A plain or worn wall that needs a new face? We check what's underneath first, plan for water behind it, then set the stone.
Stone veneer installation in Antioch, CA gives a plain house wall, a porch column or a block wall the look of stone. We use stone made from concrete and bond it with mortar to the wall you already have.
The stone is bonded with mortar, so the surface underneath decides how the job gets done. A wood-framed house wall needs layers behind the stone before any of it goes up. Bare concrete or block is a different job, and a painted or cracked wall is different again. That's why at Mastercraft Antioch Masonry and Concrete I look at your wall before we talk about stone colors.
The price moves with the square footage, how much prep the wall needs, and how many corners, windows and trim edges the stone has to fit around, because those take the most cutting. The schedule depends on any repairs the wall needs first, the weather, and whether the city wants a permit. I'll give you a written estimate that spells out what we'll do and what we won't.
Most of what makes veneer work is out of sight once the stone is up. These are the parts worth asking about before you compare quotes for your wall.
Wood sheathing is the boards or plywood under your siding. On an outside wall built that way, the installation standard requires two separate layers of water-resistive barrier, a weather wrap lapped like shingles so water runs down and out. If you're comparing quotes for a house wall, check that both layers are listed, because one layer isn't what the standard calls for.
The industry's current details say veneer should stop at least 4 inches above finished soil. They also say it typically stops 2 inches above paving that doesn't sit on the same foundation, like a patio slab. So a garden bed or patio against the wall decides where the stone ends, and sometimes a bed has to come down first.
Water usually gets in where stone meets wood trim, a window or another kind of siding. Backer rod is a soft foam cord pushed into the gap before it's sealed, and a sealed gap over backer rod helps keep water out there. Ask any installer how they'll finish those edges, because a sloppy edge can undo careful work everywhere else.
Here's how a veneer job goes with us, from the first call to the final walk-around. I'm involved at every step, so you're not handed off to someone new.
Call (925) 503-1025 or send the form with the wall type, what shape it's in, its rough size in square feet and a few photos. Most of the time I'm the one who gets back to you.
I come out myself, look at the wall and what's around it, and tell you what I see, including any repair it needs before stone. Then I send a written estimate that spells out what we'll do and what we won't.
If you go ahead, we handle any permit and line up the inspections. I'm on site while our crew preps the wall, puts up what goes behind the stone and sets each piece.
When the stone is up and the joints are finished, we clean up and walk the wall with you. If you see anything you want looked at again, we look at it before we pack up.
We check the wall underneath before we talk about stone, because veneer is only as good as what it's stuck to. I look for cracks, loose block, peeling paint, hollow spots and soft stucco, and I find out what's under the surface. If the wall has a problem, I'd rather tell you and fix it than cover it with stone that could come loose later.
On a house wall, the water barrier goes on before any stone does. Water gets behind any wall finish sooner or later, and the barrier, lapped the right way, carries it back out. You won't see that work once the stone is up, so your estimate lists it, and you can check it against the two layers covered above.
Sometimes the honest answer is that the wall needs rebuilding first. A cracked or leaning yard wall may be better replaced with new [concrete block walls], and a failing base under a house wall may need [foundation block wall installation] before any stone goes near it. A new block wall gives the stone a solid, clean face to bond to, so you can have it faced once it's built.
Stone can cover a whole wall, or just a band along the bottom of the house or around the entry. On a tall wall I usually lean toward the band, because it looks like a base and uses less stone.
Stone can go up with mortar joints between the pieces, or fitted tight with almost no joint showing. A tight fit takes more cutting and sorting, and mortar joints are more forgiving on a wall that isn't perfectly flat.
We reply to every call and form within one business day. The estimate is free and done at your property, and you're under no obligation to book. Once you send the form, I'll set a time to come look at the wall, then send you a written estimate.
(925) 503-1025In Antioch, the city's Building Services Division issues building permits, checks construction plans against the building codes and inspects permitted work. I won't guess whether your veneer job needs a permit, so we check with the city before work starts, and if it does, we pull it and line up the inspections. If you have questions of your own before applying, you can call the city's Building Division at (925) 779-7065.
Around Antioch, most of the veneer work we're asked about is on the front of a house, a set of porch columns or a plain block wall along a yard. We do the same work in Pittsburg, Brentwood and the other cities around us, from Concord and Walnut Creek out to Rio Vista, and the wall check comes first on every job.
I come out to look at every job myself, and I'm on site with our crew when the stone goes up. I started out as a helper on a small crew, mixing mortar and hauling block long before anyone let me lay a brick. I opened this business in Antioch in 2023, after learning the trade from masons who'd been at it for decades.
We're licensed and insured. If your wall needs a repair and not new stone, I'll tell you that, even when it means a smaller job for us. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job. When you're ready, call (925) 503-1025 or send us the form with a few photos of the wall, and I'll come take a look.
If the wall you want faced is cracked, leaning or too short, a new block wall built to drain gives the stone a straight, solid base.
When the base under a house wall or addition is failing, new foundation block fixes the support first, so the stone has something steady behind it.
Pick your city below to see how we work there. These are the cities with their own page, and if yours isn't listed, call and ask whether we cover your address.
Across the US, installing stone veneer usually costs about $25 to $40 per square foot. That's a national range for installed work, not our price. Your figure depends on how much prep your wall needs, the barrier work behind the stone and how many corners and edges there are, and the written estimate spells it out.
Usually yes, if the wall is sound. The industry's installation guide says veneer shouldn't go over a deteriorating or unsound wall, or over EIFS, a foam-board finish that looks like stucco. Clean, rough concrete or block can take stone directly, but clay brick can't. A painted or sealed wall may need power washing, or metal lath and a first coat of mortar.
The California Contractors State License Board licenses contractors, and its masonry class covers installing natural and manufactured stone. State rules require a license to build or alter a building when the project needs a building permit or uses employee labor. They also require one when labor and materials total $1,000 or more. Ask any installer for their license before you sign.
Yes, but a cold or hot spell means extra steps or a later start. The industry's guide specification calls for protecting the work at 40°F or colder, before, during and for 48 hours after it's done. It also calls for protecting it from drying too fast above 100°F, so we look at the forecast with you when we set a start date.
Have the wall type, what shape it's in, its rough size in square feet and a few photos ready when you call or send the form. Moving plants, hoses and furniture away from the wall before I come out also lets me see the base of the wall and any cracks.
Call (925) 503-1025 or send the form with a few photos, so I've seen the wall before I come out and can bring the right questions about it.
