Stone masonry in Brentwood CA - stonework that keeps water out of the wall
Cracked stone or a bare wall you want faced? We help you pick the right stone and set it solid, with no hollow spots.
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What does a stone masonry job on a Brentwood house involve?
Stone masonry in Brentwood means setting natural or manufactured stone into walls, fences and paving, or facing the walls of your house with it. Done right, it sits solid with no hollow spots behind it for water to get into.
Most stone calls I get start with a loose stone, a cracked joint or a plain wall someone wants faced, and the first question is always what it'll take. The price moves with how many square feet you're covering, which stone you choose and how much work the wall behind it needs before stone can go on. The schedule turns on those same things plus cure time for the mortar. If it's thin stone facing on a house wall, our stone veneer installation page goes deeper, and either way you'll get your own numbers in a written estimate with photos once I've seen the wall.
How we do stone masonry, and why in that order
I start at the wall behind the stone, because that's what the stone leans on. Natural stone is stiff, so it does best over a concrete block or poured concrete wall, while wood and steel framing flex more, and a stiff backing can help keep cracks from showing up later. That's where I help you weigh natural stone against manufactured, since real stone wants a stiff wall and more support and manufactured stone sits fine on most surfaces without changes. Once you've picked, our crew preps the surface, puts on the base coat of mortar where the job calls for one and lets it cure. Then we set the stone with the back of each one filled with mortar, so there are no hollow spots for water to sit in, and we finish the joints, clean the face and haul off the scraps.
Stone and brick share a lot, so if the mortar between your bricks is crumbling, that's brick pointing, the same scrape-out-and-refill work we do on stone joints. And if the wall behind your stone is cracking because the house is moving, new stone won't fix it, so we look at foundation repair first, because the cause comes before the crack.
Stone masonry in Brentwood starts with the ground under it
About 46% of the soil in Contra Costa County is expansive clay, the kind that swells when it's wet and shrinks when it dries, against a state average of 22%. Stone only stays put if what's behind it and under it does, so on every stone job here I check how the backing wall is holding up before we talk about which stone to use. We're based in Brentwood and work in the cities around it and farther out, and we meet the same county clay on jobs in Antioch and Oakley.
California also maps earthquake hazard zones, and inside them local governments must require a site-specific study of the ground before new homes or commercial buildings go up. You can type your address into the state's EQZapp tool to see whether your lot sits in one. On permits, before work starts we check with the city or county office for your address, and when one's needed we pull it and set up the inspections.
- Call (925) 503-1047
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
- Brentwood, CA 94513
What happens when you call Allied Brentwood Masonry and Concrete in Brentwood?
Call or send the form
Call (925) 503-1047 or send the form with a line about your wall, and we'll get back to you to set a time. A couple of photos help me know what I'm walking into.
I look the wall over
I come out myself, look it over with you and point out what I'm seeing, including what's behind the stone. Then I send a written estimate with photos, and nothing starts until you've read it and said yes.
Our crew sets the stone
We take care of any permits, and our own crew does the work. I'm on site to set the layout and check the work as it goes.
Walk the finished wall together
At the end we walk it together so you know how to look after it. Narrow mortar cracks can show up over time as the wall behind moves, and slight ones usually leave the stone sound, though pointing them with new mortar keeps moisture out.
Why Brentwood homeowners call Allied Brentwood Masonry and Concrete for stone work
I look at every job myself
I come out to every job and write the estimate, then I'm back on site to set the layout and check the work as our crew goes. You deal with the person who answers for the job from the first look to the last joint.
Mason-trained, in business since 2021
I learned this trade working under older masons for years before I started this business in 2021. Careful repair work, mortar most of all, is what we're known for, and stone lives or dies by its mortar.
We're licensed and fully insured
California's Contractors State License Board has a masonry classification that covers setting natural and manufactured stone for walls, fences and paving. Whoever you hire for stone work, ask about their licence and insurance before they start.
Fixing the cause, not just cracks
If your stone is cracking because something behind it is moving, I'll tell you that before I sell you new stone, because a job done once has to fix the cause. Satisfaction guaranteed.
On stone, the part you never see does most of the work. When you're ready, reach us through the contact page or call (925) 503-1047.
Request an estimateGet a written stone masonry estimate with photos
We reply to every form within one business day to set a time. I come out, look the wall over with you and send a free written estimate with photos. No pressure, no obligation.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Phone
- (925) 503-1047
- Location
- Brentwood, CA 94513
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
Questions about stone masonry in Brentwood
Should I choose natural stone or manufactured stone for my house in Brentwood?
If you think you'll ever add on or patch, I'd lean toward manufactured stone, because it comes in consistent sizes and its color is easy to match later. Natural stone gives you real variation and the look of the genuine article, and it's worth it when your wall can carry it and you won't be matching it down the road. We'll weigh both against your wall when I'm out.
How long does a stone veneer job take?
Plan on two days at the very least, whatever the size, when the stone is set over a scratch coat, the base layer of mortar, because that coat has to cure before any stone goes on. Bigger walls, natural stone and repairs to the wall behind it all add time from there, and I'll talk through timing for yours when I see it.
What causes stone veneer to fail early?
Water getting in is the most common cause, and even small gaps in the mortar behind a stone can hold water and lead to early failure. Ask any crew how they fill the back of each stone. We fill the back of every stone solid for exactly that reason.
How much does stone veneer cost per square foot?
Across the US, stone veneer installation usually runs about $15 to $45 per square foot installed. That's the market, not our price, and where your wall lands depends on the stone, the size and the prep the wall behind it needs. I'll put your own figure in a written estimate after I've seen it.
What is the best way to cap a stone wall?
One stone installation guide favors a precast concrete or one-piece stone cap, because it keeps water out better than flashing with small drain holes called weep holes under the cap. Its reasoning is that all those exposed mortar joints along the top let moisture in and wear the cap down faster.
Can stone veneer be dry-stacked without mortar joints?
Yes, dry-stack stone is laid with open joints, but one installation guide says it suits indoor walls or warm climates where it doesn't freeze. Some natural stones also aren't suggested for outdoor use, so ask which stone has a history of standing up to the weather here before you pick one.
Other work that often goes with stone
Brick pointing
If the mortar between your bricks is soft, sandy or missing, pointing replaces it before water works in behind the face and starts loosening bricks.
Foundation repair
When cracks run through the wall behind your stone, or doors start sticking, the trouble may be underneath, and that's worth fixing before any new stone goes up.
Get your stone wall looked at
Have the wall's rough size, a few photos and the stone you're leaning toward ready when you call (925) 503-1047, so we can get straight to it.
Request an estimateCall (925) 503-1047