Stone veneer installation in Billings MT - stone set over a sound, well-flashed wall
Siding that looks worn out, or a plain wall you're tired of? We check what's behind it first, then set stone that sheds water.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What goes into putting stone veneer on a Billings house?
The short answer: Stone veneer installation in Billings means fixing a thin layer of stone to the outside of your house over a water barrier, so you get the look of a stone wall without building one. Most of the job is prep you won't see once the stone is up.
At Stonecraft Billings Concrete and Masonry we put stone on houses in Billings and the cities around it, usually on a foundation band, a front wall or a chimney chase somebody's tired of looking at. The price mostly comes down to how much wall there is, how many windows, doors and corners the stone has to work around, which stone you pick and what shape the wall underneath is in, because a wall that needs fixing first costs more than one that's ready. The schedule turns on the weather, since fresh mortar needs protecting in the cold, and on any permit the job needs. If the wall under it is old brick that's coming apart, that's brick repair before it's veneer, and I'll tell you so when I come out and write your estimate.
How can you tell a wall needs stone veneer work?
Streaks under window corners
Dark streaks or a white, chalky crust under the corners of windows on existing stone usually mean water is getting in at the opening and coming out through the face. It's a lot cheaper to catch now than after a few winters of soaking the wood sheathing behind it.
Stones popping loose
Stones that rock, crack or drop off usually point to water getting behind them and freezing, or a backing that let go. Every one that falls opens another spot for water, so a few loose stones turn into a whole section faster than you'd think.
Stone running into dirt
When stone runs straight down into the soil or mulch with no gap at the bottom, water behind it has nowhere to drain out. That bottom row stays wet, and wet stone in a cold place is how mortar earns its crumbly reputation.
How we handle stone veneer installation
The stone is the easy part, so I start with the wall underneath. I look for soft wood, cracked block, loose stucco and anything else that would let go and take the stone with it, and if the wall isn't sound we fix it or I tell you veneer isn't the right call. Then we put up the water barrier, flash the windows, doors and other openings, and run a weep screed, a metal strip with drain holes, along the bottom, so any water that gets behind the stone has a way back out. Over that goes either wire lath with a scratch coat, a rough first coat of mortar the stone grabs onto, or cement board, depending on the wall. Then we set the stone, tool the joints, clean the face and haul off the mess.
A lot of the stone we set goes on block, so we build that part too. If you want a freestanding wall along a patio or drive to match the house, we can put up concrete block walls with the stone planned in from the start. For a new garage or addition, foundation block wall installation lets us plan the stone band while we're laying the block, instead of working around whatever's there later.
Stone around the base
A band of stone along the bottom few feet of the house suits someone who wants the look without covering every wall. It also hides a plain or stained foundation, and with less wall to cover the cost stays lower.
Stone over a full wall
Facing a whole wall or the full front suits a house that's getting new siding anyway, or one where the stone is the point of the job. More wall means more openings to flash and trim, so this is where the prep matters most.
What happens after you call about stone veneer in Billings
From the first call to the last walk-around, here's how a stone veneer job runs with us, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
- Step 01
Call or send a note
Call (406) 318-2106 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time for me to come out. Tell us roughly which wall you're thinking about so I know what I'm walking up to.
- Step 02
I look at the wall
I come out, look at the wall and what's on it now, and ask a few plain questions about the look you want. You get an estimate for the job and a straight answer on whether your wall is fit for stone.
- Step 03
We build and walk it
If you go ahead, we sort out any permit paperwork and our crew does the work. When it's done, we walk the finished wall with you before we pack up.
Stone veneer installation in Billings: permits and winters
The city's Building Division issues permits, and the city requires one for almost any construction on private property. Its list names roofing, siding and decks but doesn't name stone veneer, so the list alone doesn't settle whether your job needs one. Ask the Building Division at permits@billingsmt.gov or 406-657-8270, and applications go in online through the city's portal. When a permit is needed, we help with the paperwork and can file it for you. If your house sits outside Billings city limits, the city points you to the State of Montana at 406-841-2056 instead.
Billings averages about 77 freeze-thaw cycles a year, and every one of them works on any water sitting behind the stone, so the flashing and the drain strip at the bottom get more of our attention than the stone does. We see the same winters on jobs in Lockwood and Laurel, and we build the water details the same way there.
Get a free on-site estimate for stone on your wall
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look at the wall and give you a free estimate on site, and there's no pressure to book.
Why Billings homeowners call Stonecraft Billings Concrete and Masonry
I quote it and work it
I come out and write your estimate myself, and I'm usually right there working with the crew once the stone goes up. The person who saw your wall's weak spots is the one making sure they get handled.
In business since 2021
I started as a helper mixing mud and hauling block until the old hands let me lay some, and I opened this business in 2021. That start is why I care about the parts nobody sees, because those are the parts that make or break a wall.
Licensed and insured on your property
We're licensed and insured. That matters on a stone job, where there's scaffolding and heavy material right up against your house.
Built for Billings freeze and thaw
We've seen what the freeze and thaw here does to stone that went up without proper flashing, and it isn't pretty. So we treat the water details as the main job and the stone as the finish.
On a veneer job, what counts is the part you'll never see again once the stone's up. Contact us and I'll come take a look at your wall.
Stone veneer questions we hear in Billings
How much does stone veneer installation cost in Billings?
Stone veneer installation in Billings usually costs about $2,300 to $9,000 per job. That's the going range around here, not a quote, and a small band along the base lands at a different end of it than a full front wall with lots of windows. Your own figure comes from the estimate after I've seen the wall.
Can stone veneer go over any exterior wall?
No, not every wall can take it. One industry install guide says adhered stone shouldn't go over a backing wall that's deteriorating or unsound, and it rules out EIFS, the foam-board siding finished to look like stucco. So what's on your wall now and the shape it's in decide whether stone is a fit at all.
How long does fresh stone veneer need protecting in cold weather?
The masonry trade group's guide specification says 48 hours after the work whenever it's 40°F or colder, and it calls for protection before and during the work too. In Billings that means a cold-season job needs a plan to keep the fresh stone shielded through that whole stretch. If your job lands in the colder months, we'll go over that plan with you.
Who gets the permit for stone veneer in Billings, me or the contractor?
The city says the permit is the owner's responsibility, but you can hand it to your contractor. If you do, make sure the contractor has all the permits and gets every inspection approved. When you hand it to us, we keep you posted on where it stands.
How do I choose a stone veneer installer in Billings?
Pick the installer as carefully as the stone, because the industry association says that when veneer performs poorly, the work in the field tends to be the main cause. Ask how they handle the flashing at windows and doors and the drain at the base of the wall, since those end up hidden behind the stone. A careful installer will walk you through it before any work starts.
What is a rainscreen behind stone veneer, and should my quote include one?
A rainscreen is an optional way of building the wall that helps stray water drain from behind the stone and cuts the time the wall takes to dry. It's worth asking whether a quote includes one, so you're comparing like with like when you look at more than one price.
Related masonry work that pairs with stone veneer
Concrete block walls
If you're planning a new yard or garden wall to match the stone on your house, a block wall gives that stone a solid, flat back.
Foundation block wall installation
If a garage or addition still needs its foundation, we can lay new block and plan the stone face for the part that shows above ground.
Snap a few photos of your wall
Call (406) 318-2106 or send the form with a few wall photos, a rough idea of the wall area and what's on it now, and I'll come out already knowing what to ask.