Spray Granite vs New Worktops: Which Is Better for a Yorkshire Kitchen?

Illustrative stock photo. This is not a ColourHaus project.

Spray granite costs far less than new granite or quartz because your existing worktops stay where they are. With new stone you pay for templating, fabrication, removal of the old tops, fitting and making good the walls and tiles around them. Spray granite is a stone-effect coating sprayed over the worktops you already have: most are done in one day and ready to use after 24 hours, every job is priced on a fixed written quote after a free survey, and the coating carries a 5-year written guarantee. New stone is the better choice if your worktops are damaged or you want the hardness and feel of real stone.

This article compares the two options on cost, time and disruption. If you mainly want to know how spray granite wears and who it suits, read our companion piece: are spray granite worktops worth it?

What Is Spray Granite?

Spray granite is a multi-layer, stone-effect coating sprayed over your existing worktops and finished with a sealed topcoat. The worktop is cleaned, keyed and repaired first, then the base and fleck layers build up the stone effect, and the clear topcoat makes the surface water-resistant for normal kitchen use. Our spray granite worktops service page covers the finishes and the process.

Where the Cost Difference Comes From

A quote for new stone worktops is more than the price of the slab. When you compare quotes, check whether each of these is included:

• Templating: a visit to measure the exact shape, often charged separately.
• Material and fabrication: the stone itself, cut-outs for the sink and hob, and edge profiles.
• Removing the old worktops and disposing of them.
• Fitting, which is sometimes quoted separately from fabrication.
• Making good: taking out a worktop usually disturbs the tiles, upstands and plaster around it, which then need repairing or replacing.

With spray granite, none of those stages happen. The cost depends on the length of worktop, upstands and splashback, and on how much repair the surface needs first, which is why we price every job on a fixed written quote after a free survey rather than from a list.

	Spray granite	New granite or quartz
Old worktops	Stay in place and are coated	Removed and disposed of
Templating and fabrication	None	Needed before fitting
Time in your kitchen	Usually one day, usable after 24 hours	Templating visit, then a fitting day once the tops are made
Tiles and walls	Masked; tiles and splashbacks can be coated too	Often need making good
Price	Fixed quote after a free survey	Fabricator's quote; check what it includes
Hardness and feel	Coating: use trivets and chopping boards	Real stone weight and hardness

Which Worktops Can Be Sprayed?

Spray granite bonds to most solid, rigid surfaces once they are cleaned, keyed and repaired, including:

• Laminate, the most common kitchen worktop.
• Tiled worktops, where the tiles are sound and firmly fixed.
• MDF and chipboard worktops that are flat and free of swelling.
• Concrete and plaster surfaces.

Coating an existing granite or quartz worktop that is already in good condition rarely makes sense. If you are unsure what your worktops are made of, we check at the survey.

When Should You Replace the Worktops Instead?

We will tell you if spray granite is not the right answer. Replacement is the better choice when:

• The worktop is cracked right through, or no longer flat because it has warped or bowed.
• Laminate has swollen or blown along the edges or joints and the damage cannot be repaired. Minor swelling around the sink can sometimes be dealt with first; we check this at the survey.
• There is deep burn damage that goes below the surface.
• You want real stone and its hardness, weight and heat tolerance.

What Happens on the Day

1. Protection: units, appliances, the sink and floors are masked.
2. Preparation: the worktops are cleaned, degreased, keyed and repaired.
3. Base and stone effect: the base coat and fleck layers are sprayed to build up the granite look.
4. Sealed topcoat: the clear topcoat is applied to give a wipe-clean, water-resistant surface.
5. Curing: leave the worktops 24 hours before normal use.

Upstands, splashbacks and tiles can be coated at the same time. If you are also changing the cabinet colour, our kitchen makeover combines spray granite worktops with a kitchen respray, tiles and handles on one quote.

Does Spray Granite Feel Like Real Stone?

No, and it is worth being clear about this. It looks like stone at normal viewing distance and has a slight texture, like honed stone, but it feels like the worktop beneath rather than the cold weight of granite. It also needs more care: a trivet for hot pans and a board for chopping. For most people choosing between the two, that is acceptable given what it saves.

“Had my worktops treated with spray granite. The result looks amazing. Matt did a great job and I would recommend if you need any paint work doing.”

“From high gloss white with black worktops to Vert de Terre with granite worktops. From start to finish my kitchen transformation was wonderful.”

For the costs of the rest of the kitchen, see our kitchen spray painting cost guide. If you are in or near Leeds, see spray granite worktops in Leeds.