Small countertop fabrication and install shop

Homeowners, remodelers, builders, designers and property developers.

Price per square foot including material, fabrication and install, plus charges for edges, cutouts and special sinks. Repeat work from builders and remodelers helps fill the shop.

• Stone or solid surface fabrication
• Templating and precise measuring
• Pricing material and managing waste
• Managing jobs, suppliers and deadlines

• Check your state and city rules on contractor licensing, zoning for a workshop and business license requirements
• OSHA rules on respirable silica dust when cutting quartz and stone: dust control and wet cutting are key, so check what applies
• General liability, property and workers' compensation insurance, and cover for slabs in transit
• Expensive slab breakage and remakes, which can wipe out a month's profit
• High equipment and rent costs, so get a few steady customers before you commit

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $30,000 to $150,000, depending on your equipment, rent and how much slab stock you carry. Equipment and rent are high, so get quotes and a few steady customers before you commit.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $10,000 to $50,000, depending on job volume, the materials you work with and how steady your remodeler and builder customers are. Slab breakage and remakes can wipe out a month's profit.

Check your state and city rules on contractor licensing, workshop zoning and business licenses. Also check OSHA rules on respirable silica dust, including dust control and wet cutting, and insurance such as general liability, property and workers' compensation.