In comparing the price of brick to engineered stone, the stone is usually more expensive than brick, for a couple of reasons:

• Brick is mass produced in automated plants, but fake stone is hand-crafted.  Manual production, with an eye for the finished product is required to duplicate the detailed coloring and texture of natural stone.
  
• Bricks are all the same size and laid in courses, so the installation is highly repetitious.  Exterior stone is installed in more random patterns, with careful attention to duplicate the look of hand laid natural stone.  This involves color and size selection of each stone and laying the stone in a manner that is appropriate for the style being used.

There are some factors that can affect the price.  In new construction, if it is know beforehand where the concrete stone will be used, the brick ledge on the footings may not be required, depending on local building codes, which should always be consulted.  Brick requires structural support running down to the foundation of the house.  Manufactured stone, because of its lighter weight and the manner in which it is installed, doesn't require this additional support and expense.  For example, dormers and fireplace chases can be covered with manufactured stone as long as there is a structurally sound substrate, such as framing over which to install.

Manufactured Stone vs. Natural Stone
Natural stone can be beautiful and there are applications where it is the material of choice.  However, it is generally quite expensive, especially if the style and color of stone you want is not indigenous to your area.  The installed cost of natural stone is often twice the cost of manufactured stone, due to the cost of quarrying, shipping and installing natural stone.  Also, there is often a lot of waste material with natural stone installation, depending on the style.

There are also other cost factors to consider.  Natural stone usually requires larger footings, generally at least 6 to 8 inches of ledge, depending on the type of stone you are installing.  Without adequate footings, natural stone can settle.  A local homeowner called us to come install manufactured stone for a fireplace surround.  The previous owner had installed natural stone over a wood sub-floor and crawl space, but without installing additional structural support.  The wood flooring in the living room was starting to rise and buckle due to the weight of the stone, which had to be torn out and removed.  We replaced the masonry with cast stone.  The homeowner was relieved to correct the structural problems and preferred the appearance of the cast stone, which was selected to reflect the color and style of the home.

Besides cost, there are other advantages to manufactured stone.  One is its versatility, since it can be installed in places where natural stone would require structural footings or piers.  This includes interior applications, where it can be used for columns, walls, fireplace surrounds or to dress up kitchen islands or backsplashes.  Cast stone gives you the ability to select specific color and texture combinations that enhance the beauty of your home. We offer a variety of products including cobblestone, limestone and river rock.