Stone veneer installation in Lafayette LA - stone set over a sound, dry wall
Plain block, dated brick or a bare foundation out front? We check the wall underneath, keep water out behind it, then set the stone.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What does stone veneer installation involve?
Stone veneer installation in Lafayette, LA means fixing a facing of stone to your home's wall, either real stone sliced thin or cast concrete colored to look like stone, so the wall has the look of stone without being built of it.
Most people who call us have a sound wall that looks tired, a block foundation that shows from the street, or an addition that needs to match the house. The price moves with how much wall you cover, which stone you pick and how much fixing the wall needs first, and if it needs brick repair or new mortar, that comes before any stone. The schedule mostly turns on that repair, the permit and the weather, and the estimate I write after looking at your wall lays out what I'd do and what I'd skip.
Is stone veneer installation right for your house?
Plain block foundation showing
A sound block or concrete wall gives thin stone a firm surface and covers the bare gray.
Dated brick out front
If the brick is sound, thin stone can go right over it instead of tearing it off.
New home or addition
Planning stone early lets us build a ledge for full bed stone along with the foundation.
Porch columns and accent walls
Thin stone dresses up a porch column or a front wall without heavy work at the base.
How we handle stone veneer installation
First I check the wall underneath, because stone is only as good as what it's stuck to, so cracked block, soft mortar or rot gets fixed before anything else. Then we put up the flashing and the water barrier with real care, since that's the layer that keeps rain off your wall once the stone hides it for good. After that our crew sets the stone, fills and smooths the joints, and cleans up so the job looks finished from the street.
Stone veneer often goes on walls we build ourselves. If the wall you want to face isn't there yet, our concrete block walls give the stone a straight surface to start on, and on a new home or addition, foundation block wall installation gives you a solid base under the stone from day one.
Thin stone stuck to the wall
Thin natural stone and manufactured stone are light enough to stick straight to the wall, so you don't have to dig or build at the base. It's the usual pick when you're refacing a house that's already standing.
Full bed stone on a ledge
Thicker full bed stone needs a footing or brick ledge to sit on and ties back to the wall, so it adds work at the base of the house. It suits new builds and additions where that base can go in with the foundation.
What happens when you call about stone veneer in Lafayette?
Call or send a message
Call (337) 216-1882 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time. A few photos of the wall and a rough size help me come prepared.
I come out and look
I come out myself, check the wall for cracks, soft spots and worn joints, and tell you what I'd do and what I'd skip. You get a written estimate with the stone, the repair the wall needs and the price laid out.
We handle permits, then build
If you go ahead, we take care of the permit side with your city before any work starts. Our crew does the repair, the water barrier and the stone with me on site running it.
Walk the finished wall together
Once the stone is set and the joints are cleaned up, we walk the job with you. If something doesn't look right, that's the time to tell me.
Whole house or accent stone veneer?
Start with the part people actually see.
Covering every wall costs the most and means the most flashing and barrier work, since each wall gets the same layers behind the stone. Most houses don't need it, because people look at the front and the base. A band of stone across the lower front, or around the entry and columns, usually gives you the look on a lot less wall.
My advice is to start where it shows and match it to what's already on the house. If you want more later, thin stone can go on another wall. I'll walk around with you and tell you where stone will look right and where I'd leave the siding or brick alone.
Examples of masonry work
Look through these examples of brick, block and stone masonry to get a feel for finishes and styles before we talk about your wall.
Get a stone veneer estimate for your wall
Send photos of the wall, its rough size and the stone you like, and we'll respond within 1 business day. I'll come out for a free on-site estimate with no obligation and tell you what I'd do.
Why Lafayette homeowners call K&D Lafayette Masonry and Concrete for stone veneer
I look at your wall myself
I come out to look at the job and write the estimate, and I'm on site running the crew when the stone goes up. You deal with the same person from the first visit to the final walk-through.
Trained on inspected public work
I learned masonry on a municipal crew, where block, brick and walks had to pass inspection, and I started this business in Lafayette in 2020. That habit of getting the hidden parts right, like the base and the drainage behind a wall, is how we still work.
Fully licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured, and you can ask to see it when I'm out. If you're comparing bids, the state licensing rules in the questions below tell you what to ask the others.
A small fix when that's enough
I'd rather tell you a small repair will do than sell you a big one you don't need, and every job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee. Call (337) 216-1882 or send us a message to set up a visit.
Stone veneer questions we hear
How much does stone veneer installation cost in Lafayette?
Stone veneer installation in Lafayette usually costs about $2,100 to $8,000 per job. That's what the work runs around here, not our price, and where your job lands depends on the wall area, the stone and the repair the wall needs first. I'll give you your own number when I come out.
Can stone veneer go over my existing wall?
Usually yes, as long as the wall is sound. One masonry veneer trade group's guide says manufactured stone should go only over sound walls, which rules out deteriorating walls and exterior insulation and finishing systems, the foam-backed stucco some houses have. So I check your wall first, and anything worn gets repaired before stone goes up.
What is the difference between natural and manufactured stone veneer?
Natural thin veneer is real stone sliced thin, and manufactured stone is cast concrete colored to look like stone. Both stick straight to the wall, but a chip in manufactured stone shows the concrete underneath, while a chip in natural stone is still stone. I'll bring samples of both so you can see them against your house.
What is the best way to keep water out from behind stone veneer?
Get the water barrier right, and ask whether the bid includes a rainscreen. A rainscreen is an optional step that helps stray water behind the stone drain and dry faster, which matters with the rain we get here. I'll tell you on site whether your wall calls for one, and it'll be written on the estimate.
How do I plan flower beds next to a stone veneer wall?
Keep the bottom of the stone clear of soil and paving. On wood-frame walls, one veneer guide says the base flashing, the metal strip at the bottom of the stone, should sit at least 4 inches above the ground or 2 inches above paving. Beds and patios along the wall get planned around that gap before the stone goes on.
Does a stone veneer contractor need a license in Louisiana?
Yes, once the job is big enough. Under the state licensing board's rules, home improvement jobs over $7,500 and up to $50,000 need a registered home improvement contractor or a licensed contractor. Projects of $50,000 or more, or any requiring structural work, must be bid and performed by a licensed Residential Building Contractor, so ask every bidder which applies to them.
Want a price on your wall?
I'll come out, look the wall over, and write up an estimate that says what I'd do and what I'd skip.
Work that goes with stone
What Lafayette permits and rain mean for stone veneer installation
In Lafayette, the city's Development and Planning department handles all permitting of construction projects, and most construction needs a permit before work starts. The same office handles zoning and historic property designations, so if your house is historic or you have a project question, that's who to ask. We check with the permit office in your city before work starts and take care of any permit the job calls for.
South Louisiana is hot and humid, with average rainfall over 60 inches a year, and during the cooling season condensation forms inside exterior walls. Water trapped there can lead to mold, wood rot and insects, which is why the layers behind the stone matter more here than the stone itself. A masonry trade group advises two separate layers of water-resistant barrier over light frame walls that need one, lapped like shingles from the bottom up, so ask each bidder how they put that layer on. We're based in Lafayette and see the same wet walls on jobs in Broussard and Youngsville, and we build the same way there.