Bathroom Vanity Tops in Jersey City, NJ

Bathroom vanity tops are small, but they leave little room for error. The drilled holes must line up with your chosen faucet, the sink has to line up with the drain, and in a tight Jersey City bathroom the top often has to fit wall to wall between two uneven plaster walls. We measure the vanity and the fixtures you plan to use before cutting, so the stone fits the first time.

Materials that work in bathrooms

• Quartz: nonporous and resistant to toothpaste, makeup and hair dye stains; a frequent pick for busy baths
• Marble: classic in older brownstone baths; it can etch from acidic products, so it suits owners who accept some patina
• Granite: durable and often available as a remnant for small tops
• Solid surface: can be made with an integral sink molded into the top, which leaves no seam for grime

By HomeGuide's numbers, a 20-by-36-inch marble top runs $200-$750 installed, and a solid surface bath counter of 5-15 square feet runs $250-$2,300.

Remnants and small jobs

One vanity rarely needs more than a handful of square feet. Offcuts left over from big kitchen jobs are often large enough, and they can put a pricier stone within budget. Remnant stock changes constantly, so we tell you what is available when you are ready to choose. Doing the kitchen too? The bathroom top may come out of the kitchen slab's leftovers.

Sinks and faucets

The sink style shapes the top. Undermount sinks attach under the stone and leave a clean, polished edge. A vessel bowl rests on the surface, so the stone just needs a drain opening. Integral sinks are part of the top itself and are most common in solid surface. Faucet patterns vary (one hole, a 4-inch centerset or an 8-inch widespread), and drilling follows that pattern. Have your faucet and sink picked before templating, or at least have the model numbers.

Condo and rental bathrooms

In condos, a vanity swap is usually a modest job but still needs to follow the building's contractor rules. In rentals, owners tend to want a top that hides wear and cleans easily between tenants. Replacing a vanity top while keeping the sink and drain in the same place generally falls within New Jersey's ordinary maintenance rules; moving the drain or supply lines does not.

Backsplash and side splashes

Most vanity tops get a short backsplash, and tops that butt into a side wall get a side splash. In older bathrooms with walls that are not square, these pieces are scribed to close the gap, and the joint to the wall is caulked so water does not run behind the vanity.