More homeowners on Long Island ask us for Cambridge by name than for any other paver. That is unusual — in most product categories people describe what they want and let the contractor pick the brand. With pavers here, they have already seen a Cambridge patio at a neighbor's house and want that one.
Cambridge Pavingstones is manufactured in New Jersey, which is close enough that freight is reasonable, availability is good and the color lots are consistent from delivery to delivery. That last point matters more than homeowners expect.
What ArmorTec actually is
ArmorTec is Cambridge's surface treatment. During manufacture, a concentrated layer of finer aggregate and color pigment is applied to the top of the paver rather than mixing the color uniformly through the whole unit.
The practical result: the surface wears far more slowly and holds its color, because the part doing the work is denser than the body of the paver. The honest caveat is that it is a surface layer. Deep chips from a dropped tool or a plow blade expose the lighter concrete underneath, the same as any pigmented paver. It resists wear well; it is not indestructible.
The lines homeowners actually choose here
- Ledgestone — chiseled edges and a stone-like face. The most requested line on Long Island by a wide margin, and it suits both a 1920s village house and a new build.
- Renaissance — larger-format, cleaner lines, a more contemporary read. Popular on north-shore and newer construction.
- Sherwood — tumbled, softened edges, an aged look. Reads well against older brick and shingle homes.
- Maytrx wall — the matching retaining and seat wall system, so walls and paving come from one color family instead of almost matching.
- Coping and step units — pool coping, bullnose treads and step systems that match the field paver rather than approximating it.
What a Cambridge job costs on Long Island
Installed, a Cambridge patio generally runs $30 to $58 per square foot depending on the line, the pattern, site access and how much demolition and drainage work comes first. A 400 square foot patio typically lands between $12,000 and $23,000.
Cambridge sits above builder-grade pavers on material cost. The gap is smaller than people assume, because the material is only a portion of an installed price — the excavation, base, compaction and labor are the same either way. Choosing a cheaper paver saves less than it feels like it should, and it is the part of the job you look at every day.
The warranty has an installation condition
Cambridge offers a lifetime transferable warranty on the pavingstones themselves. Read what it covers: the manufactured unit. It covers the paver against manufacturing defect. It does not cover a patio that settles, heaves or goes wavy because the base underneath it was built wrong.
That is the crucial point, and it is the reason we write base depth and compaction lifts on every proposal. Nearly every failed paver patio we are called to look at has perfectly sound pavers sitting on a base that was never right. The manufacturer warranty was never going to help with that.
What we specify on a Cambridge installation
- Excavation to full depth — 6 to 8 inches of base for a patio, 10 to 12 for a driveway
- Compaction in lifts of 3 to 4 inches, not one deep layer rolled once
- Geotextile separation where the subsoil is silty or clay-heavy
- Concrete or spiked edge restraint on every open edge
- Polymeric jointing sand, installed dry and activated correctly
- Full-unit cuts against the house rather than slivers that pop out in year two
Ordering and lead time
Availability is generally good, but spring is the constraint. From March through June the popular lines and colors move fast across the region, and a specific color in a specific line can go to a lead time that pushes your install date.
If you want a Cambridge patio next summer, the right time to pick the line and lock the order is the winter before. Winter is also when our schedule is open, so design and permitting cost you nothing in calendar time.
Nassau villages we install in
Cambridge is stocked at supply yards on both sides of the Nassau–Suffolk line, and we install it across Nassau's villages: Cedarhurst, Hewlett, Hewlett Harbor, Hewlett Neck and Hewlett Bay Park in the Five Towns; Glen Head, Muttontown and Plandome on the North Shore; Old Bethpage and Uniondale mid-island; and Nassau Shores in Massapequa on the South Shore. Village review is the wrinkle in Nassau — setbacks, apron rules and permit paperwork change from village to village, so the install spec gets written for the block you live on. Our Nassau County masonry & paver page covers how we handle village review, or see the town pages for Garden City, Massapequa, Syosset and Wantagh.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Cambridge pavers worth the extra cost over builder-grade?
Usually yes, because material is only part of an installed price. Excavation, base, compaction and labor cost the same regardless of which paver goes on top, so downgrading the paver saves less than homeowners expect — and it is the part you look at every day. ArmorTec also holds color and resists surface wear noticeably better.
Does the Cambridge lifetime warranty cover my patio settling?
No. The warranty covers the pavingstones themselves against manufacturing defect. Settling, heaving and waviness are base failures, not paver failures, and no manufacturer warranty covers them. That is why we write excavation depth, base depth and number of compaction lifts on the proposal.
Which Cambridge line is most popular on Long Island?
Ledgestone, by a wide margin. Its chiseled edge and stone-like face works against both older village homes and new construction. Renaissance is the common pick for a more contemporary look, and Sherwood's tumbled edges suit older brick and shingle houses.
How far ahead should I order for a spring install?
Pick the line and color over the winter. From March through June, popular colors move quickly across the region and a specific color in a specific line can go to a lead time that pushes your install date. Winter design and permitting costs you nothing in calendar time.
Related Reading
- Paver Patio Cost on Long Island — the full price breakdown by square foot
- How a Paver Patio Is Actually Built — excavation through jointing sand
- Cambridge vs. Unilock vs. Techo-Bloc vs. Belgard — an honest comparison of the four
- Paver Patterns and Layouts — herringbone, running bond and what suits your house
- Hiring a Masonry Contractor on Long Island — the questions that separate the bids
Ready to Get Started?
Free design consultation and a written proposal that states the base spec, not just the paver line. Cambridge and every major line installed across Nassau and Suffolk.
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