How Long Does Countertop Installation Take in San Antonio
Part of our Countertop Installation service.
How long does a full countertop installation take from start to finish?
Gunny Stone Repair & Installations quotes most San Antonio kitchens at seven to fourteen days from the first site visit to the final polish, with the install day itself running four to eight hours depending on layout.
That window covers three phases: digital templating, fabrication, and set. Templating happens fast, usually the same visit as the estimate. Fabrication is the long pole, since your slab has to be cut, seamed, and edge-profiled before it ever leaves the shop. Install day is quick by comparison because the hard work already happened off-site.
Homes built before the 1990s around Alamo Heights and Leon Valley often add a day or two, since cabinet boxes were framed to older dimensions and need extra leveling before the slab goes down. Newer builds with squared cabinet runs move faster because there's less shimming and no surprises under the old laminate.
What happens during digital templating and why does it matter for the timeline?
Before any granite or quartz gets touched, we run digital templating on-site. A laser or scanner maps your cabinet boxes, wall lines, and existing sink or cooktop rough-in dimensions down to the millimeter.
This step matters more than most homeowners expect. A rushed or eyeballed template is the number one reason installs get delayed later, usually because a seam lands in the wrong spot or an undermount sink cutout doesn't line up with the faucet holes. Getting it right the first time means the fabrication shop cuts once, not twice.
Templating takes 30 to 90 minutes on most kitchens. If you're waiting on cabinets to finish install first, that has to happen before we template, since cabinet lines shift the whole layout. Plan the templating visit for after cabinets are set and level, not before.
How long is the wait for fabrication after templating?
Once we have your template, fabrication typically runs three to ten business days. Your slab gets cut on a bridge saw or CNC fabrication table, edges get shaped (bullnose, ogee, eased, or mitered, depending on your kitchen), and any sink or cooktop cutouts get finished before the piece ever leaves the shop.
Slab availability drives most of the variation here. If you picked a 3cm slab that's in stock or a remnant piece from a prior job, fabrication moves faster. Special orders, book-matched slabs, or waterfall edge pieces that need vein matching across two slabs take longer because the fabricator has to lay out the cuts to keep the veining continuous.
We build in time for seam epoxy color matching too, so the seam blends into the stone instead of standing out as a visible line. That's not a step worth rushing, and it's usually invisible in the final schedule because it happens while the slab is already on the fabrication table.
What can slow down install day in San Antonio kitchens?
Install day itself is the shortest phase, but a few things push it longer. Overhang support brackets take extra time on islands with a bar overhang past 12 inches, since the substrate has to be anchored before the slab sets down permanently.
Older San Antonio homes, especially in Alamo Heights, Leon Valley, and parts of central Boerne, sometimes have out-of-level cabinet runs that need shimming on the spot. We catch most of this during templating, but a cabinet that shifted since the template visit can add an hour or two.
Plumbing disconnects matter too. If your undermount sink cutout needs the old sink and disposal pulled first, having a plumber lined up ahead of install day keeps things moving. We coordinate around that whenever we can, but a homeowner who's ready with disconnects done saves real time on the clock.
Does granite, quartz, or marble change the installation timeline?
Material choice shifts fabrication more than install day. Quartz is engineered and non-porous, so it cuts predictably on CNC fabrication equipment with less risk of unexpected veining or fissures. Granite varies slab to slab, and a heavily veined or fissured piece may need a resin-treated slab or extra care at the bridge saw.
Marble adds a step if you want a honed finish instead of the standard polished reveal, since honing happens after the cut. It's a manageable add, usually a day, not a week.
Whichever stone you pick, sealing schedules differ after install. Granite and marble need a penetrating sealer applied before regular use; quartz skips that step entirely since it's non-porous. None of this changes install day length, but it's worth knowing before you pick a material if you're working against a tight kitchen remodel deadline.
Ready to move forward? See our Countertop Installation service
Written by the Gunny Stone Repair & Installations team.