Stone veneer installation in Oakland, CA - stone set on a wall that can carry it
Tired of a plain or patched-up wall? We check what's underneath first, then set natural or manufactured stone the right way.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What goes into putting stone veneer on an Oakland house?
Stone veneer installation in Oakland covers an outside wall with natural or manufactured stone, set onto a scratch coat, a base layer of mortar that has to cure before any stone goes on, so you get the look of a stone wall without building one.
Most people who call about stone veneer have a wall they're tired of looking at, like a porch base, a chimney or a front wall, and they want stone on it. The price comes down to how much wall you're covering, which stone you pick and what shape the wall underneath is in, because a wall that needs brick repair or extra support adds work before any stone goes up. The schedule turns on cure time, the weather and whether the city has to sign off first. I give you a written estimate after I've seen the wall, so your number is based on your house and not a guess.
How we do stone veneer installation, start to finish
I start every stone veneer job by checking the wall underneath, because stone is only worth hanging on a wall that's sound, and a cracked or soft wall gets fixed or rethought before anything goes on it. Then we pick the stone together by its weight and what your wall can carry, not by looks alone. On the job we protect the ground and anything nearby, get the wall ready, put on the scratch coat and let it cure before setting any stone. We set each piece in mortar, fill and tool the joints, and clean the face of the stone before we leave.
Stone veneer often goes on a wall we build or repair first. If you're adding a yard or garden wall, we can put up concrete block walls made to take a stone face, and if the stone is going on a new base under the house or an addition, foundation block wall installation gives it a solid wall to sit on.
Manufactured stone
This suits most walls, because it's light enough to go on without structural changes and comes in consistent sizes. It also matches in color reliably, which makes a later addition or repair easier to blend in.
Natural stone
This suits owners who want real stone with all its variation and can plan for the weight. It needs more structural support and a more skilled hand, so that support work shows up in the price.
If stone is coming loose or water is staining the wall, call (510) 216-0213 now, because a small loose patch is an easier fix than a whole wall.
What happens after you call about stone veneer in Oakland?
Here's how a stone veneer job runs with us, from your first call to the final walk-through. I'm the one who comes out, writes the estimate and works on the wall with the crew.
Tell us about the wall
Call or send the form and tell us which wall you want covered and roughly how big it is. We'll set a time for me to come out and see it.
I check the wall with you
I look at the wall underneath, walk you through natural and manufactured stone, and write up your price. You'll also get my honest take on anything that can wait, so you know the full cost before you decide.
We handle the city and the work
Once you say go, we take care of any permit and inspections, then my crew and I prep the wall, put on the scratch coat and set the stone. I'm on site working, so you can ask me where things stand any day.
We walk the finished wall
When the stone is set and the joints are finished, we clean up and walk the wall with you. You see every part of it before we call the job done.
Get a written estimate for your stone veneer wall
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I come out, look at the wall and give you a free written estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.
(510) 216-0213What the city asks for on stone veneer installation in Oakland
The City of Oakland issues building permits for stucco and siding replacement or repair, and its homeowner list names that work, not stone veneer, so whether your wall needs a permit isn't settled until we check with the city about your job. The city also says stucco and siding work may need Design Review. When your job needs a permit, we handle the application and the inspections with the city or county that covers your address.
Most of our calls come from owners of older homes, and the city requires a permit for any project that disturbs lead paint, so if your wall has old paint on it, tell me at the estimate and we'll plan the prep around it. We meet the same older painted walls on jobs in Berkeley and Alameda, and we work across the East Bay from our base in Oakland.
Stone veneer questions we hear from Oakland homeowners
How much does stone veneer installation cost in the Oakland area?
Installing stone veneer in the San Francisco-Oakland area usually costs about $3,100 to $12,000 per project, and that's the going rate around here, not our price. Where your job lands depends on how much wall you're covering, the stone you pick and whether the wall needs work before stone goes on. I'll give you your own number in a written estimate after I see the wall.
Can stone veneer go over my existing wall?
It can if the wall is sound. Trade guidance says manufactured stone shouldn't be stuck onto a wall that's deteriorating or unsound, or over EIFS, a foam insulation board with a stucco-like finish. If your wall falls into one of those, we fix it or change the plan before any stone goes up.
How long does stone veneer installation take?
Plan on at least two days even for a small wall, because the scratch coat needs 24 to 48 hours to cure before any stone goes on it. Weather can stretch that, since trade guidance calls for protecting new stonework at 40°F or below, before, during and for 48 hours after the work, and shielding it from drying too fast in high heat.
What causes water problems behind stone veneer?
Stone soaks up moisture and holds onto it, so a wall that takes rain and sun needs a way for water to drain and air to move behind the stone. A rainscreen, a thin drainage gap behind the stone, is an optional way to drain water better and help the wall dry faster, and I'll tell you whether it's worth it on your wall.
What is the best way to put a water barrier behind stone on a wood-framed house?
Where a barrier is required, trade guidance advises putting it on in two separate layers, starting at the bottom of the wall. If your house is framed, ask any installer how they lay the barrier, because it's the part you never see again once the stone is up.
What should I look for in a stone veneer installer in Oakland?
Look for someone who checks your wall first and follows recommended practice, because trade guidance names field workmanship as the main source of problems with manufactured stone veneer. Put in right, the guidance says the system can do its job for decades. California's licensing board counts installing natural and manufactured stone as masonry contractor work, and we're licensed and fully insured. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
Masonry work that often comes before stone veneer
Planning a new yard or garden wall that will get a stone face? A block wall built for it gives the stone a solid, level surface to grip.
If the base of your house or an addition needs a new foundation wall, we build that first so stone set on it later has sound support below.
Book a look at your stone wall
Snap a few photos of the wall and jot down its rough size and any old paint before you call (510) 216-0213 or send the form, so I come out ready to talk stone.