Cost to Install Stone Veneer to Give Your Home a Facelift

Stone veneer offers you a character and beauty for your home’s look that is very difficult to match, and this can help you justify your cost to install stone veneer siding. Stone veneers are durable, beautiful, and you can pick from several colors and styles to match your home’s style or boost your curb appeal and stand out. You can combine them with other siding materials or use them alone to create unique cladding styles on your home, and they can last for years with proper installation. It offers a lot of the same benefits as you get with more traditional brick. 

The original cost to install stone veneer can be offset by the durability factor. You do want to ensure that you install it correctly to prevent cracking, weakness, or eventual collapses. If it’s not installed correctly, the siding can lose its resistance, and this is why you want to factor labor costs into your cost to install stone veneer budget because this isn’t something that you want to do on your own. This is also a higher priced project, so budgeting is a must. 

The average cost to install stone veneer ranges from $30,000 to $50,000. To cover a 1,500-square foot house, most people find themselves paying around $37,500 to complete the project. This includes the materials and a professional installation. The lowest cost to install stone veneer comes from using it as an accent on 500-square feet of space on your house, and this cost is right around $5,500. For solid stone siding, the price jumps to $60,000 to cover a 1,500-square foot house. 

General speaking, your cost to install stone veneer by square foot ranges from $35.00 to $40.00. To add it to your entire home, you’ll pay an average of $42.00 a square foot. If you have a larger project in mind, you may get a discount on your cost to install stone veneer due to the sheer price tag attached. For example, a 2,500-square foot home has a cost of $125,000 to cover it with this material. If you’re considering stone veneer for your home, this is for you. We’ll outline everything you need to know about this material to ensure you get a good price range when you start calling around to local contractors. 

Stone veneer can give your home a classic and traditional look while providing a siding option that can easily last between 50 and 100 years or more. This is why it’s easier to justify your higher upfront cost to install stone veneer project. Evans House by Eric Allix Rogers / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Cost for Popular Types of Stone Siding

There are several types of stone siding available for you to choose from, but you can break them down into either stone veneer or solid stone. You can break stone veneer down into more categories because it can utilize natural stone or a range of materials. All of these different types will influence your total cost to install stone veneer. The most popular types are: 

Cultured Stone

Cultured stone will increase your cost to install stone veneer project budget by $5.00 to $10.00 a square foot. This is usually called stone veneer or manufactured stone. It’s extremely similar to fiber cement than anything else, and it’s a blend of aggregates like silica and sand and Portland cement. 

It gets agitated and pigmented so that the pigments go through the entire thing and give it a natural look. It’s very durable and resistant to flames. It has several styles and colors available, and it’s very similar to natural stone veneer. 

Faux Stone Panel

Per square foot, faux stone panel will increase your cost to install stone veneer by $1.50 to $5.00. This is a very lightweight material that comes made out of polyurethane. The panels are very easy to lift and handle, and this can help control your labor costs for installation. 

They do install very similar to other stone veneer siding. They have less variation in texture or color than other choices, and they don’t look as realistic up close. Polyurethane isn’t as flame-retardant or eco-friendly as other materials, however, it does have a lower cost associated with it that makes it possible to add stone detail on a budget. 

Natural Stone Wall Cladding

If you’re looking for a way to spruce up around your front door, consider natural stone wall cladding. It’ll increase your cost to install stone veneer by $10.00 to $15.00 a square foot. These are very thin pieces of stone put on a backing. It goes up much more quickly in sections instead of installing individual strips one at a time, and this makes installation much easier and faster. 

Additionally, it also makes it easy to wrap any corners to give you a natural look and feel. Cladding is available in several styles and colors. You can pick out special sections for corners or trim to complete your installation with less labor overall. 

Solid Stone

Solid stone is much more expensive per square foot at $10.00 to $30.00 on average. The type, thickness, and size will dictate your total cost to install stone veneer. These are very large pieces of natural stone. Instead of being massive blocks like they once were, you now get smaller pieces to clad your home’s exterior. 

However, they do have a heavier weight associated with them. So, if your home uses landscape timbers for the frame, they’re durable enough to support the weight. The pieces of stone have to be 15 pounds per square foot or less to meet building codes. The weight does make them more complex to install, and this drives the price to buy and install them up. 

Stone Veneer

Your cost to install stone veneer will range from $5.00 to $10.00 a square foot. Stone veneer refers to manufactured stone veneer. This is a Portland cement based material, or it can also be very thin cut pieces of natural stone. Both options come with similar prices and installation processes. 

Natural stone veneer is much thinner, and it also comes with more natural texture and variation. It could come with more extreme color variations or clefts. It is also available in several types that offer more variation than the manufactured ones. You could see visible mortar between the joints or the contractors could use mortar to adhere it, depending on the installation process. 

Choosing the type of stone veneer you want will give you a rough estimate on your initial project costs. Partial veneer will cost less than fully covering your home, and you have options as to what you want the final product to look like. Custom-home-siding-stone by ACM Design Architects / CC BY 2.0

Brands and Their Stone Veneer Prices

Did you know that natural stone siding gets quarried before being sold directly to distributors who turn around and sell it to your contractors? Stone veneer is different as it is stone siding that uses Portland cement or polyurethane in the makeup that different companies make. Every brand comes with different looks, price points, and formulas, and the most popular include: 

Black Bear

The cost to install stone veneer from Black Bear ranges from $5.00 to $10.00 a square foot. This manufactured stone veneer comes in a host of panels that make the installation process easier because they fit nicely side by side. It comes designed as a wainscot or skirt beneath under siding. You could easily use it as a single course around the perimeter of your home before installing other siding above it. This adds interest and increases your home’s curb appeal. 

Cast Natural Stone

Your cost to install stone veneer from Cast Natural Stone starts at $5.00 and goes up to $10.00 a square foot. This is another manufactured stone veneer that mimics the feel and look of natural stone. It’s available in many styles and colors, including river rock and split-face stone. They have a full range of stone pieces to match it too. You can cover your trim, steps, and accents to give your home a very attractive look while increasing the durability factor. 

Eldorado

Eldorado carries a price tag of $6.00 to $10.00 a square foot. You get a huge product range with this brand, and this makes your cost to install stone veneer fluctuate. Each product comes designed to look and act like natural stone would. 

You can get materials that look like limestone, fieldstone, and river rock. You can also choose between panels or individual pieces for different installation methods. Some materials do require anchoring during installation due to the heavier weight, and this can increase your project’s labor and material costs. 

GenStone

GenStone is a company that offers stone siding at $10.00 to $15.00 a square foot, and it offers faux veneers that come in three to four-foot panels. The panels can act as an accent to boost your home’s curb appeal or you can install them over your entire home. 

You can get the dry stacked stone appearance with these panels, and this means that the mortar isn’t visible. This can give you a more traditional appearance, depending on the style you pick. There are several colors available, and this lets you customize your final appearance. They’re lightweight, and this makes installation go faster. 

NextStone

The cost to install stone veneer with NextStone will range from $10.00 to $15.00 a square foot. You’ll get faux stone panels in several styles, sizes, and colors with this brand. They offer polyurethane-based panels that are very lightweight, and you can install them as accents or over the entire area. 

You can get more traditional looks or you can make them look like dry-stacked stone. The material comes designed to be a lot easier and faster to install. It also doesn’t need as much mortar or lath, and you can attach it directly. This will lower your labor costs. 

Ply Gem

Your cost to install stone veneer from Ply Gem starts at $6.00 and goes up to $9.00 a square foot. It uses Portland cement in the makeup, and it’s available in several textures, colors, and styles. You can install it over your whole house or as a nice accent piece, and you get a decent range of accessory pieces and trim to outfit your home. You can create a coordinated look or complete a design with it. The materials will last decades and have a high durability rating, and there isn’t a lot of maintenance required to keep them looking nice. 

Silvermine

Silvermine is on the higher end of the cost to install stone veneer spectrum at $16.00 to $20.00 a square foot. This product also installs differently from other options on the list. It comes designed to hang very fast without using mortar, and this can help control your labor costs. 

You also won’t have to worry about metal lath, scratch coats, or mortar. So, the contractors will spend less time working on it and getting it attached to your house. It has several colors and styles available, and it mixes very well with other types of materials for a cohesive look. 

Types of Natural Stone Siding

If you decide to go with a natural stone siding, you have more material choices to pick from. You can pick from limestone, marble, granite, and more. Each has a different color, cost, and appearance. This is why stone countertops are so popular, but they’re also gaining popularity in siding. The most popular types include: 

Basalt

Basalt siding will increase your cost to install stone veneer by $7.00 to $11.00 a square foot. This is an igneous rock that has mostly black coloring. It has a much finer grain to it than other picks, but it’s also more durable. It has a very even grain and texture, and you’ll get a vertical presentation with it. It works great for carving into large panels or blocks. However, it has very little color variation, so this tends to make your home darker. This is why it works better as an accent than full coverage. 

Granite

On average, granite will increase your cost to install stone veneer by $15.00 to $30.00 a square foot. This is another igneous rock that contains quartz, mica, and feldspar. It has several shades and colors to it, depending on the mineral concentrations. Granite is durable, dense, and hard, and the darker variations won’t discolor or stain. This makes granite a great option for your exterior, and it’s strong enough to cut into panels or blocks without breaking apart. 

Limestone

Per square foot, limestone ranges from $20.00 to $30.00. This sedimentary rock has mostly calcite in the makeup. It also has a lot of shells, and it’s not uncommon for it to have small visible sea creatures, shells, and fossils in it. It comes in shades of gray, cream, white, and tan, depending on the quarry it comes from. This is an extremely porous stone, and it can stain easily. Limestone will also darken as the years go on. 

Marble

Marble countertops are beautiful, and it’s also a high-end siding choice. The cost to install stone veneer using marble ranges from $20.00 to $35.00 a square foot. Marble has a very broad range of colors associated with it, but not all types work well for siding because they contain minerals that deteriorate with exposure to the elements. 

Some white marbles have a higher amount of iron, and this can rust. Green marbles can have serpentine, and this can flake or spall. Each type of marble can stain over time because it’s a more porous material. Pick out a darker marble and be prepared to deal with discoloration as time goes on. 

Sandstone

Your cost to install stone veneer with sandstone starts at $15.00 a square foot and goes up to $30.00 a square foot. This is a sedimentary rock, and slate comes from sandstone. It’s lighter, softer, and more uniform with the coloring. It’s essentially hardened and compressed sand, and it can discolor or stain over time. It’s also more difficult to cut into larger sections or blocks, and this makes the costs go up. 

Slate

At $3.00 to $5.00 a square foot, slate offers one of the lowest costs to install stone veneer. It comes in several thicknesses, but it has a very difficult installation process that can offset the lower material cost. Every piece of slate has to be back buttered, and this means that the contractors have to apply mortar to each stone’s back before they put it on your home. The contractor has to beat each section into place with a mallet and board to keep them level. This can double your installation costs which cancels out the lower material cost. 

Partial Stone

No matter the type of stone you want, it’s usually high-end. This means that your cost to install stone veneer will be higher. Most people install it as a wainscot or accent with other siding to help control the costs. The costs per square foot for installation or material for partial stone are the same to full installation. The difference is that you’ll have less at the end of the project. 

Maybe you want to cover the wainscot on the perimeter of your home and have wood siding above it. You’ll use 500-square feet of stone veneer and 1,000-square feet of wood siding for a 1,500-square foot home. The stone will cost around $25.00 a square foot with the wood right around $7.00 a square foot, and this takes your total to $19,500 from the $37,500 it would cost for full stone. 

Natural stone siding is another popular choice, but most of it is much heavier than manufactured stone veneer, and this makes the installation process much more involved. So, it can drive up your total project costs, especially for a whole house. Stone Siding by Archman8 / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Cost to Replace Stone Siding

Maybe you want to replace your stone siding. If so, you’ll have to factor material removal and dispose into your cost to install stone veneer budget. This can have a broad price range, depending on how the contractors installed the original material and which material you picked. Lightweight stone panels can add $1,000 or $2,000 to the total. 

If your veneer has anchors or lath, you’ll pay $3.00 to $4.00 a square foot for disposal and extra labor fees. So, if you have a 1,500-square foot house that you want to replace your stone siding on, you should be prepared to add between $4,500 and $6,000 to your total cost to install stone veneer. 

Labor Costs

On average, your labor costs will add between $3.00 and $10.00 a square foot to your cost to install stone veneer budget, depending on the siding type you pick out. Almost all stone veneers and siding choices use the same installation process, and this keeps the costs uniform. Some lightweight panels can have a lower installation and labor cost, especially those that come with proprietary installation methods. 

The key to getting a durable and long-lasting stone veneer siding that looks good for years is to find an installer that excels in it. Not all stone veneers or siding are equal, and this is why you should shop around and find an experienced contractor or team to complete this project for you. The average labor costs depending on the type of siding you pick out are: 

• Cultured Stone Veneer – $7.00 to $12.00/square foot

• Faux Stone Panels – $3.00 to $5.00/square foot

• Solid Stone – $9.00 to $15.00/square foot

• Stone Cladding – $5.00 to $10.00/square foot

• Stone Veneer – $7.00 to $12.00/square foot

Cultured Stone

This material usually comes in sections or panels, and it installs like you’d install cladding. The contractor will add a scratch coat of mortar before a metal lath. Then, they’ll add a final mortar coat and wall anchors to hold the siding. It’s very heavy, and you have to install it correctly to avoid problems later. The heavier the material is, the more your cost to install stone veneer will be. 

Faux Stone 

Most of the panels install directly to the home, and this can help control your cost to install stone veneer final totals. They don’t need mortar, lath, or anchors, and they typically use a flashing system to install. You can nail the panels down to overlap or hook to one another. Each brand that manufactures these panels uses a proprietary system, so find a specialized installation expert. 

Natural Stone

This siding comes as full pieces of stone that are much heavier than traditional veneers. They need a scratch coat, mortar, metal lath, and wall anchors to support the panels. It’s a very time-consuming installation process that will drive up your cost to install stone veneers, and you’ll need multiple people. They need to be back buttered with mortar and beaten in for a smooth installation. You might have to reinforce your drywall too. 

Stone Veneer

Natural stone veneer has a thinner makeup that installs one piece at a time. The contractor will dry fit these pieces together to ensure you get even color distribution and placement. You install them like you would manufactured stone veneer with a scratch coat, mortar, metal lath, and more mortar. They do have a slower installation process because it goes up one piece at a time, but they don’t need anchors. 

Stone Wall Cladding

Your contractor will install this option in large panels or sections, but it’s a much heavier choice. The contractor will put a scratch coat down first and a metal lath. Then, they’ll apply  mortar and cladding. If you have very heavy stone cladding, you’ll need wall anchors to stabilize it. The heavier it is, the more your cost to install stone veneer will be. 

Where to Find Stone Veneer Installation Experts Near You

Since your cost to install stone veneer depends heavily on the labor costs, you want to find a company that has the experience required to pull it off. You can start by using the following resource and find companies in your area: 

• Stone Veneer Installers

Frequently Asked Questions 

Knowing what the most frequently asked questions are about this type of siding can help you understand the scope of the project and why it’s on the higher end of the price spectrum. Asphalt sided house by yooperann / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

1. What is the average lifespan for stone veneer siding?

To help justify your cost to install stone veneer, you should know that it can easily last between 50 and 100 years. Portland-based cement materials tend to have a lifespan around 50 years while natural stone can go up to 100 or more. 

2. Is veneer cheaper than natural stone?

A few different types of stone veneer do feature real stone and others have manufactured stone. However, the stone veneer will cost less than solid stone siding. Solid stone siding is heavier and thicker, and this can increase your costs to install stone veneer. 

3. Why should an expert install the stone veneer?

You want to get an expert to install your stone veneer even though labor is a large part of your total costs. If you don’t install it correctly, it can lead to issues with moisture building up and destroying your walls. 

Bottom Line 

Your cost to install stone veneer will depend on a large variety of factors, but this is generally considered to be a high-end project. This includes even doing stone accents or partial stone siding over full house installation. You should figure out which types of siding you want and contact local companies to get cost estimates to help boost your home’s curb appeal and get the look you’re happy with.