Stone veneer installation in Palm Bay FL - stone that holds tight to a sound, dry wall
Want stone on a plain block or stucco wall? We check the wall first, then set the stone with water kept out from behind it.
Can my wall take stone veneer?
Stone veneer installation in Palm Bay means setting thin manufactured stone in mortar on a wall you already have. The stone goes either straight onto the wall or over metal lath and a first coat of mortar called a scratch coat. It gives a plain wall the look of real stone, and industry guidance says a veneer put on the way it recommends can do its job for decades.
Most people who call us have a plain wall, a set of columns, an entry or a garden wall they're tired of looking at, and they want to know if stone will work before they pick a color. The price turns mostly on how much wall you're covering, how much the wall needs before stone can go on it, and how many corners, openings and edges the stone has to wrap. The schedule turns on that same prep and on whether your job needs a permit, so I'll come out, look at your wall and write the estimate on site, and you'll know what your job involves before you decide anything.
How we handle stone veneer installation
I look hard at the wall before we talk about stone, because veneer is only as good as what it's stuck to. Industry guidance says veneer shouldn't go over a wall that's breaking down or over EIFS, the foam board with a stucco-like coat, so if that's what you have, we either sort out the wall first or tell you plainly that stone isn't the right call there. Once the wall is sound, our crew cleans and preps the surface and builds whatever base it needs. Then we set the flashing and edges that keep water from getting behind the stone. I'll walk you through that part most carefully, because one stone maker's guide names water getting into the wall as the most common reason this kind of veneer fails. After that the stone goes up, the joints get filled and shaped, and we clean up before we leave. Industry guidance also says most veneer problems trace back to how it was put on, not the stone itself, so ask any installer you're comparing how they keep water out.
Sometimes the wall behind the stone is the real job. If you're adding a garden or privacy wall, we can build it as one of our concrete block walls and face it in stone. On an addition or a raised porch, foundation block wall installation gives the veneer a solid base from the ground up.
Wainscot, columns and accents
Stone on the lower part of a wall, on porch columns or around an entry suits a house where you want the look without facing the whole front. Less wall to cover usually means a smaller bill, though columns add corners that take more time.
A full wall or house front
Covering a whole wall suits a front that's plain from top to bottom, or a new block wall built to be faced. The more wall we cover, the more the prep and the water work behind it matter, so this is where the wall check pays off most.
Stone veneer installation in Palm Bay, before work starts
In Palm Bay, the city's building official issues permits to alter or repair a structure. The city's list names structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas work but doesn't name stone veneer, so the list alone doesn't tell you whether your job needs a permit. The city's building department is the place that answers that. Before work starts, we check with the office that covers your address and handle the permit when your job needs one.
Most houses we work on here are block with a stucco finish, often painted, so the first thing I check is what's on the face of that block, because it decides how much prep comes before the stone. We see the same houses on jobs north in Rockledge and south into the West Vero Corridor.
Stone veneer work up close
Why call us for stone veneer
The owner looks at your wall
I come out to every job myself, look at the wall and write the estimate, and a crew led by our lead mason does the work. You get your straight answer about the wall from the person who's pricing the job.
13 years in business
We've been in business since 2013, and before that I ran jobs and a crew for another mason here in Palm Bay. The person writing your estimate has spent years on the same kind of block houses you live in.
Fully licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured, and I'm glad to go over that with you at the estimate. That way you aren't carrying the risk for the work done on your property.
Start with a look at your wall. Ask for an estimate or call (321) 326-1779, and I'll come out and tell you what it needs.
(321) 326-1779Ask for a stone veneer estimate on your wall
We'll reply within one business day and set a time for me to come look at your wall in person. The estimate is free, on site, and comes with no obligation.
Stone veneer questions from Palm Bay homeowners
How much does stone veneer installation cost per square foot in Palm Bay?
Installing stone veneer across the US usually costs about $25 to $40 per square foot, and that's a national figure, not a Palm Bay quote. Where your job lands depends mostly on how much prep the wall needs and how much corner and trim work there is. I'll give you a figure for your wall at the estimate.
How do I know if stone veneer can go straight onto my block wall?
Stone can go straight onto concrete or block when the surface is clean, rough and free of paint, waterproofing or form oil, the release coating left from concrete forms. Any other wall gets metal lath and a scratch coat first, so a painted, sealed or smooth wall means more prep. Bare concrete and block are usually cleaned by power washing, or by shot or bead blasting, before the stone goes on.
Does Palm Bay's small project permit exemption cover my stone veneer job?
It might, because Palm Bay allows certain permit exemptions for small home improvement projects under $7500 on single family homes, duplexes and townhomes that aren't in a flood zone. The homeowner or contractor has to request the exemption in writing before work begins, and work started without approval or a required permit faces code enforcement. We check with the city before we start, so you aren't guessing.
How do I check a contractor's license in Palm Bay?
You can look up any contractor's license with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Palm Bay requires anyone hired under contract for construction work on your property to be a state certified or registered licensed contractor. Brevard County trade licenses only cover work inside the county, and state certified contractors register with the county to pull permits.
Can stone veneer go on a wood-framed wall?
It can, over lath and a scratch coat, as long as it's fastened properly. Industry guidance says fasteners set only into wood or gypsum sheathing can work loose, especially when the sheathing gets wet, and proper fastening helps keep the veneer attached in high winds. An installation standard also calls for two separate water barrier layers, lapped like shingles, on outside walls with wood sheathing, so ask each bidder how they handle both.
Can manufactured stone veneer go over a brick wall?
Industry guidance says manufactured stone shouldn't be bonded to clay masonry, and ordinary brick is clay masonry, so raise it with your installer early. If your wall is brick, tell us when you call, and I'll look at what's there before we talk about any stone.
Talk to us about stone veneer and the wall behind it
Have your wall type, its condition and a rough square footage ready, and we can talk through your job on that first call.
