California's Quartz Countertop Ban: What It Means If You Already Have Quartz

California is moving to ban cutting and fabricating engineered quartz that contains 1% or more crystalline silica, after hundreds of countertop workers developed silicosis. As of November 2026 it is a draft rule, not law. Quartz countertops already in your home are not affected. You can keep using, cleaning and caring for them.

What the rule would do

Covers: fabricating and manufacturing artificial stone with 1% or more crystalline silica. That includes most traditional quartz slabs.
Does not cover: natural stone such as granite, marble and quartzite, or countertops that are already installed.
Why: the danger is the dust made when engineered stone is cut, ground or polished. Breathing it causes silicosis, an incurable lung disease.

Fabricator in a respirator wet-cutting an engineered stone slab — Illustration: the hazard is in the shop, where slabs are cut and ground. That is what the rule targets.

Where it stands (November 2026)

May 21, 2026: the Cal/OSHA Standards Board voted to move the ban forward.
September 16 and October 22, 2026: Cal/OSHA posted draft rules. Public comments closed October 30.
Next: a Board vote on an emergency standard. No final rule or start date has been set yet.

What it means for you

You already have quartz: nothing changes. Using and wiping a finished counter does not create silica dust. Do not cut, drill or sand it yourself.
You are remodeling: ask for the slab's silica content on its spec sheet. Some brands now sell low-silica quartz. Granite, quartzite and porcelain are other options.
Your quartz needs a repair: ask any contractor how they control dust before they grind or polish. We confirm our method fits current Cal/OSHA rules before any repair on engineered quartz.

Keep the quartz you have looking new

Quartz can stain and etch, especially lower-cost slabs. See why quartz marks and when to seal it, or have us deep clean your quartz countertops. Not sure if your counter is quartz? Here's how to tell.

We serve Manteca, Stockton, Tracy and nearby. Call or text (209) 239-2906.

Sources: Cal/OSHA artificial stone rulemaking, Cal/OSHA: engineered stone countertops, EHS Leaders: California advances ban

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