Stone veneer installation in Lake Elsinore CA - stone set on a wall that's ready for it
Want a plain stucco or block wall faced in stone? We check the wall underneath and get it ready before a single stone goes on.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What does it take to put stone veneer on a house in Lake Elsinore?
Stone veneer installation in Lake Elsinore means setting natural or manufactured stone over an existing wall, held on with mortar, so a plain stucco, block or framed wall gets the look of stone without building a full stone wall.
Most people who call about stone have a stucco front, a block garden wall or a fireplace surround they're tired of looking at, and they want to know if it can take stone. Usually it can, and the price moves with three things: how much wall you're covering, whether you pick natural or manufactured stone, and how much repair the wall underneath needs first. The schedule turns on that same repair and on any permit and inspection your address calls for, which we take care of when the job needs one. I'll give you a figure for your own wall once I've seen it up close.
What should you look for before stone goes on, or after?
Stones coming loose
Old veneer with pieces rocking, cracking off or already on the ground usually means the bond or the wall behind it is failing. The longer it goes, the more water gets in behind and the more of the wall you end up redoing.
Dark streaks or white stains
Streaks running down the stone or a white crust near the bottom tell you water is getting behind the face and working its way out. If the wall behind is framed, that moisture is sitting against wood, and that's worth a look before it soaks in further.
Cracks in the wall you'd cover
Hairline cracks, old patches or soft spots in the stucco or block you want faced in stone are easy to hide and hard to fix later. Covering them doesn't stop whatever caused them, so we want to know why they're there first.
How we handle stone veneer installation
Most veneer trouble comes down to how it was put up, so the slow part of our job is everything before the first stone. I start by checking the wall underneath, because stone holds only as well as what it's stuck to, and any cracked or soft spots get fixed first. Then we get the surface ready so the mortar has something to grab, and on framed walls we take our time with the water barrier behind the stone, since that's what stands between rain and the wood. The stone goes on in mortar course by course, and on outside stud walls we follow the stone maker's guide, which keeps the flashing at the bottom of the stone above the soil and above driveways and patios. We clean the face and the site before we leave.
Sometimes the wall you want covered isn't there yet, or isn't worth saving. We can build a new one through our concrete block walls work and face it in stone, and when the trouble sits lower, at a cracked or settling base, foundation block wall installation gives the house something solid to stand on before we think about stone.
Manufactured stone veneer
Cast pieces made to look like stone and held to the wall by a mortar bond, which suits front walls, columns and wainscots where you want an even look. It's the usual pick on framed walls when you'd rather keep the weight down.
Natural thin stone
Real stone cut thin, so every piece differs a little in color and shape, which suits people who want the wall to look quarried rather than made. It takes more sorting and fitting on site, and that time shows up in the price.
Get a free on-site estimate for your stone veneer
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look at your wall and give you a free estimate on site, with no pressure to book.
(951) 579-7076- Based in
- Lake Elsinore, CA 92530
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
What happens after you call about stone veneer in Lake Elsinore?
Here's how a stone veneer job runs from your first call to the last walk-through, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call us or send the form
Tell us which wall you're thinking about covering and anything you've noticed about it. We'll set a time for me to come out.
I check the wall up close
I'll ask what you've noticed, look the wall over and tell you straight what it needs before stone can go on, and what I can't know until it's opened up. You get your price on site, with any wall repair spelled out apart from the stone so you can see what each part costs.
We handle permits, then build
We sort out what the city or county asks for, then the crew does the work. In Lake Elsinore, permitted work stays exposed until the building official approves it, so we plan a pause for that inspection before anything gets covered with stone.
Walk the finished wall together
Before we call it done, I walk the finished wall with you. If something doesn't look right to you, that's the time to say so.
Why Lake Elsinore homeowners call E&M for stone veneer
The owner does your estimate
I come out myself to look at the wall and price it, so the person working out what's wrong is the same one answering your questions. A tricky wall is the part of this work I like best, and I'd rather fix what's actually failing than sell you more than you need.
A lead mason runs the crew
A stone industry guide says field workmanship is usually behind veneer that performs badly, more than the stone itself, so a lead mason runs our crew on site and I check the finished work with you. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
Fully licensed and insured
California's contractor license board puts natural and manufactured stone under the masonry license, and we're fully licensed and insured. It's worth asking any installer about both before you sign anything.
In business since 2013
We've been doing masonry since 2013, and a lot of our calls are walls that are cracking or crumbling where someone wants to know why. That habit of looking underneath first is exactly what a stone job needs.
When you're ready, call (951) 579-7076 or reach us through the contact page and tell me about the wall you have in mind.
Stone veneer and fire zone rules in Lake Elsinore
The city says Lake Elsinore lies within Local and State Responsibility High Fire Severity Zones, and homeowners in a High Fire Hazard Severity Zone have to meet home hardening requirements, with renovations following the Wildland-Urban Interface building codes. A stone job is usually part of a renovation, so before we price materials we check where your property falls, and you can look it up yourself on the city's fire hazard zone page. The city also advises fire-resistant building and siding materials when you renovate, so the stone, the trim around it and what goes behind it are worth talking through at the estimate.
What we see most on jobs here is stucco over framing and block garden walls that sit through long, hot summers, often with hairline cracks or old patches that need a closer look before anything goes over them. We meet the same houses on jobs in Murrieta and Menifee, and we handle them the same way, wall first.
Questions about stone veneer in Lake Elsinore
How much does stone veneer installation cost in Lake Elsinore?
Installing stone veneer around Riverside usually costs about $2,700 to $10,700 per project. That's the going rate for the area, not a quote from us. Where your job falls depends on the things covered above, mainly the size of the wall, the stone and any repair, and I'll give you your own figure once I've seen it.
Do I need a permit to put stone veneer on my house in Lake Elsinore?
If the work alters or repairs a building in Lake Elsinore, the city's building official issues the permit, and the application comes before the work starts. Whether your stone job counts depends on the wall and the scope, so we find out which office covers your address and take care of the paperwork when the job needs it. You can read more on the city's permits and inspections page.
Can a handyman install stone veneer in California?
Only on very small jobs, because California lets someone work without a contractor license only when the job is under $1,000, needs no permit and they employ no one on it. Most stone veneer jobs go well past that, which puts them in the hands of a licensed masonry contractor.
How do I know if my wall can take stone veneer?
Your wall can take stone if it's sound, because a stone industry guide says manufactured veneer should go over solid walls, not deteriorating backing or exterior insulation and finishing systems, the foam-backed stucco look some homes have. If yours has soft spots or failing backing, that gets repaired before any stone goes on, and I'll show you what I find.
Can you put stone veneer on a concrete block wall?
Yes, block and concrete walls can take stone, but one stone maker's guide says they need a clean, rough surface for the mortar to bond to. That can mean acid washing, blasting or pressure washing, and where a good bond surface can't be reached, lath and a scratch coat, a first layer of mortar over metal mesh, go on first, which adds a step to the job.
What is the best way to keep water from getting behind stone veneer?
On wood-sheathed walls, the answer is a proper water barrier behind the stone, and one maker's bulletin says building codes often call for two layers of water-resistive barrier, or one layer plus a drainage mat or rainscreen, a gap that lets water run down and out. If you're comparing bids, ask which of those each one includes.
Wall work that often comes before the stone
Concrete block walls
If you're planning a new garden wall you'd like faced in stone, we can build it in block first so the stone has something solid behind it.
Foundation block wall installation
When the cracks in a wall start down at a block foundation, rebuilding that base comes before anything decorative goes on the house above it.
Cities where we install stone veneer
E&M Lake Elsinore Concrete & Masonry is based in Lake Elsinore, California, and we install stone veneer across the cities and communities around it. The 12 places below each have their own page, from Wildomar to Canyon Lake, and they aren't the only ones we work in.
Lake Elsinore, CA
Show us the wall you want in stone
Call (951) 579-7076 or use the form with your address, what the wall's made of and a few photos, and I'll know what to look for before I get there.