Guide
What a kitchen benchtop costs in New Zealand
Benchtops in Auckland run about $383–613 per m² for laminate, $613–1,533 per m² for engineered stone and $767–1,533 per m² for granite, all excluding GST (Superior Renovations, 2026). Choosing stone over laminate adds roughly $2,000–6,000 to a kitchen (CheckMyBuilder, July 2026).
Updated
Key takeaways
- Laminate: $383–613 per m², + GST (Superior Renovations, 2026).
- Engineered stone: $613–1,533 per m², + GST.
- Granite: $767–1,533 per m², + GST.
- Upgrading laminate to stone adds about $2,000–6,000 to the job (CheckMyBuilder, July 2026).
- Edge profile, cut-outs and slab joins move the price as much as the material does.
The rates
Benchtops are priced by the square metre, supplied and installed. These are Auckland rates and they exclude GST, so add 15% to compare them with a GST-inclusive quote.
| Material | Per m² |
|---|---|
| Laminate | $383–613 |
| Engineered stone | $613–1,533 |
| Granite | $767–1,533 |
What moves the price inside a material
The band for engineered stone is more than twice as wide as it is deep, and the reason is rarely the colour. It is thickness, edge detail, how many cut-outs there are, and whether the slab has to be joined.
- Thickness and edge. A 20 mm top with a pencil edge and a mitred 40 mm waterfall are the same material and very different money.
- Cut-outs. Undermount sinks, drainer grooves and flush hobs are all fabrication time.
- Joins. A single uninterrupted island slab costs more than the same area in two pieces.
- Access. A slab that cannot get through the house without a crew and a crane costs more to install.
How much benchtop do you actually have?
Multiply your bench length by the depth, usually 0.6 m, and add the island. A 4 m L-shape plus a 2.4 m island is about 3.8 m², which at engineered stone rates is a spread of roughly $2,300–5,800 + GST before edges and cut-outs.
This is why layout drives the benchtop line: a galley has two full runs, a single-wall has one. See the layout pages for what each one does to the numbers, or run your own room through the budget calculator.
A note on engineered stone and silica
Engineered stone contains crystalline silica, and cutting it produces dust that is hazardous to the people who fabricate it. Regulation of this has been changing in several countries.
We have not yet confirmed the current New Zealand position from a primary WorkSafe source, so we are not going to summarise it here or use it as a sales line. If it matters to your choice, ask your fabricator directly what controls they use, and check WorkSafe's current guidance. We will update this section with the primary source once we have it.
Questions
How much is a stone benchtop in NZ?
Engineered stone runs about $613–1,533 per m² supplied and installed in Auckland, excluding GST, and granite $767–1,533 per m² (Superior Renovations, 2026).
Is laminate still worth considering?
Yes. At $383–613 per m² + GST it is a third to a quarter of the cost of stone, and modern laminates handle daily use well. The honest differences are heat, deep scratches and the look of the edge.
How much does upgrading to stone add?
About $2,000–6,000 across a kitchen (CheckMyBuilder, July 2026), depending on how much benchtop you have.
Why do quotes for the same stone differ so much?
Usually thickness, edge profile, cut-outs and joins. Ask for the quotes to state all four and they become comparable.
Sources
- Superior Renovations, kitchen renovation cost Auckland (2026)
- CheckMyBuilder, kitchen renovation cost (updated July 2026)
Checked 15 September 2026. We re-check every published figure quarterly.
Read next
All guidesFlat-pack or custom cabinetry: which is right for your kitchen
When the retailer's free design and flat-pack really is the right answer, and when it is not.
Read it →What kitchen designers charge in New Zealand
Free retailer design versus a paid independent plan, with the NZ fee benchmarks.
Read it →How long a kitchen renovation takes in New Zealand
Where the weeks actually go, and how long you are really living out of a microwave.
Read it →