Stone masonry in San Jose CA - stone walls built from the stone you picked
Planning a stone wall, fence or path and worried it won't match the sample or hold up outdoors? We help you choose stone that does.
What goes into building with stone in San Jose?
Stone masonry is building with natural or manufactured stone, laid with or without mortar, and in San Jose we use it for garden walls, retaining walls, fences, walkways and stone facing on houses. Done right, you end up with a wall or path that looks like the stone you chose and suits being outdoors.
Most people who call us are planning something new, like a low wall along the front yard, a stone fence on the side or a wall holding back a slope, and they aren't sure which stone to use or whether the city will want a permit. The price mostly turns on how big the wall is, the stone you choose, whether it holds back soil and how easy it is to get heavy material into your yard. The schedule turns on whether the job needs a permit and how long your chosen stone takes to arrive. The estimate is a walk of the job with measurements and photos, and I write up what I found and what we'd do about it, so that's where your own figure comes from.
How we do stone masonry work
We start with the layout, because the height, length and spot in the yard decide both the design and whether the city gets involved. Then we help you pick stone that holds up outdoors, and when the look matters, we have you go to the supplier and choose and mark the actual stone, since what gets delivered often won't look like the sample otherwise. Our crew digs out, sets a solid footing or base, and lays the stone course by course with the joint style we agreed on. We finish by cleaning mortar off the face and hauling away what's left.
Stone work often sits right against older masonry. If the new wall meets a brick house or garden wall with crumbling joints, we can do the brick pointing at the same time so the old joints stop letting water into the brick beside your new stone. If the stone will sit on or against a foundation that's cracked or settling, we look at foundation repair first, because stone laid over a moving base cracks right along with it.
Mortared stone with tooled joints
This suits retaining walls, taller garden walls and anything that has to carry weight, because the mortar locks the stones into one solid wall. It's more labor than dry-laid stone, and the extra work shows in a tighter, more finished look.
Dry-laid stone
The stones are fitted and stacked without mortar, which suits low garden borders and planters where a loose, natural look fits. It's simpler to build but best kept low, since nothing but the fit of the stones holds it together.
Stone veneer facing
Thin natural or manufactured stone is set onto an existing wall, chimney or house front to give it the look of solid stone without the weight. It works well for refacing old block or concrete, as long as the wall behind it is sound.
Stone masonry and San Jose wall and fence rules
In San Jose, the city sets how tall a wall or fence can go before you need a permit, and that goes for stone the same as any other masonry. A fence can reach 3 feet in a front yard and 7 feet in a side or rear yard without a permit, but on a corner lot the run along the street stays at 3 feet. A retaining wall standing more than 2 feet above the existing grade needs a building permit. You can check the details on the city's fence and retaining wall page, and we lay out your wall around these limits before you settle on a design, so there are no surprises once the digging starts.
We're based in San Jose and work across the city and the cities around it. Many of the yards we work in belong to older homes, so a new stone wall or path has to sit well beside old brick and old concrete, and we pick the stone, color and joints with that in mind. We see the same mix on jobs in Campbell and Santa Clara.
Stone walls, paths and facing
Why call us for stone masonry
I measure every job myself
I come out to look at the job and take the measurements, and our own masons do the work while I check it as it goes up. You deal with the same person from the first visit to the last course of stone.
Building with masonry since 2013
We've been doing this work for 13 years, and I learned it under an experienced San Jose mason, starting with mixing mortar and cleaning out joints. That's why I'd rather check something twice and tell you what I don't know yet than guess about your wall.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured, and you're welcome to ask to see it before we start. On a stone job with heavy material and digging in your yard, that protects you as much as us.
We handle the San Jose permit
When a wall needs a permit, we check with the city's permit office first, apply for it as the licensed contractor and meet the inspector on site. That keeps you out of the paperwork and puts the permit with the people building the wall.
On a stone job, the stone and the joints decide how the wall looks and how it holds up outdoors, so those are the choices to get right first. Call (669) 234-3391 or send us your project with the wall height you have in mind and where in the yard it goes, since the city's limits turn on both.
(669) 234-3391Get a written plan for your stone wall or path
We reply within one business day, and then I set a time to come out, walk the job and take measurements and photos. The estimate is free and on site, and I write up what I found and what we'd do about it, with no obligation to book.
Stone masonry questions from San Jose owners
What does stone veneer cost in San Jose?
Stone veneer installation in San Jose usually runs about $3,100 to $12,000 per job, and that's the going rate around here, not a quote from us. Where a job lands depends on the wall area, the stone you pick and how hard the wall is to reach. A full stone wall or retaining wall is a different job, so the on-site estimate is where you get your own figure.
Does a tall stone retaining wall in San Jose need more than one permit?
Yes, a retaining wall over the city's height limit needs a planning permit on top of the building permit. It also needs a grading permit from Public Works when it stands 4 feet or more from the bottom of the footing to the top, or when it holds back sloping soil. We sort out which ones apply before the design is final, so the wall doesn't have to change halfway.
Which natural stone holds up best outdoors?
Stone with a track record of standing up to the local weather is the best bet, according to one stone supplier's guide, which also notes that not every natural stone suits outdoor use. You can ask the supplier to certify that the stone suits the weather where it's going. We'll steer you away from stone that's meant for indoor work.
What is the best way to finish stone joints on an outdoor wall?
Tooled joints, pressed smooth as the mortar sets, resist water better than rough-cut or raked joints, according to one stone supplier's guide. The same guide says dry stack, laid with no mortar showing, suits indoor work or warm places where it doesn't freeze, and it advises against open joints outdoors where freezing and thawing happen. We go over joint style with you on site.
Who should apply for the permit on a stone wall in San Jose?
The city recommends that a licensed contractor apply for the building permit, because whoever signs the application is responsible and may be liable for everything done under it. The state licensing board's masonry classification covers natural and manufactured stone. You can also ask any home improvement contractor to list their subcontractors with names, contact details, license numbers and classifications, and the main contractor stays responsible for the job.
How do I choose the right mortar for a stone wall?
Pick the mortar for the job, not the strongest one on the shelf. One supplier's guide says a stronger-bonding mortar can shrink and crack more, though some building codes may require it, especially where earthquakes are a concern, while an all-around mortar is easier to work and does better in hot weather. Where stone meets old brick, we keep the mortar softer than the brick so the new work doesn't hurt it.
Plan your stone wall, path or fence with us
Call (669) 234-3391 early, since choosing and marking the actual stone takes a trip to the supplier and you shouldn't have to rush it.
