All stone houses cost on average $380,000 to build, but can get up to $637,500 or more depending on the size and type of stone.
Stone houses aren’t commonly built today, as the high cost of building— $380,000 on average—is prohibitive and is often a non-starter. That being said, there are still many reasons stone houses are constructed. Everything our guide covers is about a house made purely of stone walls, and not a wooden house wrapped in stone veneer.
Building a stone house from scratch requires a serious commitment. The materials and labor are expensive, but even more than that, you’ll need to rethink your entire approach to your home. Those interested in stone houses can safely assume stone prices range from $25 to $90 per square foot for materials and another $15 to $35 per square foot for labor.
Which type of stone house you choose to build will have a significant effect on cost. A single homeowner looking for a rustic stone cabin retreat will obviously need far less than a wealthy homeowner building a castle made of stone.
The style of house you choose to build will factor into the square footage, materials used, and labor costs. A mason who may be able to fabricate a simple granite wall may not be able to build a castle turret. They also will charge substantially less. Depending on a contractor's expertise with how to cut stone, more challenging stones may cost more.
Materials are a much smaller part of the budget when you’re building just a wall, but when you’re considering an entire house, the cost becomes substantial. The material you choose will be one of the largest cost factors. Due to the size of the project, you should be able to negotiate some form of bulk pricing, but the general prices are listed below.
| Stone Type | Price per Ton |
|---|---|
| Granite | $325–$450 |
| Marble | $400–$900 |
| Sandstone | $350–$450 |
| Limestone | $300–$400 |
| Fieldstone | $250–$375 |
The stone you choose will depend on your aesthetic preferences and desired style. Each stone type has its own set of unique characteristics:
Granite: Very hard and durable, one of the most common choices
Marble: Elegant, unique veins, not as durable or weather-resistant
Sandstone: Porous, often a warm tone, interesting texture
Limestone: Pale, versatile, durable to the elements
Fieldstone: Irregular, rustic, natural-looking
The cost of building a stone home is largely determined by the size of the house being built. Raw materials quickly add up, especially if you’re building a larger home. The process of quarrying and transporting the rock is a large part of the cost. If you’re close to a quarry, see if they carry a stone type you might be interested in. This is an excellent hack to get a good deal on stone.
If you’re planning on building a home, you should be accustomed to large expenditures coming up in your planning stages. Be aware that the prices listed below are extremely rough estimates and only account for the cost of the stone itself. They don’t factor in labor, laying a foundation, or even the mortar required to set the wall.
| House Size in Square Feet | Cost for Limestone | Cost for Granite |
|---|---|---|
| 800 | $8,000–$11,000 | $8,600–$12,000 |
| 1,200 | $12,000–$16,500 | $13,000–$18,100 |
| 2,000 | $20,000–$27,500 | $21,500–$30,100 |
| 2,900 | $29,000–$39,800 | $31,175–$43,645 |
| 3,400 | $34,000–$46,750 | $36,550–$50,400 |
Stone walls are one of the slowest types of walls to build, and that lack of speed is apparent on the labor line of any budget. Professional masons, which are required for this work, charge anywhere from $40 to $110 an hour for their work.
Labor typically accounts for around 40% of a house’s budget, but stone walls take much longer to install. Take that 40% and turn it into 55%, and it’ll be a more accurate cost of labor. You need a local custom home builder to give an accurate quote for this type of work.
Since the walls are structural and need to be built in a way that accommodates insulation, electrical, and plumbing, this is a job beyond all but the most experienced DIYer. Building even a decorative wall can be quite involved, let alone one that holds up your roof and provides shelter, so stick to a pro.
Unfortunately, some quirks add to the total cost of stone house construction. Labor, materials, and other additional items will cost much more than they would be for the cost to build a prefab house.
A single wall is common in most homes, as you can insulate between the structural beams. This isn’t possible with stone walls, so in order to properly insulate, a double wall (with insulation in the middle) is required. Double walls are required for moisture and temperature control. While you can technically build a single-wall stone home, the result would be a poorly insulated structure with mold problems.
Insulating a stone house is notoriously difficult. Foam or mineral wool is installed between the two stone walls. Installation costs range from around $1,100 to $2,600, but since stone walls are harder to work with, expect to pay something more like $2,500 to $6,000.
Stone houses are not like brick or wooden homes with stone veneer. They are seriously heavy, and because of this, they require exceptionally strong—and expensive—foundations. There may be extended permits required for everything from the foundation to the stone house itself, which is just another reason to work with a professional. Expect to pay on the higher end of foundation costs, around $19,000 or more.
Unless you have prior contracting experience, have worked with stone walls, understand permitting, and have a team ready to help, you really shouldn’t consider this a DIY job—it’s not like installing stone veneer. This is one of the most involved projects, and we recommend that you not even consider tackling this alone.
That being said, working with a contractor who permits you to work alongside their team and learn is a great way to understand your home. If you’re lucky, maybe you can negotiate a rate for your labor.
Because this is a larger and more involved project, there are more ways to get creative with saving money. Some are more obvious than others, and a few you’ll need to discuss with your contractor:
Use recycled or salvaged stone.
Consider only building certain walls fully with stone.
Collect multiple quotes, compare, and negotiate.
If you can, source local stone.
With permission, assist with some of the labor.
Buy stone with a shallower total depth (this may not be a good idea in colder climates).
Consider building in an off-peak season.
Research any government incentives.
Unfortunately, there are many disadvantages to stone houses. They are slow to build and the materials are pricey, both of which balloon the total cost. Stone walls require a more robust foundation, which costs more to install. Running plumbing, electrical, and HVAC through a stone house is much more difficult too, so homeowners need to seriously consider if the aesthetic benefit is worth the cost of building with stone. One of the questions to ask a masonry contractor is if a similar aesthetic can be achieved with another material.
Stone houses used to be much more practical, but with the advent of stronger and cheaper materials like concrete, they aren’t seen as much anymore. There are some parts of the world where it makes sense to build with stone, and they are usually next to a stone quarry. Stone is, however, very weather-resistant, which is why many homes near the sea and on mountains are still built with local stone.
Insulating a stone house is an expensive and involved process because it requires building a double-walled house. The walls don’t need to be the same thickness, but they both need to be thick enough to handle any structural demands and meet fire and safety standards. The insulation (usually foam or fiberglass) is then installed between the two stone walls.
Granite is the strongest commercially available stone houses are built from. It’s also more commonly available, which means transport costs aren’t as high because a granite quarry isn’t too far from a build site. Limestone and sandstone are popular materials as well, but they aren’t as strong or weather-resistant as granite.
Brick is the closest choice when seeking to capture the timeless look of stone with a more practical and budget-friendly option. When comparing stone versus brick siding, the price range of $200,000 to $400,000 for average brick home construction is dramatically lower compared to the cost of building a stone home. If you'd like to keep the stone aesthetic without the cost, stone veneer and manufactured stone are both less expensive than real stone.
