Countertops in Augusta, KS

Countertops in Augusta often go into houses with a lot of history behind them. This is a town that tripled in size after oil was found nearby in 1914 and grew again after World War II, so many kitchens were built decades before quartz was common. We replace worn laminate, cracked tile and tired vanity tops with quartz, granite and other surfaces, and every job starts with a free written estimate.

Two building booms

Augusta counted 1,235 residents in 1910 and 4,219 in 1920, a jump tied to the oil discovery and the refineries that followed, including the White Eagle Oil Company founded in 1916. A second wave came after the war: the population rose from 4,483 in 1950 to 6,434 in 1960. Homes from that second wave are often the ranch houses with galley or L-shaped kitchens that we see most. Those kitchens tend to have shorter runs of counter, a single window over the sink and soffits above the uppers, all of which shape what the new tops should look like.

Why older kitchens need careful templating

A house that has stood for 60 or 100 years has moved. Walls drift out of plumb, floors dip and cabinet runs that were once straight develop a slight wave. A countertop cut from a tape-measure sketch can leave a visible gap at the wall or rock on a high spot. We template from the actual cabinets, note where shims are needed and scribe the back edge so the stone meets the wall cleanly. If the old cabinets are too weak for stone, we say so before you buy anything.

Options that suit an Augusta budget

The median owner-occupied home value in Augusta is $175,500, according to Census estimates. Plenty of owners here want a real upgrade without over-improving the house. A few ways we approach that:

• Quartz in a standard color and a simple eased edge keeps cost down while giving a long-lasting surface
• Granite remnants can cover a small vanity or a coffee bar for less than a full slab
• Laminate has improved a lot and still makes sense for a rental or a quick refresh before selling
• Solid surface works well for bathrooms where an integrated sink is easier to clean

Permits and who does the work

The City of Augusta's development guide answers the question of whether you need a permit with "Most likely, yes!" and lists building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical work among the items that require one. Anyone you hire must be a licensed contractor with the City of Augusta, and the contractor is responsible for pulling permits before work starts. A homeowner cannot pull a permit and then hand the job to someone who is not licensed. On a countertop project, the parts that most often touch these rules are moving a sink, adding a disposal circuit or changing a gas line for a cooktop. We flag those items in the quote. The city's Building Inspections office is at 114 E. 6th.

Near downtown

Augusta's downtown has red brick streets, a 2009 streetscape project and the Art Deco Augusta Theater, built in 1935. Many of the homes in the blocks around it are older than the ranch houses on the edges of town, and their kitchens can be small and oddly shaped. A small kitchen is often where quartz makes the biggest visible difference, because there is less of it to buy and every inch is on display.

Getting started

Send photos to us or call (316) 710-8260. We will come out, measure, talk through materials and leave you with a written quote.

Get a Free Estimate