Everyone asks the price per square foot, but a real quotation has six parts: stone unit price, format, fabrication, wastage, transport and handling, and laying labour. Comparing stone price alone is misleading, because wastage and labour are usually what separate two quotes. Here is each item broken down.
1) Stone unit price, by variety, grade and slab size. 2) Format: 600x600 and 800x800 carry different cutting costs. 3) Fabrication: edge profiling, chamfering, anti-slip grooving. 4) Wastage: book-matched layouts usually waste 10 to 20 percent, random layouts 5 to 8 percent. 5) Transport and handling, by district, floor and lift access. 6) Laying labour, depending on substrate and pattern.
Hong Kong living rooms most often use 600x600 and 800x800. Small flats benefit from 600x600 with lower wastage and cheaper labour; large units use 800x800 or larger for fewer joints and a more open feel, but substrates must be flatter and labour costs more. A 600x1200 plank layout balances look and cost.
1) Choose varieties with high yield and stable supply instead of scarce material that inflates wastage. 2) Dry-lay and book-match at the factory, then lay by number on site to cut site cutting waste. 3) Reuse offcuts for window sills, thresholds and bathroom shelves so one slab serves several purposes.
Measure, dry-lay, factory cutting, delivery, substrate preparation, laying, grouting, sealing, handover. At handover check flatness, consistent joint width, colour variation or cracks, hollow areas by tapping with a rubber mallet, and full grout coverage.
It depends on variety, format and fabrication, ranging from tens to hundreds of dollars. Send drawings and area for an itemised quote covering stone, fabrication, transport and laying.
About 5 to 8 percent for random layouts; 10 to 20 percent for book-matched veining depending on vein direction and room shape.
Technically yes, but check load capacity, flatness and threshold heights. Most installers recommend removing old tiles and rebuilding the substrate for a better, longer-lasting result.