Granite Countertops on Hilton Head Island

Stone shops by the convenience center

Lowcountry Stone Boutique and Top Notch Stonework are on Cardinal Rd, and Distinctive Granite & Marble is on Hunter Rd, each 0.5 mi from the island convenience center, 2.6 to 2.8 mi from Shelter Cove and about 6.2 mi from Coligny Plaza.

Kitchens with older counters

The median home in the town limits was built in 1987, and about 6 in 10 (60.5%) went up before 1990 (as of 2024). Many island kitchens still have counters that are more than 35 years old.

A big slab selection on the island

Distinctive says it holds more than 20,000 slabs in 250 varieties, with showrooms on Hilton Head, in Ridgeland and Beaufort, and near Savannah. Its Hunter Rd showroom is open Monday to Friday 8 to 5 and Saturday by appointment.

A boutique for natural stone

Lowcountry Stone Boutique’s showroom is 7,500 square feet, open Monday to Friday 9 to 5, with evenings and Saturdays by appointment. It sells marble, quartzite, granite, onyx, limestone, soapstone and dolomite.

Homes used part of the year

About 25 in 100 housing units (7,600) are held for seasonal, recreational or occasional use (as of 2024). Templating and install need someone to let the crew in, so ask each company whether it will set a time with a property manager.

Permits

The Town of Hilton Head Island says a building permit is required for changes to an existing building and for electrical or plumbing work, but not for painting or new carpet unless it is part of a larger renovation. Call the Town’s building staff at 843-341-4757 if you are not sure.

For granite countertops in Hilton Head, SC, start with the slab. Granite varies from one block to the next, so a small sample does not show how a whole kitchen will look. Distinctive Granite & Marble, on Hunter Rd, lists granite and says it holds more than 20,000 slabs. Lowcountry Stone Boutique, on Cardinal Rd, sells granite along with marble and quartzite, and StoneWorks lists granite among its materials. Distinctive calls granite the most popular and commonly known stone, and says its durability, longevity and economy suit kitchen counters.

Ask each company to tag the slab you chose and to say whether your counters come from one slab or two, since one reviewer says Top Notch Stonework cut a whole kitchen from a single jumbo slab. The three island shops are within 0.5 mi of each other near the island convenience center, so you can compare slabs in one trip.

Quartz countertops on Hilton Head Island are engineered stone, sold by brand. Precision Granite & Marble is listed as a Cambria partner, Distinctive and StoneWorks list quartz, and a Top Notch Stonework reviewer describes quartz counters on a kitchen and a bar. Ask each company which brands and colors it carries and who stands behind the warranty.

Marble and quartzite are natural stone and need more care than most buyers expect. Distinctive says to keep acids away from marble and limestone, and Lowcountry Stone Boutique, which specializes in marble, quartzite and onyx, says natural stone should be sealed every year or as the installer recommends. Ask to see the slab you like and ask how it is sealed.

A countertop job runs in steps: pick the slab, get a written estimate, template the cabinets, fabricate and install. Precision Granite & Marble says the cabinets must be fixed in their permanent places before templating, because any movement afterward can change the fit, and that the sink and cooktop must be on site for the cuts. StoneWorks says design to installation takes 5 business days; for other companies, ask. A plumber usually disconnects the sink before install and reconnects it after (see plumbers on Hilton Head).

Counters replaced in the same place do not usually need a permit. Moving a sink or adding outlets is plumbing and electrical work, which needs a permit from the Town of Hilton Head Island; call the building staff at 843-341-4757 and see electricians. If your home is in Sea Pines, Palmetto Dunes or Hilton Head Plantation, ask the association whether a contractor needs a gate pass. Dispose of the old tops through junk removal.

Both stone shops publish care rules. Lowcountry Stone Boutique says to clean with a pH-neutral stone cleaner or mild dish soap and warm water, to avoid vinegar, ammonia, bleach and abrasive cleaners, to wipe up spills such as lemon juice, wine and coffee right away, and to test the seal by dropping water on the stone: if it darkens quickly, reseal. Distinctive says to use coasters, trivets under hot pans and a squeegee in wet areas to limit soap scum.

If you rent your home or are away part of the year, ask the installer to seal the stone before you leave. For the cabinets and floor around the counters, see cabinets on Hilton Head and flooring on Hilton Head.

If the counters are part of a kitchen or bath remodel, the order matters: cabinets go in first, then the counters are measured. Cabinet IQ plans cabinets and countertops together, and the stone shops above template and install once the cabinets are fixed in place. For the whole project, see kitchen remodeling on Hilton Head and bathroom remodeling on Hilton Head.

StoneWorks, Precision Granite & Marble and Cabinet IQ are in Bluffton. For the Bluffton showrooms, including Seacoast Stone & Tile and Coastal Countertops and Tile, and the Ridgeland slab yards of Prestige Stone & Tile and Distinctive’s Browns Cove Rd showroom, see countertops in Bluffton.