Tired of a plain stucco or block wall? We check and fix the wall first, then set stone that sheds water and holds on.
Stone veneer installation in Santa Barbara covers an existing wall, chimney or fireplace surround with a facing of natural or manufactured stone, so it gets the look of stone without building a solid stone wall.
Most calls start with a wall you're tired of looking at, like a bare concrete block wall in the yard, a plain foundation skirt or a fireplace that never matched the room. The job is checking and prepping that wall, putting up the backing, setting the stone and finishing the joints. We're licensed and fully insured, and the state licensing board counts setting natural and manufactured stone as masonry contractor work.
The price moves with the size of the wall in square feet, the shape it's in underneath, the stone you pick and how many corners, windows and edges we have to cut around. The schedule turns mostly on wall repairs and on whether the city wants a permit or planning review first. When I come out and look at your wall with you, the estimate puts a number on it.
Call (805) 456-2871 or use the form, and tell us a little about the wall. We'll get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
I come out myself, check the wall the stone will go on and talk through stone choices with you. You get an estimate for your wall, and I'll tell you plainly whether it needs repair before any stone goes on.
We find out which office covers your address, and when the job needs a permit we file the application and meet the inspector. If your project also needs planning approval, such as design or coastal review, the city wants that final before the building permit application goes in, so I'll tell you up front how that fits the schedule.
I work on the job with our crew, fixing the wall first and then setting the stone, and since fresh mortar can burn skin, it's best to keep kids and pets clear of the work area. When we're done, we walk the finished wall with you before we pack up.
Stone only looks as good as the wall behind it, so I check that wall and fix it before any stone goes up. Loose stucco, cracked block or a weak spot in a foundation block wall gets repaired first, because stone stuck to a failing surface comes down with it.
We also plan a path for water to get out from behind the stone, so it doesn't sit against your wall. Natural and manufactured stone can both look right on the right house, and downtown in the El Pueblo Viejo district, the city's design guidelines already list exposed stone among the district's features, in low-key traditional colors.
What our stone veneer work covers:
If a few stones have come loose or some joints have cracked, and the wall behind is dry and solid, resetting those stones and repointing is usually all it needs. If stones are popping off in patches or the wall behind is stained or soft, water is likely getting trapped, and a patch only hides it. Then we take the stone off, fix the wall and the drainage and put up new. I'd rather tell you a repair can wait than sell you a new wall.
Square footage sets the base, and the wall underneath adds to it when it needs repair first. The stone you choose changes the cost, and so does the shape of the wall, because corners, window edges and caps take more cutting and fitting than a flat run. Height matters too, since a tall chimney or a second-story wall means scaffolding. Access to the wall, cleanup and any permit or planning review round out the rest.
I grew up on a farm where you fixed a cracked barn wall yourself, and you fixed it so it stayed fixed. I learned masonry beside older masons and started this business in Santa Barbara in 2017, and I still do the job right for the wall in front of me, not the fast way.
I come out to look at the job myself, and I'm on it with our crew once we start. We keep the work area tidy, protect what's near the wall and tell you what each step is for. If part of the job can wait, I'll say so. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
A look at your wall now tells you whether it's ready for stone or needs repair first, before you spend anything on stone.
Send a few photos of the wall, its rough size in square feet and your address. We'll reply within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate, with no obligation.
Installing stone veneer across the US usually costs about $25 to $40 per square foot, going by a national average as of August 2026. Your wall can land higher or lower depending on its condition, the stone you pick and how many corners and edges it has, so the estimate for your own wall is the number to go by.
Usually yes, as long as the wall is sound. The manufactured stone industry's install guide says the stone should go over a sound wall, not a deteriorating one and not over EIFS, the insulated finish system some houses have in place of stucco. That's why I check your wall first, and any repairs come before the stone.
Make sure there's a drainage layer behind the stone, a sheet that lets water run down and out instead of sitting against your wall. Stone soaks up and holds moisture when rain hits it, and federal building research guidance advises that extra layer behind all adhered stone, so ask any installer you talk to where it goes in their plan.
It may, because Santa Barbara generally requires a building permit to alter or improve a building, and the city's list of work that skips a permit names sheds, fences and retaining walls, not stone veneer. You can check with the city's building permit office, and if your job needs one, that's part of the work we handle.
Manufactured stone put up to the industry install guide's recommended practices should work as intended for decades. The same guide says installer workmanship is the main source of problems, so who puts it up matters as much as which stone you choose.
Pick the one that suits your house and the look you want, because both can look right when they go over a sound wall with a way for water to get out. Manufactured stone is a lightweight facing cast from cement and aggregates that carries no structural load, and I'm glad to go over both with you at the wall.
We're based in Santa Barbara and set stone veneer in Goleta, Montecito and the other cities below. Pick yours, or call if you don't see it listed.
