How to Install Brick/stone/composite cladding—and how much does it cost?

Stone cladding gives you the look of solid masonry with a lighter build. Here’s exactly how we install it on live projects and what to budget in London.

How we install it (site-proven sequence)

1. Prep & set-out. Clean the substrate (remove fins, oils, dust), confirm areas, levels and control lines from approved shop drawings. 
2. Base support. Form a concrete corbel/starter angle at first course to carry dead loads. 
3. Reinforcement grid & anchors. Fix Ø8mm rebar @ 200 mm each way 20–30 mm off the wall using approved anchors/wire ties. 
4. Stone drilling & dowels. Factory/site-drill two holes at the top face of each stone and install galvanised dowels to tie stones back to the grid (primary restraint). 
5. Lay courses. Cut stones with a wet saw; bed and bond; use wedges to keep 8–10 mm joints; limit to max three courses per day for accuracy and curing. 
6. Backfill the cavity. After each course, concrete/backfill behind the cladding in lifts (pre-wet area; controlled mix) to eliminate voids and provide uniform support. 
7. Pointing & finish. Rake joints 10–20 mm, moisten, point with white cement:sand:quartz 1:1:2, cure, then final clean (wire brush/light blast). Window edges finished to neat profiles. 

Note on k-Render: that’s a granite-chip render finish applied over plaster/undercoat, not a mechanically fixed stone cladding system—good for texture, but different purpose and build-up.

What does stone cladding cost in London?

Typical ranges we see (supply, fixings, labour; design/structural checks extra):

• Facing stone (coursed, dowelled, pointed): £180–£320/m²
• Premium/complex details (corners, reveals, curved work): £300–£450/m²
• Design & drawings (shop details, fixings, method statement): £1,200–£3,500+ per façade depending on scope
• Access & prelims (scaffold, protection, waste): £12–£25/m² incremental

Drivers of cost: stone type/thickness, coursing complexity, number of penetrations/openings, access, and QA requirements.

Why our method lasts

• Mechanical restraint first (dowels + reinforcement) → prevents creep/differential movement that mortar-only installs suffer. 
• Controlled lifts & curing → straighter coursing, fewer settlement cracks. 
• Specified joint prep & pointing → durable, clean façades with reduced staining. 

Ready for a quote?

Send your elevations, preferred stone, and photos of the substrate. We’ll return a fixed-scope proposal with programme, method statement, and engineer-approved fixing details.