I'm planning a kitchen reno (bump out) and my plan is to do Cambria Praa Sands countertops with white cabinets. We haven't broken ground and already well over budget, thus project is now delayed. For 53 sq. ft. of counter space needed, my contractor was quoted $8,500 ($160/sq.ft.), which seems excessively high and told him to get more quotes. Does that seem high to you? I live in northern suburbs of Chicago. A kitchen designer we met with told us that with Cambria, it's more expensive because you're not paying for a slab, you only pay for the amount needed and it's considered the more expensive of the quartz manufacturers. So now I'm reconsidering just using the Cambria on the main feature parts of the kitchen: island and main perimeter, and using something else on the outer perimeter (butcher block, laminate?). P.S. I know this is a different topic, but does anyone know a reasonably priced and quality kitchen cabinet supplier in the Chicago area? The quote for my kitchen cabs was $24,000 and it's not that big of a kitchen or a million-dollar home. Any experience with options at Lowes or Home Depot? I just can't justify $24k on cabinets. Thanks!

I think people get Torquay for what it is, a pretty countertop that is more bullet proof than real marble. I don't think anyone gets it thinking they are going to fool people into believing it's real marble, so I wouldn't worry about that issue. If you like the look of the Torquay go for it. You can order samples of it from Cambria. I think the all white countertop like white cliff is very modern. I don't necessarily think its boring, it's just a certain look. They are really two completely different looks. You should just decide what you like the look of better. Something with a little more dimension like Torquay or something more simple like the white cliff.

I am a small fabricator who specializes in high end quality and cutting edge design in the central Florida area. Cambria is a no brainer for my clients who want really special engineered stone surfaces. With that being said, this price increase is very true. My cost has gone up 30% for Cambria. While I will still continue to offer Cambria products in my showroom, I will say that the price increase has caused three of my clients to either choose another product or simply find another fabricator all together. in either case, Cambria has lost three sales in January alone out of my little store. One of those sales I lost all together, but the other two chose another brand. As one user above has posted, time will tell if this price increase impacts Cambria's total sales/profit and ultimately gets their attention to address the pricing structure. I love Cambria, but I am not sure I will sell as many Cambria jobs as I did before the price increase.

I'm skeptical. The designers and salespeople usually get the ear of the CEO, much to the detriment of the engineering and public relations departments.