Installing granite countertops can increase the appearance and value of your home. Granite is an extremely hard stone which will allow you to cut and place hot cookware directly on your countertop. Granite countertops are installed as single slabs of stone, so it is important to obtain accurate measurements of your countertops if you plan to install granite.

1
Use a tape measure to measure the length of the front edge of the countertop on which you plan to install the granite. Measure the distance from the left front corner to the right front corner of the countertop. If the counter is L-shaped and thus intersects with another portion of the countertop, measure from the point at which the two front edges of the counters intersect to the opposite front corner of the counter.

2
Measure the depth of the countertop on which you plan to install the granite. Depth is the distance from the front of the countertop (the side furthest from the wall) to the rear of the countertop (the side nearest the wall) measured by a straight line that is at a 90-degree angle from the front edge of the countertop.

3
Measure the length of the back edge of the countertop on which you wish to install the granite, which will only be necessary if your countertop is not a perfect rectangle. Measure the entire continuous length of the back of the countertop from the left corner to the right corner. If you are measuring a countertop that is L-shaped or another unusual shape, you may need to draw a diagram on graph paper depicting the exact measurements of each portion of the counter and a rough outline of the shape.

4
Repeat Steps 1 to 3 for each separate continuous section of the countertop (e.g. the portion of the counter on each side of the oven).

5
Determine the location of any appliances built into the counter. If there is a sink installed in the countertop, determine the measurements of the sink and its exact location in the countertop (e.g. the sink is 12 inches by 18 inches, and the left corner of the sink is located 30 inches from the left side of the counter and 6 inches from the front of the counter). It may help to make a scaled drawing on graph paper to display the exact measurements and locations of the appliances.

6
Measure the dimensions of all of the countertops on which you plan to install granite. Measure the countertops on each side of the appliances (such as the oven) separately unless the countertops physically connect to one another.