What is the difference between an upstand and a splashback?

Both cover the wall behind a worktop. An upstand is a low strip, usually about 100 mm high; anything taller, up to the wall cupboards or the ceiling, is usually called a splashback. Many UK fitters draw the line at about 200 mm.

Do I need an upstand on a kitchen worktop?

No, but without one the joint between worktop and wall is a line of sealant that collects grime and goes grey over time. An upstand in the same stone closes that joint with a solid strip that wipes clean.

Can I have an upstand and tiles?

Yes. A stone upstand along the worktop with tiles above it is a common mix: the upstand takes the splashes at the worktop, and the tiles give colour or pattern on the rest of the wall.

How high should a kitchen upstand be?

Most upstands are about 100 mm high, enough to cover the joint and the first splashes. Taller pieces become splashbacks; we cut both from the same slab as the worktop.

Upstand or Splashback | What Goes Above a Kitchen Worktop

Q: Is a stone splashback suitable behind a hob?

It depends on the stone and the hob. Granite and porcelain cope well with heat. Quartz is bound with resin and should not take direct heat from a gas flame, so behind a gas hob tell us the hob type and we advise on the stone and the gap.

Gold-veined stone worktop with a full-height splashback behind the hob, fitted by Marvra

Above a kitchen worktop you have four choices: leave the wall and seal the joint, fit a short upstand in the same stone, tile the wall, or carry the stone all the way up as a full-height splashback. The right one depends on what you want to clean, what you want to see, and what you want to spend. Many fitters call anything under about 200 mm an upstand and anything taller a splashback.

Use the switcher below to see each option on the same wall, then the guide picks one for your kitchen. If you already know what you want, see our upstands and splashbacks or get a free worktop quote.

One wall, four finishes

Choose a finish to redraw the wall. The bars compare it with the other three.

Drawing for illustration, not to scale.

No upstand

The worktop meets the painted wall and the joint is closed with a line of sealant. The cheapest option, but the sealant collects grime and the paint above the worktop takes every splash.

Easy to cleanLow

Wall protectionVery low

Lower costLowest

Comparison on a 1 to 5 scale, for a typical kitchen. Your quote depends on the stone and the length of wall.

What an upstand does

An upstand is a strip of the worktop stone, usually about 100 mm high, fixed to the wall along the back edge of the worktop. It does two things. It closes the joint between worktop and wall, which otherwise relies on a bead of sealant, and it takes the water and food that land at the back of the worktop, especially behind the sink.

Because it is cut from the same slab, the colour and veining match the worktop. That is the difference with a plastic or laminate trim: the joint disappears into the stone instead of being covered by something else.

Upstand and tiles together

White quartz worktop with a matching 10 cm stone upstand and beige porcelain wall tiles above it, illustration — Illustration, not a Marvra installation.

The most common mix in UK kitchens is a stone upstand with tiles above it. The upstand protects the joint, the tiles cover the rest of the wall up to the wall cupboards, and you choose the tile for colour or pattern. Porcelain wall tiles suit this well because they absorb almost no water; our kitchen tiles are 11 mm rectified porcelain, so the joints can be thin.

If you go this way, finish the tiles neatly on the top of the upstand and keep the grout colour close to the tile, so the wall reads as one surface.

A full-height stone splashback

Gold-veined stone worktop carried up the wall behind an induction hob as a full-height splashback, illustration — Illustration, not a Marvra installation.

A splashback carries the worktop stone up the wall, to the wall cupboards, the extractor or the ceiling. With a veined stone the pattern continues from the worktop up the wall, which is why it is so often chosen behind a hob or a range. There is no grout to clean and nothing to replace.

It uses more stone than an upstand, so it costs more, and the wall has to be checked before anything is cut. We template on site and tell you about sockets, the extractor and anything on the wall before cutting. Behind a gas hob, tell us the hob type: quartz is bound with resin and should not take direct heat from a flame, while granite and porcelain cope better.

Which one suits your kitchen?

Before you ask for a quote

What to tell us about the wall

These change how the stone is cut. Tick what you have ready.

0 of 6 ready

The length of each wall runIn metres, from corner to corner or to the end of the units.
The height to the wall cupboardsOnly needed for a splashback.
Where the sockets and switches areA photo of the wall is enough.
The hob typeGas, induction or ceramic, and where it sits.
A window sill or extractor on the same wallThe stone has to be cut around them.
The worktop stone, if chosenUpstands and splashbacks come from the same slab.

How it is made and fitted

Upstands and splashbacks are cut from the same slab as the worktop, in our workshop, once the kitchen has been templated. We check on site whether the wall is straight before anything is cut, then fit the worktop first and the upstands or splashback after. You can mix them: an upstand along the run, a splashback behind the hob and a waterfall end on the island.

Want a price for your wall? Get a free quote: leave your number or email and we call you, or send us a photo of your kitchen on WhatsApp.