How to Drill Through Granite

Co-authored by Jason Phillip

Last Updated: June 3, 2024 Approved

Granite counters and flooring are popular among homebuilders and homeowners because of the material’s attractiveness and durability. Granite comes in a wide variety of colors and finishes and, despite being somewhat more expensive than most alternatives, it continues to be among the most popular materials in high-end building and remodeling projects. Because of its hardness and relative brittleness, however, granite can be a tricky material to work with: You need special saws to cut granite tiles and industrial-level saws to cut counter-thickness pieces. It also takes special care and tools to drill through granite. The wrong method or drill will likely result in either ruined drill bits or cracked granite. With the right tools and techniques, however, homeowners and do-it-yourselfers can drill through granite like a pro.

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Consider other alternatives before you start putting holes in your granite, especially when you’re working with something as expensive as a granite countertop.
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Mark the area where you plan to drill. For small diameter holes, you can use a small dot. For larger diameter holes, use a template or draw a precise circle that corresponds exactly with the diameter of the hole you’re drilling.^{[2]
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- If you’re concerned that the drill bit will wander, you can clamp a piece of scrap wood with the appropriate sized guide hole over your drilling target.
Clamp a piece of stone scrap underneath the area where you will be drilling to prevent chipping on the underside of the granite. For maximum safety and effectiveness, place a clamp on either side of the hole you’re drilling.^{[3]
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Install the desired size diamond drill bit into a high-speed drill or angle grinder with a drill bit adapter.^{[4]
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- Make sure the drill bit is specifically designed for drilling through granite and that it can handle the depth of drilling your application requires.
- Diamond core drill bits have a good reputation for drilling through granite with ease; a good one should be able to get through a ¾-inch (1.9 cm) slab in less than a minute.
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Begin drilling at a steady speed.
- Some drill bit manufacturers recommend using water to cool and lubricate the drill bit while drilling. Others say you won’t need to do that for their bits. Either way, water will serve to reduce the amount of granite dust in the air.
- If you use water, form a dam around the drilling area using plumbers putty.
- If you don’t use water, you can have someone use a shop vac to vacuum the granite dust as you drill.
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Expert Q&A

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Are there any tips for using a power drill?

Jason Phillip
Handyman
Jason Phillip is a handyman and owner of Iconic Interior Installations based in New York City, New York. With over five years of experience professionally mounting and installing objects through his company, Jason's work includes mounting window AC units, designing art gallery walls, installing kitchen cabinets, and replacing light fixtures on drywall, brick, and plaster. He has been rated a "Top Pro" every year since 2016 by Thumbtack for being one of the highest-rated, most popular professionals on Thumbtack.

Jason Phillip

Handyman

Expert Answer

One tip is to use the torque settings. When you use a power drill, you can either use it so that it just keeps moving or you can use the torque settings, which are usually 1 through 20. With the torque settings, the drill will stop turning after a certain amount of pressure. First start with the lowest setting, which is usually one. When it stops and the screw doesn't go in anymore, then slowly turn it to a higher setting until you get to the highest setting in order to get the screw into the wall.

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What if it's not possible to clamp any scrap stone under the granite?

Community Answer

It is not necessary. This is just for a more finished look under the sink.

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Question

Won't it be better if we start with a C-cut (a segment of the circle to be drilled), then gradually tilt the tool to cover the entire circle? Is the 'rotational movement' you are using necessary once you get a bite? What if the tool is held perfectly vertical and steady at low RPM?

Community Answer

if you tilt the bit, the edge of the hole is parabolic and not circular. "Hole saws" for larger-diameter holes usually have a drill bit in the center that either sets or benefits from a pilot hole, so tilting might be highly problematic with the hole saw. For smaller-diameter holes this is not an issue, but also there's no real advantage to tilting at the beginning of the cut.

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Warnings

Always wear safety goggles when using a power drill. This caution is especially important when working with high-speed drills and hard materials like granite or marble.

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