I just wouldn't go there

What gauge? Does it include the substrate? Are you not in the rust belt (seriously--regional differences can be huge)?

I would never consider it to be a budget material. But my Detroit stainless counter was quite a bit less than my San Francisco one!

weidiii--- Yep, I'm afraid that may be the case!

fori--- They recommended 14 gauge and would supply the substrate. If we provided the substrate they would subtract $800. We're located in Arkansas, and I'd been hoping for lower prices than I'd seen for the coasts. This is not a small shop either. They have huge contracts with local food processors, but have done plenty of residential, too. Time for plan B...

I did a quick search online. 14 gauge stainless steel sheets run about $10 a sq ft. How do you get to $167 for installed cost? wow...

For that kind of pricing I would put in semiprecious stone counters - lapis etc. :)

Go for plan B or find another fabricator.

What quality stainless? 14 gauge is just the thickness, not the quality, and you would need 'food service' quality (a spec that I don't remember off hand).

316 stainless steel - Food Grade

16 gauge or better is recommended and 14 gauge is one step better. I'm seriously considering stainless in my kitchen (and in an older, period kitchen no less!) however I haven't gotten as far as pricing yet. I hope that's not what I'm told! :-o

Something is off, $167 per square feet should buy you solid 1" stainless steel plate :)

Mine were around $153 sq ft. They are incredibly complicated with marine edges, backsplash, raised shelf in a corner, bumps out by the range and bumps in by the sink as well as runnels and a raised runnel area for good drainage....well they were a lot of work.

They were more than my granite, which wasn't cheap granite, but worth every penny. I don't know...given that it's been a couple years since mine were done, and you're getting the sink integrated and I'm assuming that's part of the price? If I add in the cost of the sink they welded to the counters (it looks integrated) mine comes up to $192 and some change....so really, I wouldn't bat an eye at the price you quote. I had 316 and 14 guage. We provided the substrait and it was built by our contractor. So if I add $130 an hour on top of the stainless cost...well it gets higher. :oP

It's worth every penny....we love our stainless counter and I'm missing it every day in this freaking non-kitchen!

igloochic--- Thanks so much for the solid numbers! I have seen the pictures of your truly amazing counters, and can sure see the work involved. My plans were extremely straightforward, by comparison. The integrated sink was the only complication, but they seemed to prefer doing that to trying to weld something in. (hmm, just realized I said, "my plans were...," as in past tense, I may have already given up...sigh...) The stoneyards and fabricators exist around here, but are very limited. Now I'm trying to work out alternatives.

Sweetgum, you might try a smaller local shop. If you're lucky, the little guys are hungry and won't charge you the prices the big guy does, who is used to big commercial profits. (I'm in Maine for comparison, and had a local guy do a job for me in copper; it was $50 an hour and I provided the materials.)