California is drafting a rule that would stop shops from fabricating most engineered quartz, the most common countertop material in the U.S. The state has confirmed 660 cases of engineered-stone silicosis and 35 deaths, according to the state health department's dashboard as reported by Realtor.com. Cal/OSHA's discussion draft would prohibit fabricating artificial stone with more than 1.0% crystalline silica. Nothing has been adopted yet, but if you own or manage units in California and plan kitchen or bath turns in 2027, it is time to change your countertop spec.
What happened
On May 21, 2026, California's Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board granted Petition 609 "to the extent" that it asked Cal/OSHA to draft emergency rulemaking amending the state's crystalline silica standard. The board also asked Cal/OSHA to convene advisory committees. The state's announcement called the vote unanimous. The petition, received by the board on December 20, 2025 by an occupational medicine group, asked the state to prohibit fabricating and installing engineered stone above 1% silica.
On September 16, Cal/OSHA posted a discussion draft of a new section 5204.1 and took comments through September 30, 2026. The draft's main points:
- What it bans. It would prohibit the manufacture or fabrication (cutting, grinding, drilling, routing, polishing) of artificial stone with more than 1.0% crystalline silica by weight "in any place of employment." The ban would start 60 days after the emergency rule takes effect. The draft leaves that date blank for the state's Office of Administrative Law to fill in.
- A sell-through window. Shops that comply with the existing silica standard could keep fabricating slabs they bought, contracted for, or already had in their possession before the effective date. Under the draft, all fabrication would end 180 days after the effective date.
- What's excluded. The draft says fired ceramic and porcelain tiles and panels are not artificial stone. In the construction rules, it says the ban does not apply to onsite installation, maintenance or repair of artificial stone products. Fabrication done on a job site is still covered.
- Paperwork. Employers would need documents showing a material is 1.0% silica or less, or is not artificial stone. Without them, the draft says the material is treated as high-silica.
This is a draft. The final text, the dates and even whether the state uses the emergency process can still change. Note one gap: the petition asked to stop installation as well, but the draft as written stops fabrication only.
Why it matters for property managers
Your existing countertops are not affected. The draft regulates workplaces that make or cut slabs. It does not require anyone to remove quartz that is already installed. The construction-side text carves out onsite installation, maintenance and repair, so routine work on existing tops should not be affected under the draft as written.
New quartz could get harder to source in California. The state says earlier rules didn't stop the cases. California adopted emergency silica rules in December 2023 and made them permanent in February 2025. Even so, about 94% of 127 fabrication shops inspected between late 2023 and February 2026 were cited for violations, according to Cal/OSHA figures reported by Realtor.com. Board staff counted about 1,342 fabricators in the state. If the ban is adopted, shops that rely on quartz will have to switch materials or close their quartz lines. In the meantime, expect tighter scheduling and quotes that change.
Your turn schedule and your capital plan are exposed. If a renovation calls for engineered quartz and the slab is cut after the cutoff, the job stalls. That risk is greatest on 2027 projects already budgeted with quartz on the spec sheet.
Lawsuits are targeting manufacturers. A Los Angeles jury awarded a former fabricator $52.4 million against a manufacturer in 2024. One manufacturer told Congress it was defending roughly 400 lawsuits. The suits Realtor.com describes were brought against manufacturers, not property owners.
What to do this week
- List upcoming California turns and remodels that specify engineered quartz. Flag any where fabrication could fall in 2027.
- Get alternate quotes. Ask your countertop vendor for pricing on porcelain slab, which the draft excludes, and on other surfaces. Get lead times too, not just price.
- Ask fabricators for silica documentation. Under the draft, shops would need records proving a material is 1.0% silica or less. Ask now for the safety data sheet or the manufacturer's spec on any "low-silica" product you are offered.
- Check your in-house crews. If your maintenance team cuts or grinds stone on site, they are likely already covered by California's silica standard. The draft would apply the ban to onsite fabrication. The draft exempts installation, maintenance and repair, but it defines installation narrowly, as minor on-site adjustments to fit slabs that were already fabricated, so confirm the scope with your safety consultant.
- Update vendor agreements. Require countertop contractors to certify they comply with California's silica rules. Confirm the wording with counsel.
- Don't rush to rip out existing quartz. Nothing in the draft requires it.
What we're watching
- The emergency filing. Cal/OSHA still has to finish the rule and the finding of emergency the board requested, the board has to adopt it, and the Office of Administrative Law sets the effective date. Until then, the 60- and 180-day clocks have not started.
- Whether installation is added back. The petition asked for it. The draft's construction exception leaves it out.
- Other states. If adopted, California would be the first state to effectively remove high-silica engineered stone from fabrication shops.
- Product changes. Expect manufacturers to market low-silica and silica-free slabs. Before you approve any substitute, verify the silica claim on paper.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check the final regulation and confirm how it applies to your crews and contracts with local counsel or a safety professional.