Stone veneer installation in Richmond CA - stone that stays put on a sound wall
Tired of a plain block wall or a dull house front? We check what's behind it, then set stone that bonds and sheds water.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Can I put stone veneer on my wall?
Stone veneer installation in Richmond, CA means setting natural or manufactured stone on a wall as an outer facing, bedded in mortar with full contact behind it, so a plain block wall, foundation or house front ends up looking like solid stone.
Most people who call me about stone veneer have a bare block wall, a gray foundation or a house front they're tired of looking at, and they want to know if stone will work on it. The price mostly comes down to how much wall you want covered, what that wall is made of, how much prep it needs and whether you pick natural or manufactured stone, while the schedule turns on any repairs the wall needs and any permit the city wants first. You'll get your own figure in our written estimate, and if you'd rather have solid stone than a facing, that's stone masonry.
How do you know your stone veneer needs work?
Stones sound hollow when tapped
A stone that sounds hollow usually never got full mortar contact on its back, so it's held by a thin edge of mortar. Left alone, water works in behind it and the stone and its neighbors can let go.
White streaks or dark stains
Streaks running down from the joints or dark patches that stay after a dry spell usually mean water is moving through or behind the stone. On a framed house that water can reach the wood, and the longer it goes, the bigger the repair.
Cracks in the wall you want covered
If the block, concrete or stucco you want to face is cracked or crumbling, stone won't fix that, it just hides it until the stone cracks too. That wall needs a look and probably a repair before anything goes on it.
How we handle stone veneer installation
I check the wall behind the stone first and we fix anything weak before a single piece goes up, because stone only holds as well as what it's stuck to. Then we prep the surface to suit what it's made of, and on a framed house I walk you through how we'll keep water out from behind the stone before we start. After that our crew sets each stone in mortar with full contact on its back, cuts and fits the corners and edges, fills and tools the joints and cleans up the site.
Plenty of stone jobs start with a wall that isn't built yet. If you want a new yard or garden wall faced in stone, we can build the core as one of our concrete block walls, and if the stone is going on a new foundation, we lay that up first through foundation block wall installation.
Manufactured stone veneer
Cast stone that's lighter and comes in matched flats and corner pieces, so it suits house fronts, wainscots and walls where weight or budget matters. It looks close to quarried stone and goes up a little faster.
Natural thin stone
Real stone cut thin for facing, so the color and texture run all the way through each piece. It suits people who want the real thing and don't mind that it usually costs more and takes more fitting.
Get a written stone veneer estimate for your wall
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I'll look at the wall with you and send a free written estimate, with no pressure and no obligation.
(510) 369-4799- Based in
- Richmond, CA 94804
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call us about stone veneer?
Here's how a stone veneer job runs from your first call to the last bucket of mortar leaving your yard.
Call or send the form
You call (510) 369-4799 or fill out the form, and we set a time for me to come out. It helps to know what your wall is made of, what shape it's in and roughly how much you want covered.
Walk the wall together
I check the wall behind where the stone will go and tell you plainly if it's ready or needs a repair first. The written estimate then lays out the prep, the stone and the water plan, so you can see what's driving the price.
Permit and repairs first
If you go ahead, we take care of any permit the job needs and fix any weak spots in the wall. Stone doesn't go up until the wall under it is right.
Stone set and site cleaned
Our crew sets the stone with me on site the whole way. We don't call it done until the joints are finished and the mess is gone.
Why Richmond homeowners call Stonework Richmond Concrete and Masonry for stone veneer
The owner walks your wall
I come out to look at the job and walk it with you, and our own crew does the work with me on site running it. The person who looked at your wall is the one making the calls when the stone goes up.
A carpenter's eye since 2013
I framed and finished houses before a mason I worked with got me hooked on stone, and we've been in business since 2013. So when veneer goes on a framed wall, I know exactly what's under the wrap and why it matters.
Licensed to file with the city
We're fully licensed and insured, and the state licensing board sets which license covers stone work. Richmond only issues permits to property owners, their authorized agents and licensed contractors, so we can file the work ourselves instead of handing you the paperwork.
Stone lasts about as long as the wall under it, so get in touch and I'll come take a look at yours.
Stone veneer and the walls behind it in Richmond
The City of Richmond issues building permits, and it requires one before you build, alter, repair or improve any building or structure unless the work is on its list of exemptions. We haven't seen that list settle whether a veneer job needs one, so the city is the place to ask about your project, and permit applications there can be made online. When a job needs a permit, we pull it and set up the inspections, and if we're not sure what the city wants, we ask before we start instead of guessing.
A lot of the walls we face in Richmond belong to older homes, so we find everything from solid block to poured foundations to framed fronts with years of patches. We see the same mix on jobs in El Cerrito and San Pablo, which is why I never quote stone until I've seen what it's going on.
Questions about stone veneer in Richmond
Can stone veneer go on my concrete block or poured concrete wall?
Usually yes, as long as the wall is sound. Trade guidance rules out deteriorating or unsound backing and EIFS, a foam-and-stucco siding, so a weak wall gets fixed first. One stone maker allows its stone straight onto clean, sound block that isn't painted or sealed, but poured concrete first needs metal lath and a scratch coat, a wire mesh and a base layer of mortar, because the form release oil left on poured walls keeps mortar from bonding.
How much does stone veneer installation cost in Richmond?
Across the US, installing stone veneer usually runs about $25 to $40 per square foot. That's a national figure for the work, not our price, and the prep your wall needs, the stone you pick and the number of corners and openings move a Richmond job up or down. Our written estimate gives you the number for your wall.
Do I need a permit to add stone veneer to my house in Richmond, CA?
It can need one, and the city decides that for your project. As covered above, Richmond's rule is broad and has exemptions we haven't seen settle veneer work, so check with the city before work starts.
Who is allowed to install stone veneer in California?
A contractor with the state's masonry license, which covers setting natural and manufactured stone. In Richmond, licensed contractors show their Contractor's State License Card when they register for permits, so ask to see it before you hire.
How do I keep water from getting behind stone veneer on a framed house?
Current industry guidance for framed walls with lath and a scratch coat calls for two separate layers of water-resistive barrier, a wrap that sheds water, tied into the flashing at windows, doors and anything that passes through the wall. A quote for a framed home should show how that's handled. A rainscreen, a small drainage gap behind the stone, is an option that helps stray water drain out and the wall dry faster.
What causes stone veneer to come loose or fail?
Trade guidance says field workmanship tends to be the main source of trouble when stone veneer performs poorly, so how the crew works matters more than which stone you buy. Work done to recommended practice helps the system perform as intended for decades, and current industry details also call for the stone to stop above the finished soil and any nearby paving. Ask any installer how they prep the wall, get mortar fully behind each stone and finish the bottom edge.
Related masonry work for stone veneer jobs
Concrete block walls
Need a new yard or garden wall to put stone on? A solid block wall gives the veneer a clean, sound face to bond to from the start.
Foundation block wall installation
Building an addition or replacing a failing foundation? A new block foundation wall comes first, and stone can face the part that shows above the soil.
Cities we cover for stone veneer work
Stonework Richmond Concrete and Masonry is based in Richmond, CA, and we set stone veneer across the cities around it, including Berkeley and Oakland. Twelve cities have their own page below, and if yours isn't on the list, just ask.
Richmond, CA
Have your wall checked before stone goes up
Have your wall type, its condition and the rough area you want covered handy when you call, and we can talk through your options on that first call.