A new federal safeguard affecting imported quartz surface products took effect August 15, creating immediate questions for fabrication shops about pricing, sourcing, open quotes and profitability. During ISFA’s August 26 webinar, Navigating the New Quartz Safeguard: What Fabricators Need to Know, three industry experts encouraged fabricators to respond with disciplined analysis, consistent communication and a clear plan—not panic.

Moderated by ISFA CEO Laurie Weber, the conversation brought together Anthony Milia of Milia Marketing, Jon Kaplan of Kaplan Consulting and Mark Phelps of Synchronous Solutions. Each approached the issue from a different angle—customer communication, business strategy and pricing—but their guidance converged on one central point: shops need to understand their own numbers and act before rising costs quietly erode cash and margin.

Start by Measuring the Exposure

Jon urged shops to begin with the commitments already on their books. Review open quotes, backlog and sales orders, then determine how much affected material is tied to that work. This reveals the shop’s immediate financial exposure and shows where margins may already be at risk.

That analysis should go deeper than a broad material category. Fabricators should understand their highest-volume colors and SKUs, current supplier pricing, product mix, customer segments, labor costs and cash requirements. Conversations with suppliers are equally important: ask how they are responding, how long their current terms are expected to remain in place and whether they can provide commitments in writing.

Protect Dollars, Not Just Percentages

Mark cautioned against applying a supplier’s percentage increase directly to the total selling price. A 20% increase in material cost does not necessarily require a 20% increase in the customer’s price because material represents only part of the job’s economics.

His recommendation was to recalculate a real job. Start with the selling price, subtract the truly variable costs and determine the dollars the job contributes to the business. Then substitute today’s material cost and measure the difference. That difference—not a blanket percentage—is the amount the shop must recover to preserve its contribution.

This also challenges a common assumption: that the job was priced correctly before the safeguard. Shops should use this moment to strengthen their costing systems, understand which work consumes critical production capacity and build forward-looking measures. By the time a problem appears on a monthly profit-and-loss statement, many of the decisions that caused it have already been made.

Communicate the Why, the Number and the Options

Anthony emphasized that customer communication begins inside the shop. Estimators, sales representatives and anyone answering customer questions should be able to explain the change consistently. A simple internal test is to ask three employees why prices changed. Three different answers signal that the team needs better alignment.

For customer conversations, the panel recommended a clear sequence: explain why the change occurred, state the new number directly and provide a practical next step. That might mean offering comparable material closer to the customer’s previous budget, locking in material already available or resetting expectations around the project scope and price. Without that final step, the shop has delivered bad news without helping the customer move forward.

Specific language builds credibility. Rather than relying on vague phrases such as “market conditions” or repeatedly apologizing, shops can identify the federal safeguard and explain what it means for the project. Keep the live explanation brief, then support it with an email, one-page handout, website page or short video for customers who want more detail.

Prepare Alternatives Before Customers Ask

Shops can reduce friction by selecting two or three alternatives for their highest-volume quartz colors before conversations begin. Presenting a Plan B or Plan C alongside the original quote gives customers choices and keeps sales teams from scrambling for answers.

The panel also recommended reviewing quote-expiration policies. Some shops have shortened quote windows significantly as conditions change, providing greater flexibility and encouraging timely customer decisions. For awarded work scheduled months in advance, fabricators should review contract language, secure material when appropriate and consult qualified legal counsel about escalation or other protective provisions—particularly for commercial projects.

Treat the Shop as One Connected System

Pricing, sales, production and cash cannot be managed in isolation. Supplier costs affect pricing; pricing affects sales; sales determine the mix of work entering production; that mix consumes capacity; and production ultimately affects installation and cash flow. A material substitution that appears financially equivalent may take much longer at the shop’s constrained resource and therefore deliver a very different result.

The panel encouraged owners and managers to establish a weekly review involving key decision-makers and customer-facing staff. Use it to examine supplier updates, open quotes, job economics, recurring customer questions and the effectiveness of the shop’s communication materials. The appropriate cadence may change with market conditions, but pricing should never be set once and left unexamined.

Five Actions Fabricators Can Take Now

1. Review open exposure. Identify affected material in open quotes, backlog and awarded work.
2. Recalculate one real job. Use current material costs to determine the actual dollars that must be recovered.
3. Align the team. Create a consistent explanation, email templates and customer-facing resources.
4. Prepare alternatives. Select backup materials for high-volume colors and present options proactively.
5. Establish a weekly cadence. Review pricing, customer feedback, supplier commitments, capacity and cash.

Prepared Shops Will Be Better Positioned for the Next Disruption

No shop can predict every policy shift, supply disruption or cost increase. The businesses most likely to thrive will be those that can recognize a change, understand its impact and respond intelligently. The quartz safeguard is today’s disruption, but it will not be the industry’s last.

For fabricators, the path forward is practical: know the economics of the work, protect cash, communicate with confidence and stay close to suppliers and customers. As the panel repeatedly emphasized, the goal is not to overreact—it is to plan, remain present and make informed decisions as conditions evolve.

ISFA remains committed to serving as the trusted source for information, education and resources that help the fabrication community navigate change.