A band of stone along the base of a house, around the front entry or up a pair of porch columns changes how the whole home reads from the street. It adds weight and texture that siding alone cannot. Natural stone is heavy and expensive, so most homes use cultured stone, also called manufactured stone veneer: lightweight, cast units made to look like natural stone.
Rock Solid Exteriors is a family-owned, locally owned and operated siding contractor in Clinton Township, in business since 1997. We install Versetta Stone, a mortarless manufactured stone veneer, as accents on homes and commercial buildings, usually alongside new siding. Call (844) 757-6543 or book a free in-home siding estimate.
Mortarless Panels vs. Traditional Cultured Stone
There are two basic ways to put manufactured stone on a wall, and the difference matters for cost, schedule and water management.
Traditional (mortar-set) cultured stone
Individual stones are set one at a time into a mortar scratch coat over metal lath, and the joints are then filled with grout. It is a mason’s job. It allows fully custom layouts, but it is slow, it depends on weather because mortar should not freeze while it cures, and it relies heavily on a properly built drainage layer behind it.
Versetta Stone (mortarless panels)
Versetta Stone comes as panels, each holding several stones cast together, with matching corner pieces, sills and trim. Panels are fastened directly to the wall over a water-resistive barrier, the same way siding is, so no mortar or grout is involved. The manufacturer’s instructions allow installation in cold weather, which helps with fall and early spring projects in Michigan. Because the panels install like siding, a siding crew can do the stone and the siding in the same project.
Where Stone Accents Look Best
- Wainscot. A stone band two to four feet tall across the front of the house, capped with a sill. It also protects the bottom of the wall from lawn equipment and splash.
- Entry walls. Stone on the wall around the front door frames the entrance.
- Porch columns and piers. Stone-wrapped column bases look solid and substantial.
- Garage fronts. Stone between or beside garage doors breaks up a large, plain wall.
- Chimney chases and bump-outs where a feature wall makes sense.
A design tip: stone looks most natural when it “sits” on something, such as the foundation, a porch or a column base. Stone that stops halfway up a wall or floats above siding tends to look applied. Wrap stone around outside corners rather than ending it flat on the front face; that way it looks like the wall is built of stone and not faced with it.
Pairing Stone With Your Siding
Stone is almost always paired with another material, so it helps to plan them together:
- With vinyl siding, a stone wainscot adds contrast and value to a budget-friendly exterior. See vinyl siding.
- With James Hardie fiber cement, stone and painted lap siding give a classic, high-end look. See James Hardie siding.
- With shake accents in the gables and stone at the base, keep the rest simple. See shake siding.
- With steel siding, stone warms up a modern exterior. See steel siding.
Pick siding and trim colors with the stone sample in hand. Stone has several tones in it; pulling one of them into the trim ties everything together.
How We Install Stone Veneer Accents
- Plan the layout. We mark where stone starts and stops, where sills and corners go, and how the stone meets siding, windows and doors.
- Prepare the wall. Old siding comes off in the stone area, and damaged sheathing is replaced.
- House wrap and flashing. A water-resistive barrier goes on, with flashing at windows, doors and transitions. Every siding install includes house wrap and flashing.
- Starter strip and panels. The first course is set level above grade, then panels are fastened in courses, staggered so seams do not line up.
- Corners, sills and trim. Corner pieces wrap outside corners, and a sill caps the top of a wainscot so water sheds off rather than behind the stone.
- Tie in the siding and walk through. The siding above is finished to the stone cap, the site is cleaned up, and we review the work with you.
What Affects the Cost of Stone Veneer
A 2026 national cost guide puts stone veneer siding at about $13 to $22 per square foot for professional installation. That is a typical published range, not a Rock Solid quote. Because stone is usually an accent, the total depends mostly on how much of it you use:
- Square footage: a front wainscot compared with a full feature wall
- Corners, sills and columns. Trim pieces cost more per foot than flat panels.
- Cuts around windows, doors, hose bibs, meters and vents
- Wall preparation: siding removal and sheathing repair
- Bundling with a siding project, which saves a separate mobilization
0% financing for 60 months is available on approved credit, and veterans receive a 10% discount. See financing.
Cultured Stone FAQ
What is the difference between cultured stone and stone veneer?
“Cultured stone” is commonly used for any manufactured stone veneer: cast units made to look like natural stone. “Stone veneer” can mean manufactured stone or thin-cut natural stone. Versetta Stone is a manufactured stone veneer.
Can stone go over my existing siding?
No. In the stone area, the old siding comes off so the wall can be checked and the water-resistive barrier and flashing can be installed properly.
Is Versetta Stone real stone?
No. It is manufactured stone veneer that mimics the look of natural stone and is usually more cost-effective than natural stone.
Can you add stone without re-siding the whole house?
Often, yes. A wainscot or entry accent can be added on its own, with the siding above trimmed to the new stone cap. Whether it makes sense depends on the condition of the existing siding, which we check at the estimate.
How do I maintain stone veneer?
Rinse it with a garden hose when needed. Keep sprinklers and downspouts from soaking the base of the wall, and avoid pressure washing close to the surface.
Stone Veneer Across Southeast Michigan
We install stone accents throughout Clinton Township, Sterling Heights, Macomb Township, Shelby Township, Warren, St. Clair Shores, Chesterfield, Roseville, Mount Clemens, Troy, Rochester Hills and Lapeer, for homeowners and for commercial properties. Photos of homes with Versetta Stone accents are in our siding gallery. For everything else on the walls, see siding.
Rock Solid Exteriors is a Mastic preferred siding installer, CertainTeed certified and a James Hardie Select Contractor.
Get a Free Stone and Siding Estimate
Call (844) 757-6543 or request your free in-home estimate. Office hours: Monday to Friday 9 AM to 8 PM, Saturday 9 AM to 3 PM, closed Sunday. Michigan Residential Builder License 2102205396.
Rock Solid Exteriors, 42452 Hayes Rd #2a, Clinton Township, MI 48038.