

The planned gap at a joint, set in the drawing so the two pieces plus a thin layer of adhesive finish at the right total length.

An informal term for a shadow or halo along a quartz seam that will not wipe off, usually from adhesive smeared into the surface or a poor color match.

A clamp with suction cups on each side of a joint that pulls the pieces together and levels them while the adhesive cures.

A tank, often with several chambers, where cutting water sits long enough for stone particles to sink, so the water can be reused.

A thin spacer, usually plastic, placed between cabinet and stone to level the countertop and bring it into one plane.

A drawing of every piece of stone the shop will cut, with dimensions, edge profiles, cutouts, seams and notes. The customer should approve it before cutting.

A backsplash strip on a side wall where a counter run ends, usually as long as the counter is deep, about 25 to 26 inches. It is the piece most often forgotten at templating.

The flexible sealant used to bond stone countertops to cabinets and to caulk wall joints. Cambria's install documents call for 100% silicone between stone and cabinets; rigid adhesives belong only on stone-to-stone joints and supports.

A dark, damp-looking band that appears in porous stone along a caulk joint when oils in some sealants wick into the pores. It shows most on light marble, limestone and light granites.

A permanent, incurable scarring of the lungs caused by breathing respirable crystalline silica dust. Severe cases have appeared in young workers who cut engineered quartz without proper controls.

A small bracket, anchored into the underside of the stone with epoxy or a threaded insert, that holds an undermount sink's flange against the countertop.

The opening cut for a sink. Its size and corner radii come from the sink's template, it has to suit the mounting method (undermount, drop-in or farmhouse) and the reveal, and the stone around it needs support, often with rods in the narrow strips.

A slab made by pressing mineral powders under very high pressure and firing them until they fuse, with no resin. It resists heat, UV and stains and is closely related to porcelain slab; the difference is largely branding. Dekton and Neolith are examples.

A large flat piece sawn from a block (natural stone) or pressed at a factory (quartz, porcelain), from which countertops are cut. Standard slabs run about 45 to 60 square feet, and a full 3cm granite slab can weigh around 1,000 lb.

The shop's record of every slab and remnant on hand: material, lot, size, location and status (available, on hold, allocated or cut). Labels with a barcode or QR code tie each physical slab to its record.

A warehouse or outdoor lot where a distributor or fabricator displays slabs on racks so customers can choose the actual stone.

Two slabs laid side by side with the same face up, so the pattern repeats with a small shift instead of mirroring.

Water loaded with fine stone particles from wet cutting and polishing, often alkaline and containing crystalline silica. It may not go to storm drains or the ground and needs settling or treatment.

A soft metamorphic stone made mostly of talc, with harder minerals in kitchen grades. It resists acids and heat, darkens over time, and is oiled for looks rather than sealed. Scratches sand out.

A trade term for stone sold as quartzite that does not behave like it, most often dolomite or dolomitic marble that scratches and etches.

A cast sheet of acrylic or polyester resin with mineral filler, best known by the brand Corian. Joints can be fused almost invisibly and scratches sand out, but it is sensitive to heat.

Flakes popping off a stone surface, usually from water freezing and expanding in the pores.

A part of the countertop that bridges a gap between two supports, such as over a dishwasher. In a span the underside stretches, so seams and cutouts should stay out of it.

Material bought for one job, such as an unstocked quartz color, a customer-chosen slab or a specific sink.

A label put on each cut piece that shows the job, the piece number (for example 3 of 6) and how it goes in, so pieces from different jobs never mix.

Pricing stone countertops by the area of finished top, length times depth. The installed rate usually includes material, fabrication, a standard edge and installation, with add-ons priced separately.

Color that has soaked into the stone, leaving a spot that looks darker or tinted while the surface feels smooth. Compare etch, which is surface damage from acid.

A nonprofit association of independent fabrication shop owners that holds about three workshops a year at member shops. It offers peer learning and sourcing trips, not certification.

Thin natural stone applied to a wall as a finish, such as a fireplace surround or accent wall. Manufactured stone veneer is cast concrete made to look like stone.

The interior window sill, which is often cut from the countertop slab or a remnant to match.

A jagged, tooth-shaped gray line in marble and limestone formed by pressure. It is part of the look, not a defect.

The package a subcontractor sends for the architect's approval before fabricating on a commercial job: product data, samples, test reports and shop drawings.

A continuous sheet, usually 3/4-inch plywood, screwed to the cabinet tops to give thin material full support. 2cm stone, 12 mm porcelain and sintered stone usually get one; 3cm stone normally sits directly on sound cabinets. It raises the counter about 3/4 inch.

A fee added for paying by credit card. Card network rules cap it (Visa at 3%) and require disclosure before payment, and some states limit it.

The ground stone and spent abrasive that a blade or tool produces. Water flushes it out of the cut so the tool keeps cutting.

A table in OSHA's construction silica standard (29 CFR 1926.1153) that lists specific tools with required controls and respirators. Employers who follow it exactly can skip some air monitoring. The general industry standard that covers fabrication shops has no Table 1.

The list of quantities measured from construction drawings to price a bid before cabinets exist: square footage by material, backsplash, linear feet of edge, cutouts and special items. Plan takeoffs typically land within 5 to 10% of the final template.

How often a shop needs to finish a job to keep up with demand: available production time divided by jobs needed.

The tile industry's trade association. Its TCNA Handbook sets installation methods, including flexible sealant at every change of plane, and it co-produces the Coverings show.

Removing and disposing of the old countertop before the new one goes in. It is usually a separate line item.

The exact record of the countertop shape, taken on site after cabinets are installed. The countertop is cut to the template, not to the floor plan, because walls are rarely straight and corners rarely exactly 90 degrees.

Any difference between the template and what the finished top needs to be, whether a measurement mistake or wrong information such as the sink model, overhang or edge.

Measuring the installed cabinets to create the template, either with a digital device or with physical strips.

Pulling or stretching force. Stone is strong in compression (being squeezed) and weak in tension, so it cracks where bending stretches one face, such as over a cabinet edge or across a narrow sink rail.

A management approach, set out by Eliyahu Goldratt in The Goal (1984), that says a system's output is set by its single tightest step, so improvement starts there.

Stress from a very fast, local temperature change, such as a scorching pan on a cold slab, that can crack stone where it is already weak.

The two standard countertop slab thicknesses. 3cm is about 1-3/16 inch (the trade calls it 1-1/4 inch) and is stiff enough for most U.S. kitchens without a subtop. 2cm is about 3/4 inch, lighter and cheaper, and usually gets a subtop and a built-up edge.

Checking a supplier's bill against the purchase order and what was actually received before paying.

An annual trade event in Las Vegas for flooring, tile and stone that includes StonExpo, the stone and fabrication show, with machinery, tooling and material exhibitors.

A magazine on a CNC router that swaps tools automatically, so one program can cut, drill, profile and polish without an operator changing tools.

The stored settings a CNC uses for a tool on a given material: spindle speed, feed rate, pass depth, water and polishing sequence.

The exact route a blade, bit or waterjet follows, with tool choice, depth and speed, generated by CAM software.

A sensor on a CNC machine that touches the slab to find its position, thickness and reference points before cutting.

A form of limestone with natural holes and pores, usually filled with resin or cement for countertops. It is soft, porous and etches from acids.

An exposure level averaged over a set period, usually an 8-hour workday. OSHA's silica PEL and action level are 8-hour TWAs.

A kitchen layout with counters on three walls, which usually needs two corner seams and often two slabs.

A sink hung below the countertop so the polished edge of the stone cutout shows around the bowl. It needs the exact sink model before templating and is held by silicone and clips.

The slight lean of a neutral color toward warm (yellow, red) or cool (blue, green, gray). Stones and cabinets with clashing undertones can look wrong together.

The UK and European term for a short backsplash, usually 2 to 4 inches (50 to 100 mm) tall, cut from the same material as the worktop. See Backsplash.

A lifting device with suction pads that grips a slab's face, hung from a crane or forklift. It avoids gripping the edges, which reduces chipping.

The process used to make nearly all engineered quartz: the quartz and resin mix is pressed under vacuum and vibration, then heat-cured. Breton developed it in the 1970s under the name Bretonstone.

The countertop on a bathroom vanity cabinet, typically lower and shallower than a kitchen counter and often cut from a remnant.

Cutting and placing pieces so the veins continue across a seam, as if the counter were one piece. It needs slabs from the same bundle and costs more stone.

The lines and streaks of contrasting color in marble, quartzite and some granites, or printed and poured into marble-look quartz and porcelain.

A bathroom sink that sits on top of the counter and needs only a drain hole.

A partial kitchen or vanity built in a showroom with real cabinets, stone and fixtures to help customers picture the finished room.

A larger hole in stone than a pit, common in travertine and some granites, filled with resin during fabrication.

A larger cavity in stone, sometimes lined with crystals, found in some quartzites and granites and filled with resin.

The extra stone a bid includes because slabs come in fixed sizes and not all of each slab ends up in the job. Typical kitchens allow 15 to 25% over finished square footage; veined, matched or bookmatched work needs more.

A few tablespoons of water left on the stone for 15 to 30 minutes. If it darkens the stone, it is time to seal.

A stone panel that runs from the countertop down to the floor at the end of an island or run, joined to the top with a 45-degree miter so the pattern appears to flow over the edge. The panel is cladding and carries no load.

A CNC cutter that uses a very high-pressure stream of water mixed with garnet abrasive. It cuts curves, inside corners and brittle materials precisely with a kerf of about 1 mm, but more slowly than a saw on straight cuts.

Cutting, grinding and polishing with a steady flow of water at the tool. It cools the tool, flushes out swarf and captures silica dust before it reaches the air, and it is the main engineering control for silica.

Polishing with water flowing at the pad or wheel. The water cools the tool, carries away stone slurry and keeps silica dust out of the air, which makes it the standard method in shops.

The rated safe load printed on a strap or tie-down, not its breaking strength. The combined WLL of all tie-downs must be at least 50% of the cargo weight.

Instructions that turn an approved sale into tasks for each station on the shop floor: saw, CNC, edge and polish, quality check and install.

The CNC or bridge-saw axis that runs along the length of the table. Programs combine it with the Y-axis (across) and Z-axis (up and down) to place the tool; see Axis (CNC).

The CNC or bridge-saw axis that runs across the table, at right angles to the X-axis. Together with X it sets where the tool is on the slab; see Axis (CNC) for how the axes work together.

The share of purchased slab area that ends up in finished countertops. Slab yield is measured per job; fabrication yield across all jobs in a period; adjusted yield also credits usable remnants. A normal layout uses roughly 75 to 85% of the slab, and vein-matched layouts much less.

The up-and-down axis on a CNC router or bridge saw. It sets cutting and drilling depth and lifts the tool clear of the stone between cuts; see Axis (CNC).

An undermount sink setup where the stone edge lines up exactly with the bowl wall. It looks clean but takes the most fitting time and leaves no room for error.

A sink, usually stainless steel, with nearly square inside bowl corners for a crisp look. Under stone, the cutout still needs a small corner radius, so the fabricator matches the stone corner to the bowl as closely as the material safely allows.