Stone veneer installation in Lansing MI - stone that sticks and a wall that stays dry
Tired of plain block, bare siding or a dated front wall? We set stone over a wall prepared to hold it and shed water.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What does it take to put stone veneer on my house?
Stone veneer installation in Lansing puts manufactured or natural stone on an outside wall, either set in mortar right on sound concrete or block, or set over metal lath and a scratch coat on a framed wall, so you get the look of stone without building a solid stone wall.
Most calls I get for stone start with a plain block foundation, a bare chimney face or a front wall that looks tired, and the owner wants to know if stone will work there. The price moves with how much wall you're covering, natural or manufactured stone, how much prep the wall needs before stone can go on it, and how many corners, windows and doors the stone has to work around. The schedule turns on the weather, because mortar and cold don't mix, and on any permit the job needs. When I come out, I'll tell you what I see on your wall and what I'd do first, and the estimate puts your own number on it.
How we handle stone veneer installation
What's behind the stone matters as much as the stone, so I start by looking at what it's going onto. On block or concrete we make sure the surface will hold mortar, and if it won't, we cover it with metal lath and a scratch coat, a rough first coat of mortar the stone can grab. On a framed wall, current industry guidance calls for two separate layers of water barrier, lapped like shingles and tied into the flashing, the strips that turn water away at windows and doors, and that's where we take the most care. Then we put up the lath and scratch coat, set the stone following the maker's instructions for the product you picked, and clean up before we leave.
Sometimes the wall you want stone on doesn't exist yet. We build garden and screen walls as concrete block walls and put in new foundations through foundation block wall installation, and either one can take stone once it's up.
Manufactured stone veneer
It's much lighter than natural stone, which one stone maker calls the main difference between the two, so it's usually the pick for a framed wall. Each maker has its own shapes, colors and instructions, and we install it the way that maker says.
Natural stone veneer
Real stone cut thin for walls is much heavier than the manufactured kind, so it suits owners who want quarried stone and have a wall that can carry the extra weight. That's usually simpler on block or concrete than on a framed wall, and I'll tell you where your wall stands once I've seen it.
Stone veneer installation in Lansing starts with the right permit office
The city's Building Safety Office issues building permits, and the city requires them before construction or remodeling begins, so the permit question gets settled before we order stone. The right office depends on your address, because in Michigan code enforcement can sit with the state, the county or the local government, and the state suggests checking its list of which office covers where before you apply. The city also welcomes a talk before you apply, which can head off problems before they start, and takes questions at 517-483-4355. Before work starts I check with the office that covers your address, and if the job needs a permit, we work out the paperwork with you before anyone picks up a trowel.
On jobs around Lansing we see plenty of block foundations with old paint or sealer on them and framed houses getting stone below the siding, so wall prep is usually where the real work is. We see the same mix on jobs in East Lansing and Holt.
Why Lansing homeowners call Craftsman Lansing Concrete and Masonry for stone veneer
The owner looks at your wall
I come out to look at the wall and give the estimate myself, and I work on site with our crew while the stone goes up. We've been in business since 2023, and the person who priced your job is the one checking the work.
Licensed and fully insured
Michigan's licensing department lists masonry and siding among the trades on its maintenance and alteration contractor license, and the trades a contractor can practice are printed on the license. Ask any contractor you're weighing, us included, to show you theirs.
Straight answers about winter salt
One stone maker's warranty excludes damage from salt and other snow and ice chemicals, and its instructions say to keep de-icers off the areas right next to the veneer. I'll tell you if your stone's maker says the same, so a winter of salting the front steps doesn't cost you that maker's warranty.
Stone is a big change to the look of a house, and it's only as good as the wall behind it. Get in touch or call (517) 237-5922, and I'll come out and look at yours.
Request a quoteGet a free on-site estimate for your stone veneer
We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come look at your wall. The estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation. You'll get what I see, what I'd do first and what can wait, written down so you can think it over.
What happens after you call about stone veneer in Lansing?
Call or send some photos
Call (517) 237-5922 or use the form, and send a few photos of the wall if you have them. We'll set a time for me to come out.
I look at the wall
I check what the stone would go onto and tell you what I see, what I'd do first and what can wait. It all goes into an estimate you can think over, and nothing moves until you say go.
We set it and walk it
Once you say go, we sort out any paperwork, prep the wall, set the stone and clean up. Before we call it finished, I look it over with you.
Frequently asked questions
How much does stone veneer cost in Lansing?
Stone veneer installed across the US usually costs about $20 to $40 per square foot, stone and installation together. That's the going rate nationally, not our price. Where your wall lands depends on natural or manufactured stone, how much prep the wall needs and how many corners and openings the stone works around, and I'll give you your own number after I see it.
What is the best way to prep a block wall for stone veneer?
If the block is sound, clean and free of paint, sealers and water repellents, one stone maker's guide says the stone can go straight into mortar on it. A wall that won't reliably hold mortar gets metal lath and a scratch coat instead, so painted or sealed block means more prep and more cost.
Can stone veneer be installed in cold weather in Michigan?
Not below 40°F, according to one stone maker's guide, so in Lansing we plan the job for days that stay above that. If the maker of the stone you pick sets a different limit, we follow theirs.
How long does new stone veneer need to be protected after it's set?
One stone maker's guide calls for 48 hours of protection from rain and freezing after the stone is set. We leave room in the schedule for that cover, so rain or a hard frost in the forecast can push the start by a few days.
Do I need a permit for stone veneer in Lansing?
It can need one, so I check with the office that covers your address before any work starts. In Lansing, once a building permit is issued, the person who applied is responsible for scheduling every inspection the job needs, and we work out with you who's making those calls.
Is a dry-stack stone pattern a good idea on an outside wall in Michigan?
A guide written for harsh climates like Colorado recommends against dry-stack patterns, the tight look with no mortar showing between stones, outdoors where freeze and thaw cycles are common. If you like that look, I'll go over what that guide says and what your stone's maker allows before you choose.
Other work that often goes with stone veneer
Concrete block walls
If there's no wall yet where you want stone, we can build one in block first, so the veneer goes onto a sound, solid face built for it.
Foundation block wall installation
When a foundation is going in for an addition or being replaced, the block goes up first, and stone can face the part that shows above the ground afterward.
Lansing, MI
Have your wall checked before picking stone
Have your address, the kind of wall and a rough size handy when you call (517) 237-5922 or write to hi@lansingconcreteandmasonry.com, so I come out knowing what I'm looking at.