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Masonry & Exterior

How much does stone veneer cost per square foot?

national averagebenchmark, not a quote

Typically $26.00$28.26 per sq ft installed.

That's the contractor cost basis of $22.61 per sq ft (material $9.61 + labor $13.00) plus typical overhead & profit (1525%). Region and spec move it further — confirm with local quotes.

Material $9.61 (43%)Labor $13.00 (57%)

Cost basis by region

Contractor cost basis (material + labor) — labor scales with local construction wages (U.S. BLS); material holds near the national commodity average across the contiguous U.S. Add the 1525% overhead & profit above for a retail price. Your ZIP refines this in the estimator.

RegionCost basis per sq ft
Alabama (statewide)$20.05
Texas (statewide)$20.34
Florida (statewide)$20.39
Colorado (statewide)$22.97
United States$22.61
New York (statewide)$24.98
California (statewide)$25.26
Massachusetts (statewide)$26.52
Illinois (statewide)$27.20

What drives the cost

Common questions

How much does stone veneer cost per square foot?

The contractor cost basis is about $22.61 per sq ft ($9.61 material + $13.00 labor). With typical overhead and profit (15–25%), a finished quote usually runs $26.00–$28.26 per sq ft. It's a budgeting benchmark, not a quote — confirm with local contractors.

Is stone veneer mostly labor or materials?

Labor is about 57% of the $22.61 per sq ft cost basis and material about 43%, which is why the local wage drives most of the regional difference.

What changes stone veneer cost the most?

The biggest factors are natural vs. manufactured stone, mortar-set vs. mortarless, and your local labor rate. Higher-end materials, tear-off or prep, and difficult access push it above the baseline; use the estimator for your exact takeoff.

Related cost guides

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Cost-basis figures (material + labor) are built by the deterministic estimator from national-average material pricing (2026-01) and U.S. BLS OEWS 2025 construction wages (SOC 47-0000); regional figures scale labor by each state's BLS wage factor. A retail price adds typical contractor overhead & profit (15–25%). Benchmarks for budgeting — not a binding quote. Confirm with local contractor quotes before you commit. Source: seed (national avg), 2026-01.