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The countertop trade, explained
A short path through the trade, in order — how countertops are made, from the slab through the shop to the installed kitchen; who does the work; what countertops are made of; and what a hiring manager asks in the first two minutes. Countertop fabrication is the shop work that turns a 2cm or 3cm slab into a finished countertop; installation is the on-site work that fits it.
This site covers the slab countertop trade — natural stone, quartz, and porcelain. Laminate, solid surface, wood and concrete get a mention where they matter, and fuller coverage later.
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The path
- 01The parts of a countertopThe parts of a countertop: seams, miters, cutouts and support18 minReference: Countertop anatomy 15 parts →Reference: Countertop edge profiles 23 sections →
- 02How it gets madeHow a countertop gets made, from template to install15 min
- 03Who does whatFabricator, installer, templater, CNC operator: who does what in a countertop shop16 min
- 04The materialsTypes of countertops: quartz vs quartzite, granite, porcelain and the rest11 min
- 05The machinesBridge saw, waterjet, CNC and sawjet: the machines of a US countertop shop49 min
- 06The softwareCountertop software: Moraware, Slabsmith and the programs that run a shop17 min
- 07Is it for you & getting hiredIs this trade for you? Getting hired as a countertop installer or fabricator8 min
- 08GlossaryCountertop terminology: the words a shop uses14 min
- 09Build a jobBuild a job: how to calculate countertop square footage, seams and support7 min
- 10Test yourselfTest yourself37 min