Quartz Overlay Worktops

Thin quartz fitted directly over your existing worktops. No ripping out, no mess, no fuss. Your kitchen transformed in a day. Supplied and fitted by our own team across London, the Home Counties and the wider South East. We’ve been fitting kitchen worktops in stone for 16 years from our base in Thame, Oxfordshire.

What overlay worktops actually are

Overlay worktops are exactly what they sound like. A thin layer of quartz fitted directly on top of your existing worktop surface. Instead of removing your old laminate, timber or solid surface, we bond a precision-cut quartz overlay right over it.

The result looks identical to a full-thickness quartz worktop. Same colours, same finish, same feel. The installation is faster, less disruptive, and produces far less waste than a full replacement.

Think of it as re-skinning rather than replacing. Your old worktop becomes the substrate. The new quartz sits on top as the finished surface. It’s a genuinely clever approach that’s grown a lot over the last few years.

Why choose an overlay

Less disruption

This is the big one. Because we’re not ripping out your existing worktops, the whole process is calmer. In most cases, no disconnecting and reconnecting plumbing. No disturbing the tiling behind or below the worktops. No risk of damaging cabinets during removal. Your kitchen is out of action for hours, not days.

Less waste

Your old worktops stay in place rather than going to landfill. The overlay slabs themselves are thinner, so less raw material is used. If sustainability matters to you — and it should — overlays are the more responsible option.

Faster fitting

Without the removal stage, fitting is quicker. A standard kitchen can be overlaid in a single morning. Combined with our 5-day fast-track service from template to fit, you could have a completely transformed kitchen within a week of picking up the phone.

Lower cost than full replacement

Thinner slabs mean less material. Less labour means lower fitting costs. For a standard kitchen, an overlay can work out noticeably cheaper than a full replacement of the same colour quartz.

When overlays work — and when they don’t

Overlays are brilliant in the right situation, but they’re not a universal fix. We’ll always be straight with you about which approach suits your kitchen.

Overlays work well when:

• Your existing worktops are structurally sound — solid, level, firmly attached to the cabinets.
• The current surface is laminate, solid surface, timber, or an older stone you want to update.
• You’re happy with the current layout and don’t need to change cutout positions for sinks or hobs.
• You want to minimise disruption and keep fitting time short.

Overlays aren’t ideal when:

• Your existing worktops are damaged, warped, swollen or unstable. A dodgy substrate means a dodgy overlay. We won’t fit on top of a surface that isn’t solid.
• You want to move your sink or hob to a different position. That requires new cutouts, new plumbing and usually new worktops rather than overlays.
• Your current worktops are already very thick and adding more height would cause problems — awkward junctions with window sills, for instance, or making the surface uncomfortably high.
• The existing upstand or splashback arrangement won’t accommodate the added thickness.

During our free consultation, we’ll assess your current worktops and tell you honestly whether overlays make sense. If they don’t, we’ll recommend a full replacement instead. No point fitting something that won’t last.

Thickness and material options

Our overlay slabs are typically 12 mm to 20 mm thick, compared with the 20 mm or 30 mm of a standard full-slab quartz worktop. The thinner profile is what makes overlay possible. It adds minimal height to your existing surface.

You can choose from the same quartz range we offer for full-thickness worktops:

• Silestone (made by Cosentino)
• Caesarstone
• Modern Quartz Stone
• Artemistone
• Noble Stone
• Quartzforms (German-made)

Between them, over 1,000 colours and finishes are available — from marble-look Calacatta veining to solid whites, greys, blacks and sparkle options.

Edge profiles are finished to match full-thickness slabs, so the overlay doesn’t look thin from the front. A mitred or laminated edge gives the appearance of a chunky 40 mm slab if that’s the look you’re after.

How overlay fitting works

1. Get in touch. Send us photos of your existing worktops and your measurements. We’ll let you know straight away whether overlays are suitable.

2. Free quote. We’ll price it up, including material, templating, fitting and VAT. Clear, no-nonsense pricing.

3. Templating. Our templater visits and laser-measures your existing worktops. This captures every edge and cutout precisely.

4. Fabrication. Your overlay slabs are cut, profiled and polished.

5. Fitting. Our team arrives, bonds the overlays to your existing surface, makes all the cutouts for sinks and hobs, and finishes everything cleanly. Most kitchens are done within a few hours.

What actually drives the cost of an overlay

We don’t quote in advance because no two kitchens are the same. What we can tell you is what shifts the number.

• The quartz brand and colour. Headline-brand veined quartzes (Silestone, Caesarstone Calacatta-look) cost more than mid-tier solid colours.
• Total run length. A short straight run costs less than a multi-piece L-shape.
• Cutouts. New cutouts for sinks, hobs and sockets each take time. Existing cutout positions are kept where possible to keep cost down.
• Edge profile. Standard pencil round is the simplest. Mitred edges (for a chunky 40 mm look) cost more.
• Substrate condition. If we need to do prep work to make the existing worktop sound enough to bond on, that adds time.

Free in-home assessment, written quote, no hidden charges.

Pros and cons of quartz overlay worktops

The case for overlays:

• Faster than a full replacement (often a single morning’s fitting)
• Less mess and disruption — no rip-out, no plumbing reroute (in most cases)
• Significantly less waste than removing and replacing worktops
• Same quartz range, same colours, same finish as full-slab worktops
• Less cost than full replacement for the same colour

The case against overlays:

• Only works if the existing worktop is structurally sound and level
• Can’t be used to move sink or hob position
• Adds 12-20 mm to total worktop height, which can affect splashback alignment or window sill clearance
• Edge handling needs precision — there’s less material to work with than a full slab

If your existing worktops are sound and you’re happy with the layout, overlay is often the smartest move. If you want to remodel the kitchen layout or your existing tops are failing, a full replacement is the right call.

Common questions about overlay worktops

How thick are overlay slabs? Typically 12 mm to 20 mm, compared with 20-30 mm for full-slab quartz worktops. The thinner profile is what makes overlay possible without making your kitchen surface awkwardly high.

Will the overlay look as good as a full quartz worktop? Yes. Same materials, same finishes, same edge profiles. The overlay is the visible surface — the old worktop underneath is just a substrate. From above, you can’t tell the difference.

Can I have any colour I want? You can choose from over 1,000 quartz colours through our supplier range. Marble-look Calacatta, solid whites and greys, jet blacks, sparkle finishes — they’re all available as overlays.

How long does overlay fitting take? Most kitchens are overlaid in a single morning. Allow longer if there’s complex prep work on the existing substrate.

Is the overlay durable? Once bonded properly, an overlay performs the same way as a full-slab quartz worktop in daily use. Non-porous, scratch-resistant, low-maintenance, hygienic. The bond between overlay and substrate is what matters, and we use industry-standard adhesives suited to the materials involved.

Can I overlay onto stone worktops? Sometimes. Granite or marble worktops in good condition can take an overlay, but the cost-benefit usually doesn’t stack up — you’re paying overlay rates on a kitchen that already has stone tops. Overlays are best value over laminate, timber and solid surface.

What about the upstand or splashback? This is one of the things we check at consultation. If the existing upstand fits the kitchen as-is and the added overlay thickness won’t push the surface awkwardly close to it, overlay is fine. If not, we’ll plan around it (sometimes by replacing the upstand, sometimes by recommending full replacement instead).

Can I overlay just one section of worktop? Possible in theory, but the colour match between an overlay section and the surrounding old worktop is rarely satisfactory. We usually recommend doing the full kitchen for a consistent look.

How long does the overlay last? The quartz itself lasts decades — same as full-slab quartz. The bond to the substrate depends on the substrate staying solid. If the underlying worktop fails (water damage, structural movement), the overlay can be affected.

Do you do overlay in London? Yes. We’re based in Thame, Oxfordshire and cover central and outer London regularly. Same team, same quality, no subcontractors.

Why IP Stone for overlay worktops

Overlays need to be fitted precisely. There’s less room for error with a thinner slab, and the bonding has to be right. We’ve been fitting stone worktops for 16 years from our base in Thame, Oxfordshire, and overlays are a regular part of our work.

Our fitters understand the technique and the materials. They know which adhesives to use, how to handle thin slabs without cracking them, and how to finish edges so the result looks like a solid, full-thickness worktop.

We cover London, the Home Counties and the wider South East. Same team, same quality, every job.

Find out if overlay is right for your kitchen

Send us a few photos of your current worktops — top and edges — and we’ll give you an honest assessment. If overlays are suitable, we’ll quote it up. If they’re not, we’ll explain why and suggest the best alternative. Either way, it costs you nothing to ask.

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Paula (office): 01844 698 821 Direct mobile: 07492 363 932 Email: info@ipstone.co.uk

Related guides

• Quartz Worktops
• Granite Worktops
• Marble Worktops
• Granite vs Quartz
• Kitchen Worktop Replacement