Stone masonry in Yuma, AZ - rock walls and stone veneer that fit your house
Plain wall or bare front you've meant to dress up? We build grouted rock walls and lay natural stone veneer on a solid base.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Should I build a rock wall or add stone veneer in Yuma?
Stone masonry in Yuma, AZ means building with real rock. It's either a grouted rock wall, which gets its strength from the grout packed between the stones, or natural stone veneer, a facing of real stone set onto a wall you already have.
Most people who call about stone have a plain block wall they're tired of looking at, or a yard project they've been putting off, and they aren't sure which kind of stonework fits. The price turns mostly on the square footage, which of the two you pick, how thick and heavy the stone is and how much support the wall behind it needs. The schedule turns on whether a permit is needed, how long the first coat has to cure and how hot it is the week we build. If you already know you want a stone face on an existing wall, our stone veneer installation page goes deeper on that job, and I'll give you your own figure once I've walked the job with you.
How can you tell a wall is ready for stone work?
A plain block wall
You look at a gray block wall or a flat stucco front and wish it had some character. If the wall is sound, that's usually the simplest stone job there is, and waiting only means more seasons with a yard you don't enjoy.
Stones coming loose
A rock on an older wall or veneer moves under your hand, or a dark gap has opened around it. That usually means the mortar behind it has let go, and every stone that drops makes the next ones easier to lose and the repair bigger.
Cracks through the grout
Cracks run through the grout lines on a rock wall, sometimes in a stair-step or a long straight line. Small ones can be surface wear, but a crack that keeps opening can mean the wall is moving, and that's cheaper to deal with before a section starts to lean.
How we build stone masonry walls and faces
Before we set a single stone, I show you how a grouted rock wall and natural stone veneer differ, so you can choose by look, by weight and by the work each one takes. A grouted rock wall stands on its own. We lay out the line, dig out and pack the base, then set the rock course by course and fill the gaps solid with grout, because that fill is what holds the wall together. Veneer goes onto a wall that's already there, so we first check that the wall can carry real stone. Then we put on a scratch coat, the rough first coat the stone grabs onto, let it cure, set the stone, finish the joints and clean up.
Stone work often sits next to older masonry that needs attention first. If the brick beside it has crumbling joints, brick pointing, which means raking out the old mortar and packing in new, gets that wall ready to sit next to fresh stone. If a crack in the house points to trouble underneath, foundation repair comes before any stone goes on, because new stone won't hide a moving foundation for long.
Grouted rock wall
This suits yard walls, garden borders and landscape work where you want a wall made of rock all the way through. The rock and grout are the structure, so it needs a good base but no existing wall behind it.
Natural stone veneer
This suits dressing up a block wall, a house front or a column, and it gives you the natural variation of real stone. It's heavier than most people expect, so the wall behind it needs more support and the stone needs a careful hand to set.
Get your own price for a rock wall or stone face
We reply within one business day. I'll come out, walk the job with you and explain what I see, then write up a free estimate at your property, with no pressure to book.
(928) 271-5129- Based in
- Yuma, AZ 85364
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–10 PM
What happens when you call about stone work in Yuma?
Here's how a stone job goes from your first call to the last joint, and who you'll be dealing with at each step along the way.
Call or send a message
Call (928) 271-5129 or use the contact form, and we'll set a time for me to come out. Tell us roughly where the wall is so I know what I'm walking into.
Walk the wall together
I come out myself, walk the job with you and explain what I see, including which kind of stonework suits your wall. You get my written estimate after that, so you know what drives the price before you decide anything.
Line up any permit
If the job needs a permit, my crew and I take care of the application and set up the inspections. The City of Yuma generally reviews residential projects in about 5 work days, so plan for that wait before we start.
Build and walk through
I work alongside my crew on the wall itself. As each stage wraps up, I tell you what comes next, so you're never guessing what's going on in your yard.
Why Yuma homeowners call J&L Yuma Concrete and Masonry for stone
The owner walks every job
I come out to look at the job and write the estimate myself, and I work alongside my crew when we build it. The person who explained your wall is the one setting the stone.
Building since 2013
We've been at this for 13 years, and I started out laying block and brick on new homes before turning to homes people already live in. That's where I learned how much a wall changes once a family has lived with it.
Fully licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured. On permitted work in the City of Yuma, each stage gets inspected before it's covered up, so we set up those inspections and plan the work around them.
The right stone for your wall starts with seeing it in person, so send us a message or call (928) 271-5129 and I'll come take a look.
Stone masonry and yard walls around Yuma
If your house is inside the City of Yuma, the city generally requires a permit for any new construction or remodel. Its list of work that can skip a permit names things like fencing and minor repairs, not stone masonry, so I don't assume a new rock wall or a stone face goes without one. I check with the city's building permits office for your job, and when a permit is needed, we handle the application and let you know what to expect before work starts.
Plenty of houses here have block yard walls and stucco fronts, so most stone jobs we see are either dressing up a wall that's already standing or adding a low rock wall to a desert yard. We see the same kind of walls on jobs in Fortuna Foothills and Somerton, and there I check with the office that covers your address.
Questions about stone masonry in Yuma
How much does stone veneer cost in Yuma, AZ?
Installing stone veneer across the US usually costs about $25 to $40 per square foot. That's the going rate for veneer work, not our price, and a grouted rock wall is priced differently. Your figure depends on the things covered above, mostly size, stone thickness and the support the wall needs, and I'll write it up after I've seen the job.
How long does a stone veneer job take?
A stone veneer job takes at least two days, whatever its size, because the scratch coat under the stone needs 24 to 48 hours to cure before any stone goes on. Bigger walls take longer than that. If your job needs a permit, add the city's review time from the steps above.
What is the best way to build stone masonry in Yuma's summer heat?
National mason contractor guidance calls for hot weather steps once the air passes 100°F, or 90°F with wind over 8 mph. That guidance has new masonry fog sprayed, a fine mist of water, until damp at least three times a day until it's three days old when the daily average runs that hot. It also says to throw out any mortar not used within two hours of mixing. It's industry guidance, not a Yuma rule, and you can ask any crew how they'll carry those steps out on your job.
How tall can a stone wall be in my Yuma front yard or on a corner lot?
Inside the City of Yuma, a wall in the required front yard setback of a residential lot can be no taller than three feet. On any corner, a wall can't top 30 inches within the visibility triangle, the open area drivers need to see around the corner. Those limits shape the design before we pick a single stone, so tell me if your wall sits in a front yard or on a corner.
Can natural stone veneer go on my existing block wall?
Usually yes, as long as the wall can carry it, because natural stone veneer weighs about 12 to 25 lbs per square foot depending on how thick it is. Real stone needs more structural support than people expect, so I look the wall over closely before I recommend it.
What should I have ready before I ask for a stone wall estimate?
Have the wall's location, a rough size in square feet and a few photos ready. Let me know if it's in a front yard or on a corner, since the height limits above apply there. Call (928) 271-5129 or send the form, and we'll set a time.
Related services for stone and brick work
Brick pointing
When the brick beside your new stone has crumbling or hollow joints, fresh pointing keeps water out and lets the old wall sit well next to the new work.
Foundation repair
If cracks in your walls keep growing or doors start sticking, the cause may be underneath, and that needs fixing before any stone goes on top.
Service areas for stone masonry around Yuma
J&L Yuma Concrete and Masonry is based in Yuma, AZ, and we take stone jobs across the cities around it, including Somerton and San Luis. These 4 areas have their own pages, and they aren't the only places we work.
Yuma, AZ
Get your stone wall on the calendar
Booking early gives us room to plan the cure time and any permit review around the cooler days.