Updated September 2026 by the My Kitchen and Bath design team
Quick answer: Quartz is engineered stone that never needs sealing and is the easiest to live with. Quartzite is a natural stone that’s harder than granite and handles heat the best, but it needs sealing once or twice a year. Granite is also natural, every slab is unique, and it usually offers the most stone for the money. At My Kitchen and Bath, quartz makes up roughly 7 out of 10 countertops we install across Northern Virginia — but the right answer depends on how you cook, clean, and live.
We have this conversation at our showroom counters just about every week. Someone comes in, runs their hand over a slab, and asks “okay so what’s the actual difference between quartz and quartzite? They’re the same thing right?”
They’re not. Not even close, actually — one comes out of a factory and one comes out of a mountain. And granite is its own animal entirely. After 30+ years of installing all three across Vienna, Herndon, Alexandria and the rest of the DMV, here’s the honest breakdown we give in person.
What is quartz, really?
Quartz countertops are engineered stone — roughly 90% ground natural quartz mixed with resins and pigments, pressed into slabs. Brands you’ve heard of like Cambria, Silestone, and MSI Q (all three are in our showrooms) are quartz.
The engineering is the whole point. Because the resin binds everything into a non-porous surface, quartz never needs sealing. Red wine, coffee, turmeric, a toddler with a marker — it wipes off. The pattern is also consistent, so the slab you pick from the sample is the slab that shows up at your house. No surprises.
The one thing quartz doesn’t love is heat. The resin can scorch or discolor if you set a hot pan straight from the burner onto it. Keep trivets around and it’s a non-issue, but serious cooks should know this going in.
Quartz is the right choice if: you want zero maintenance, a predictable look, and stain resistance above everything else. It’s why it’s our most-installed material by a wide margin.
What is quartzite, and why does everyone confuse it with quartz?
Blame whoever named it. Quartzite is 100% natural stone — sandstone that got cooked and compressed underground until it became one of the hardest materials you can put in a kitchen. On the Mohs hardness scale, quartzite sits around 7, harder than granite (about 6 to 6.5) and much harder than marble (3 to 4).
Here’s why people fall in love with it: quartzite gives you the soft, flowing veining of marble without marble’s fragility. If you’ve been saving photos of white marble kitchens but every contractor keeps warning you off marble (we would too, for a working kitchen), quartzite is almost always the answer.
It also shrugs off heat — it’s natural stone, there’s no resin to scorch. Hot pan straight on the counter? Fine.
The trade-offs are real though. Being natural stone, quartzite is porous and needs sealing once or twice a year, its a five-minute job with a spray sealer but you do have to remember to do it. And it sits at the premium end of pricing — genuine quartzite is quarried, shipped, and cut, and the slabs with dramatic veining command dramatic prices.
Quartzite is the right choice if: you want the marble look, you cook seriously, and a once-a-year sealing routine doesn’t scare you.
Where does granite fit in 2026?
Granite was the status countertop for two decades, and somewhere along the way it started getting treated like yesterday’s news. We think that’s a mistake.
Granite is natural igneous rock, and no two slabs on earth are identical. Your kitchen will genuinely never match your neighbor’s. It’s heat-proof, scratch-resistant, and — this is the part people miss — it’s often the best value of the three. Entry and mid-level granite frequently comes in under comparable quartz, and well under quartzite.
Like quartzite, it needs occasional sealing (once a year is plenty for most granites, some dense ones can go longer). That’s the whole maintenance story.
Granite is the right choice if: you want real, one-of-a-kind natural stone and the strongest price-per-wow of the group.
Quartz vs. quartzite vs. granite: side by side
| Quartz | Quartzite | Granite | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Engineered (quartz + resin) | 100% natural stone | 100% natural stone |
| Sealing | Never | 1–2 times per year | About once a year |
| Heat | Use trivets | Excellent | Excellent |
| Stains | Best resistance | Good when sealed | Good when sealed |
| Look | Consistent, huge color range | Marble-like veining, unique | Speckled/bold, unique |
| Hardness (Mohs) | ~7 (resin softer) | ~7 | ~6–6.5 |
| Installed cost/sq ft | $70–$160 | $120–$250 | $60–$150 |
Installed price ranges reflect what we typically quote in Northern Virginia in 2026; exotic slabs and complex edge work run higher.
The wildcard: what about Dekton?
Worth a quick mention because we’re getting asked about it more and more. Dekton is an ultra-compact surface — think of it as stone put through a particle accelerator. It’s basically immune to heat, scratches, stains, and UV, which also makes it one of the few counters you can run outdoors. It costs like quartzite and the fabrication is less forgiving, so it’s not for every project. But if “indestructible” is your brief, ask us to show you the Dekton samples.
How much does countertop replacement cost?
For a typical Northern Virginia kitchen (40–55 square feet of counter), replacement usually lands between $2,500 and $7,000 installed depending on material and edge details. Granite anchors the value end, quartz covers the broad middle, quartzite and Dekton hold the premium end.
One thing that surprises people: if your cabinets are in good shape, countertop replacement is the single fastest kitchen transformation there is. We template your kitchen, fabricate the stone, and the actual installation takes one day. No living out of the dining room for six weeks.
So which one should you pick?
The showroom shorthand we use:
- Busy family, zero patience for maintenance → quartz
- Marble dreams, real-life cooking → quartzite
- Maximum natural character per dollar → granite
- Outdoor kitchen or “I want it bulletproof” → Dekton
But honestly, stone is a touch decision. Photos flatten everything. The difference between a quartz and a quartzite becomes obvious the second your hand is on the slab — which is exactly why all of these materials are on display at our showrooms in Vienna, Herndon, and Alexandria. Come argue with your spouse in front of the real thing, it’s more productive.
Frequently asked questions
Is quartzite the same as quartz?
No. Quartzite is 100% natural stone quarried from the earth; quartz countertops are engineered from ground quartz and resin. Quartzite needs sealing and handles heat better; quartz never needs sealing but requires trivets for hot pans.
Which countertop requires the least maintenance?
Quartz. It’s non-porous, never needs sealing, and resists stains better than any natural stone. Wipe it with soap and water and you’re done.
Can you put a hot pan on quartz?
We don’t recommend it. The resin in quartz can discolor or crack under high heat. Use a trivet. Quartzite, granite, and Dekton handle direct heat without issue.
Is granite outdated in 2026?
No — granite remains one of the most durable and best-value countertop materials available. Trends moved toward quieter patterns, and plenty of modern granites fit that look while still giving you a truly one-of-a-kind slab.
How long does countertop replacement take?
At My Kitchen and Bath, installation itself takes one day. The full process — measurement, templating, fabrication, install — typically runs about two weeks from your free estimate.
How much does a new countertop cost in Northern Virginia?
Most full kitchen countertop replacements we install run $2,500–$7,000 including materials, fabrication, and installation. Granite typically starts around $40 per square foot installed, quartz $50, and quartzite $70.
Ready to see the difference in person? All of these materials — Cambria, Silestone, MSI, quartzite, granite, and Dekton — are on display at our showrooms in Vienna, Herndon, and Alexandria. Right now we’re taking $500 off countertop installation, and every project starts with a free in-home measurement and estimate. My Kitchen and Bath is a Class A licensed and insured design-build remodeler serving Northern Virginia since 1994.
