Belgard and Cambridge: Two Leading Paver Brands on Long Island
When Long Island homeowners start shopping for pavers, two brand names come up constantly: Belgard and Cambridge Pavingstones. Both are widely available through local masonry supply yards, both are used by professional contractors across Nassau and Suffolk County, and both offer extensive product lines covering patios, driveways, walkways, and pool decks. But the brands have different strengths, different product philosophies, and different supply chain structures that can influence which one is the better fit for your project. As a contractor that installs both brands regularly in Huntington, Smithtown, Commack, Northport, and beyond, here is an honest side-by-side comparison.
Company Background
Cambridge Pavingstones is a family-owned manufacturer based right here on Long Island, with production facilities in New York. Being a regional manufacturer gives Cambridge a strong local presence, dedicated supply relationships with Long Island dealers, and product lines designed specifically for Northeast climate conditions. Belgard, by contrast, is a national brand owned by Oldcastle APG, one of the largest building products companies in North America. Belgard manufactures pavers at plants across the country and distributes through a nationwide dealer network. Both models have advantages: Cambridge offers local focus and responsiveness, while Belgard provides the resources and product development investment of a major corporation.
Product Quality and Durability
Both Belgard and Cambridge pavers meet or exceed ASTM C936 standards for compressive strength, water absorption, and freeze-thaw resistance. Cambridge pavers typically achieve 8,000+ PSI compressive strength, and Belgard pavers are in the same range at 8,000+ PSI for their standard lines. In terms of raw durability, both brands will perform reliably on Long Island for 25 to 50 years when installed on a proper base. The meaningful differences lie in their surface technology and color retention systems.
- Cambridge ArmorTec: Cambridge integrates their proprietary ArmorTec color technology into the surface layer of the paver. This process uses dense, fade-resistant pigments that maintain color vibrancy over time and resist staining from common substances like oil, grease, and food.
- Belgard offers multiple surface treatments depending on the product line. Their Origin series features enhanced color-through technology, while their premium lines may include tumbled or textured finishes that add character and slip resistance.
- Both brands perform well against Long Island freeze-thaw cycles. In our installation experience, neither brand shows a significant durability advantage over the other under identical installation conditions.
- The key takeaway: product quality is comparable. Your decision should be driven by aesthetics and product selection rather than durability concerns.
Color and Style Selection
This is where the two brands diverge most noticeably. Cambridge offers a color palette that leans toward rich, warm tones with multi-tonal blends. Their color blends tend to have more variation within each paver, creating a natural, dimensional look. Collections like Ledgestone XL, RoundTable, and Sherwood are popular across Long Island for both contemporary and traditional designs. Cambridge also releases limited and regional color blends that cater specifically to Northeast tastes.
Belgard offers a broader product portfolio overall, which is a benefit of being a national manufacturer. Their collections include Arterra porcelain pavers for modern designs, Mega-Lafitt for large-format layouts, and Catalina for classic interlocking patterns. Belgard tends to offer more options in gray, charcoal, and cool-toned blends, which pair well with contemporary architecture. In Huntington and Northport, where a mix of traditional and modern homes exists, both brands have options that work, but the specific colors you prefer will likely guide your decision.
Pricing on Long Island
Belgard and Cambridge pavers are competitively priced on Long Island. Material costs for both brands typically range from $4 to $12 per square foot at the dealer level, depending on the specific product line. Standard interlocking pavers from either brand fall in the $4 to $7 range, while premium collections, large-format slabs, and specialty products run $8 to $12 or higher. The installed cost difference between comparable Belgard and Cambridge products is usually under 5%, making price a secondary factor behind aesthetics and product selection.
- Cambridge materials are readily available at most Long Island masonry yards, and lead times are generally shorter due to regional manufacturing.
- Belgard products are also widely stocked, though some specialty items may have slightly longer lead times when sourced from out-of-region plants.
- Both brands run seasonal promotions and dealer programs that can affect pricing at certain times of the year.
- Your contractor should provide pricing transparency on the material cost separately from the labor and base costs.
Warranty Coverage
Cambridge offers a lifetime limited warranty on their pavers, covering manufacturing defects and significant structural failure. Belgard provides a lifetime product warranty with similar terms. Both warranties are transferable to subsequent homeowners, which is a selling point for Long Island properties where resale value matters. It is important to understand that paver warranties cover manufacturing defects only. They do not cover installation failures, base settling, or damage from improper maintenance. This is why contractor selection is at least as important as brand selection.
Which Brand Should You Choose?
Choose Cambridge if you value supporting a local Long Island manufacturer, prefer warm-toned color blends with rich variation, or are drawn to their specific collections like Ledgestone XL or RoundTable. Cambridge is also a strong choice if you want shorter material lead times and a brand with deep roots in the Long Island contractor community.
Choose Belgard if you prefer a wider selection of contemporary and large-format products, are drawn to cooler color palettes, or want access to their porcelain paver lines like Arterra. Belgard is also a solid choice for homeowners who plan to use the same brand for multiple features, since their product catalog covers pavers, retaining walls, fire features, and more under one brand umbrella.
At Brothers Paving & Masonry, we install both Belgard and Cambridge pavers across Huntington, Smithtown, Commack, Northport, and all of Long Island. We are happy to bring samples of both brands to your home during a free consultation so you can see the colors and textures in your own outdoor lighting against your home. Call (631) 374-9796 to schedule your consultation and find the perfect paver for your project.