Stone veneer installation in College Station TX - stone that stays put and stays dry
Tired of plain siding or a bare foundation wall? We set stone veneer that's fastened solid and lets water out from behind it.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Is stone veneer a good fit for your house in College Station?
Stone veneer installation puts a thin face of stone on your home's walls, and at J&M College Station Concrete & Masonry we install it on houses in College Station using natural stone or manufactured stone, which looks like natural stone but is made from concrete.
Most folks who call about stone want to dress up a plain front, a bare band along the base or a set of porch columns, and the first thing I ask is what's under it, wood framing or brick or block, because that decides how the whole job gets built. The price moves with the square footage, the stone you pick, how much prep the wall needs, how many corners and trim pieces there are and how high we're working, while the schedule turns on the stone arriving, the city side being sorted out and weather that suits mortar work. We find out what the city asks for before we start, and your written estimate spells out the work and materials so you see your own number instead of a guess.
When does a wall call for new stone veneer?
Siding that's worn out
If the siding across the front is faded, patched or bowed in spots, stone can give that wall a new face, but the patches usually mean water has been at it already. Waiting lets that damage spread into the sheathing, the boards behind the siding, and I'd rather find it and fix it before anything goes over it.
Stones loose or cracking
When pieces of existing stone rock, crack or drop off, it usually means they weren't fastened well or the wall behind them stayed wet. Every stone that falls opens another spot for rain, so the longer it goes, the more of the wall has to come off.
Water marks inside the wall
Stains, swollen baseboard or a musty smell on the inside of a stone-faced wall usually means water is getting behind the stone with nowhere to go. That water rots sheathing and framing quietly, and a patch on the outside won't stop it.
How we handle stone veneer installation
How the stone is fastened and how water gets out from behind it matter more than which stone you pick, so we go over both with you at the estimate before we ever talk colors. On the job we check the wall underneath first, then put up the water barrier and the flashing, the metal pieces that turn water out at the bottom and around windows, then add lath and a scratch coat where the wall needs them, then set each stone in mortar and finish the joints so they look like they belong. We clean the face as we go, because mortar left to dry on stone is a real chore to get off later.
Some stone jobs start with a wall we build first. A garden or privacy wall faced in stone usually begins as one of our concrete block walls, and if the stone is going on a new base under a porch or addition, that's foundation block wall installation before a single stone goes up.
Manufactured stone
This suits most wood-frame houses and anyone who wants a wide pick of colors and shapes, because it's lighter and the pieces come out more even. It's usually the easier choice for a whole front or a stone band along the base.
Natural thin stone
This suits owners who want every piece a little different, since it's cut from real quarried rock. It usually costs more and takes more fitting, so it often goes on columns, a chimney or one feature wall.
Get a written estimate for your stone veneer
We reply within one business day, and the estimate is free, done on site at your home, with no obligation. Once you send the form, we call to set a time for me to come look at the wall with you.
(979) 393-7020What College Station asks for before stone veneer installation starts
The city's Building Division issues building permits for remodels of and additions to single-family and duplex homes, and its list names those, not stone veneer, so whether your job needs a permit is a question for the city, and we ask before anyone starts. All construction in College Station has to meet the residential building code the city adopted, with the city's own changes to it, so those changes apply to your wall too. The city also requires contractors to register with it before they can get a building permit. When a permit is ours to pull, we pull it and set up the inspections.
We're based in College Station and work across the cities around it. A lot of our stone calls come from brick houses wanting a stone front and wood-frame homes wanting a stone band or columns, and we see that same mix on jobs in Bryan and Navasota, so on every one of them we check what the stone is going onto first.
What happens after you call about stone veneer?
Call and set up a visit
Call (979) 393-7020 or send the form, and I'll come out myself to look the wall over with you. We talk through what's under it, what I'd do and what I'd leave alone.
Read your written estimate
You get a written estimate that spells out the work and the materials, so you can see what the price covers before you decide anything. If the job needs anything from the city, we sort that out before anyone starts.
We set the stone and walk it
Our crew does the work and I check it as it goes, especially the barrier and flashing before the stone covers them up for good. At the end we walk the wall together and leave your place clean.
Frequently asked questions
How much does stone veneer installation cost per square foot?
Installing stone veneer across the US usually costs about $15 to $40 per square foot. That's a national range for the installed stone, not our price, and where your wall lands in it depends on the stone you pick, the wall underneath and how much prep it needs. Your own number comes from the written estimate after I've looked at the wall.
How long does stone veneer last?
Stone veneer siding typically lasts 20 to 75 years, with an average of around 50. That lifespan depends heavily on how it was put on, because poor work can bring water leaks and damage to the structure behind it. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
What's the difference between adhered stone veneer and stone set on the foundation?
Stone set on the foundation has an air gap behind it for drainage, while adhered stone attaches directly to the home's frame with no gap. That means adhered stone depends on a special water-resistant barrier and special flashings to do the gap's job, and over wood sheathing on outside walls the installation standard for adhered manufactured stone calls for two separate layers of that barrier. Either can work well, but with adhered stone, the barrier and flashing are the part I look at hardest.
How do I tell if an installer will fasten stone veneer the right way?
Ask each installer how the stone will be fastened, and listen for an answer that doesn't stop at the sheathing. Wood and gypsum sheathing can't fully support stone, and fasteners set only in sheathing can work loose when it gets wet, while proper fastening helps keep the veneer on the wall in high winds. A good installer can explain their method in plain words.
What is the best way to put stone veneer over an existing brick wall?
Brick usually needs lath and a scratch coat, a rough first layer of mortar the stone can grip, before any stone goes on. Installation guidance puts those on wherever a wall lacks a surface the stone can bond to, and it says manufactured stone isn't bonded to clay masonry like brick. One stone maker's instructions also recommend an engineer's review before stone goes over existing masonry, so that's worth raising early.
Can I pull the building permit myself for stone veneer in College Station?
Yes, if it's a home you own and live in as your homestead, you can get the building permit yourself without registering as a contractor. If you'd rather do that, we'll tell you what the city will want to see. Questions about your specific project go to the Building Division at cspds@cstx.gov or 979.764.3570.
College Station, TX
Send us photos of your wall
Call (979) 393-7020 or send the form with a few wall photos, rough measurements and whether it's wood frame or masonry, so I show up already knowing what we're working with.