Stone veneer is how a 1970s split-level gets a front that looks like it cost twice the house. Manufactured stone is cast concrete that looks like fieldstone, ledgestone or limestone at a fraction of the weight and price; natural thin veneer is real stone sawn thin. Both are only as good as what's behind them — two layers of weather barrier, metal lath, a scratch coat, a weep screed at the bottom and flashing at every window, roofline and grade. We build that stack right, because stone that traps water rots the wall behind it and you can't see it happening.
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Stone veneer is how a 1970s split-level gets a front that looks like it cost twice the house. Typical price: $3K – $30K+. Licensed & insured, written itemized price before work starts, no deposit, one dedicated crew. Serving all 21 New Jersey counties from Paramus. Call (201) 676-3099 or book a free estimate.
Manufactured stone veneer is cast concrete with pigment, molded from real stone, about a quarter the weight of full stone. It goes on over lath and mortar on almost any wall without a footing, comes in every style from stacked ledgestone to rounded river rock, and costs about half of natural. Up close you can tell; from the curb you can't.
Natural thin veneer is real stone cut to an inch or so thick. It's heavier, costs more, never fades, and every piece is different. Cast-concrete veneer will soften in color a little over decades; a good one holds up for 20 or 30 years. We'll show you samples of both on your wall in daylight, because the same stone looks different on every house.
White powder on the stone is efflorescence — water moving through the mortar and carrying salt out with it. It means water is getting behind the veneer and not draining. Stone that runs into the dirt, no weep screed, a missing kick-out flashing where the garage roof meets the front wall, siding butted straight into stone with no gap — those are the four things we see on nearly every failed job. Freeze-thaw does the rest: water behind the stone freezes, the mortar pops, the stone loosens.
When we take a failed veneer off, the sheathing behind it is often black. We fix that before anything goes back up, and we price the repair by the sheet so there's no surprise.
A front facade below the windows with siding above is the classic New Jersey look, and it's where you get the most curb appeal per dollar. A foundation skirt — stone from grade up to the first-floor line — hides an ugly block foundation and takes the splash. Chimney chases, entry columns and garage surrounds are small jobs that change the whole front. Inside, a fireplace wall or a kitchen accent. Where we'll talk you out of it: below grade, on a wall with no overhang and no flashing plan, or over siding that's rotting — the stone can't fix what's behind it.
We measure the area, check the sheathing and the flashing at every roof and window, and lay out where the stone starts and stops. Your quote lists the stone by style and square footage, barrier, lath, scratch coat, screed, flashing, sills and caps, any rot repair by the sheet, and the mortar color.
Old siding or failed stone off, sheathing repaired, barrier and lath on, scratch coat cured.
Stone laid from the corners in, joints tooled or dry-stacked as you chose, sills and caps set with drips. A typical front facade takes three to six days.
Mortar cured, top joint sealed, splash-tested at the flashing, and a walkthrough with you before final payment.
Paramus-based, setting stone veneer across all 21 New Jersey counties. Doing siding, a porch or an outdoor kitchen? Same crew, same contract.
typical fixed-price range — your exact number goes in writing after a free visit
How we beat the big chains: Siding chains sell branded stone from a sample board and rent the mason — the flashing behind it is whatever he felt like that day. No franchise fees, no commissioned salesmen, no rented subcontractors — that's typically 15–30% under national-brand quotes for the same or better spec. Bring us any written quote and we'll match the scope line by line.
“Two winters after the stone went on, the corners started falling off and there was white powder everywhere.”
“They ran the stone right down into the mulch. Now the bottom two courses are always wet and the mortar is crumbling.”
“The mason did nice stone work, but where the garage roof meets the wall it leaks into my living room.”
You found a crew that is actually near you. First Call Contracting is based in Paramus, in Bergen County, and our own licensed techs handle stone veneer in all 21 New Jersey counties — no call center, no subcontractor sent from two states away. Most of Bergen, Passaic, Hudson and Essex is 15 to 30 minutes from our shop, and emergencies go to the nearest crew, 24/7.
Closest to us: Bergen CountyPassaic CountyHudson CountyEssex CountyMorris CountyUnion CountyAll 21 counties & 219+ towns →
Call (201) 676-3099, text us a photo, or book a free in-home estimate — you get a written price before any work starts.
Manufactured stone installed runs about $25 to $45 per square foot with the barrier, lath, screed and flashing; natural thin veneer $40 to $65. A front accent band of 100 to 150 square feet is roughly $3,000 to $7,000; a full front facade $12,000 to $30,000 and up. Sills, caps and rot repair are separate lines. Fixed and itemized before we start.
No — the siding comes off. Stone needs a solid, flashed wall behind it, and the vinyl would trap water. We remove the siding on the area getting stone, repair the sheathing if it needs it, and tie the new barrier into the siding that stays.
Adhered veneer doesn't — it hangs on the lath and mortar, which is why it can go almost anywhere. Full-bed natural stone does, and that's a different job. If you want real full stone, we'll tell you what the footing and the structure would cost.
Natural stone, effectively forever. Good manufactured stone, 30 to 50 years, with some color softening over decades. The mortar and the flashing are what age — that's why the install details matter more than the brand of stone.
Cast-concrete veneer can lighten a bit over 20 or 30 years, more on a south wall. Quality lines are pigmented all the way through, so a chip doesn't show gray. Natural stone doesn't fade. We'll tell you which products we've seen hold up in New Jersey sun.
Usually not for replacing siding with adhered veneer on a one- or two-family home — it's ordinary maintenance in New Jersey. If we're changing structure, adding a footing, or your town has a design review, a permit's needed and we pull it.
If you're anywhere in New Jersey, yes. First Call Contracting is based in Paramus and handles stone veneer across all 21 counties with our own licensed crew. Most of Bergen, Passaic, Hudson and Essex is 15 to 30 minutes from our shop, and emergencies are dispatched to the nearest crew 24/7. Call (201) 676-3099 or book a free in-home estimate.
Barrier · lath · screed · flashing at every edge · held above the dirt
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A real person picks up every hour of every day. We tell you what to shut off first, then send the nearest crew.