Guide · 7 min read
How to sell worktops and countertops cut to size on Shopify
A worktop price is built from several parts: the size, the material and thickness, the finished edges, and the holes cut for the sink and hob. Most shops still answer every enquiry with a quote by email. Here's how to price a made-to-measure worktop so the customer sees the exact figure on the product page, and the rules that stop orders you can't make.
Three ways to sell worktops
1. Standard lengths as variants
Sell 2 m, 3 m and 4 m boards in a few depths and let the customer or their fitter cut to size. Easy to list, and it works for DIY laminate. But it can't price cut-outs or finished edges, and it doesn't work at all for stone and quartz, which must be cut by you.
2. A "request a quote" form
The customer sends their sizes and you reply with a price. It handles anything, but every order waits for you, comparison shoppers move on, and you spend evenings writing quotes for people who never buy.
3. A calculator on the product page
The customer enters length and depth, picks the material, edges and cut-outs, and sees the price before adding to cart. The full cutting list goes onto the order. This is what the rest of this guide sets up.
A worked example
A 2400 × 620 mm top in 40 mm oak at £180/m² is 2.4 × 0.62 = 1.488 m², so £267.84. A bullnose front edge adds 2.4 m × £14 = £33.60, and a sink and a hob cut-out add £45 + £35. The total is £381.44. Try your own:
Longest pieces: laminate 3600 mm, oak 3000 mm, quartz 3200 mm. Anything longer is refused, as it would be on a real product page, because a longer run needs a joint.
The rules that protect your workshop
Worktops are expensive to get wrong, so a few rules matter more than usual:
- Limits per material. Each material comes in slabs or boards of a fixed size. Set the largest length and depth for each one, and explain what to do for longer runs (two pieces, or a joined top made to order).
- A minimum charge. A small vanity top takes as long to set up, cut and deliver as a big one.
- Cut-out positions as measurements. Ask where the sink and hob go (for example, distance from the left end to the centre) and put it on the order, so nothing is guessed in the workshop.
- Edges only where they show. Price the front edge by default, and offer finished ends or back edges for islands and breakfast bars.
- Delivery by size. Long or heavy tops often need two people or a pallet; a surcharge above a certain length keeps delivery from eating the margin.
- Measuring help. A short guide beside the size boxes (measure at the wall, allow for overhangs, check the walls are square) prevents most remakes.
Setting it up with a calculator
Here's how it looks with MeasureLab, the calculator app we make. The same ideas apply to any calculator app.
- Open the product in MeasureLab and start from a template close to what you sell, or start blank.
- Add Length and Depth inputs in mm or cm, with the smallest and largest sizes you can cut, and a clear message for anything larger.
- Add the material as a choice where each option carries its own rate per m², so the area price follows the material the customer picks.
- Price the edge by the metre: a choice of edge profiles, each multiplied by the length (and by the ends, if you offer finished ends).
- Add cut-outs as tick boxes or a number input, each with its own price, and optional inputs for where each one goes.
- Set your rules in Pricing rules: a minimum charge, rounding, and a delivery surcharge above a set length.
- Publish, then place the calculator block on your product page in the theme editor.
The order arrives as a complete cutting list: size, material, edge, cut-outs and their positions, with the price checked again at checkout.
Questions
How are made-to-measure worktops usually priced?
By area for the chosen material and thickness, plus edge finishing per running metre, plus a fixed price for each cut-out, usually with a minimum charge.
What if a customer orders a worktop longer than a slab?
Set a maximum length and depth for each material that matches the slab or board you cut from, and explain that longer runs need a joint. Customers can order two pieces, or contact you for a joined top.
Should edge finishing be charged on every side?
Usually only on the visible edges. Price the front edge by default and let customers add finished ends or a back edge for islands and breakfast bars.
How do I get the cut-out positions right?
Ask for each position as a measurement, such as the distance from the left end to the centre of the sink, and include it on the order. For complex tops, ask for a template or a drawing before cutting.
Can customers measure in inches?
Yes, if the calculator converts units. In MeasureLab, turn on the unit switch: customers type in inches or millimetres and it's converted before the price is worked out.