Stone Masonry — Bluestone, Fieldstone, Cobblestone, Veneer
Hand-set stonework that reads as if it grew in place — fieldstone walls, cobblestone aprons, bluestone treads, veneer, steps, and chimneys. Project minimum $50,000.
Blue Claw's masonry division is one of the few in the region that handles every category of natural stone work in-house. Our masons are full-time Blue Claw employees — not subcontracted — and they work alongside our landscape construction crews on every project that requires hardscape.
We work in bluestone (Pennsylvania thermal and natural cleft), fieldstone (sourced from a small set of local quarries), cobblestone (granite and Belgian block), and stone veneer for fireplace facings and house walls. We do not use cast concrete "faux" stone. We do not use pre-fabricated wall systems on visible work.
Our masonry standard: every joint hand-set, every wall built on a frost-protected base, every veneer mechanically tied to a structural backup. Walls we built ten years ago look the same today as they did at handoff, and they will look the same in another fifty years.
Scope of work.
Bluestone patios, terraces, walks, treads
Hand-set Pennsylvania bluestone in thermal, natural-cleft, or honed finishes. Cut on site to fit. Frost-protected base everywhere.
Fieldstone walls
Wet or dry-laid hand-set fieldstone walls in heights from 18 inches to 8 feet. Sourced from local quarries to match regional weathering.
Cobblestone aprons and edging
Granite and Belgian block driveway aprons, walk edging, and bed borders — set on a concrete bed with a polymeric sand joint.
Stone veneer
Stone veneer for fireplace facings, chimney rebuilds, foundation walls, and accent walls. Mechanically tied to a structural backup.
Steps and treads
Hand-cut bluestone, granite, or fieldstone steps engineered to grade. No two treads identical — each cut to the slope it sits on.
Fireplaces and chimneys
Outdoor stone fireplaces, chimney rebuilds and cap repairs, masonry grill enclosures. Built with proper flues and weatherproofing.
Restoration masonry
Re-pointing of historic stone walls in lime mortar (not Portland), stone-by-stone wall rebuilds, and cobblestone repair on heritage properties.
From first call to handoff.
Most of our masonry work happens as part of a larger landscape construction project. When a homeowner contacts us specifically about masonry — a wall to repair, a chimney to rebuild, a patio to lay — we schedule a site visit within a week.
Our masonry proposals include a materials list (specifying source quarry, stone size grade, mortar type), a hand-drawn concept showing the wall layout or patio cut pattern, and a timeline. We don't propose materials we haven't worked with extensively.
On site, our masons hand-set every stone. There is no power-stacking or prefab. Cuts are made on site with a wet saw. Joints are tooled by hand. The wall or patio comes out of the ground looking like it grew there.
Restoration masonry deserves special mention. When we re-point an 1820s stone wall, we use the original lime mortar recipe — not modern Portland cement. Portland looks correct for two seasons, then starts fracturing the stone face because it's harder than the stone itself. Lime is the right material; we use the right material.
Questions we get often.
What types of stone do you work with?
Bluestone (Pennsylvania thermal and natural cleft), fieldstone (sourced from local quarries), cobblestone (granite and Belgian block), stone veneer (for fireplaces and walls), and natural-cleft granite (for steps and copings). We do not use cast-concrete faux stone.
Do you handle restoration of historic stone walls?
Yes — restoration masonry is a core capability. We re-point historic walls in lime mortar (not Portland cement), rebuild failed sections stone-by-stone in original orientation, and repair cobblestone in heritage village districts.
What's the minimum project size for masonry?
Most masonry projects we take on start at $50,000. Smaller jobs (a few stone steps, a short wall repair) we typically can't fit into our schedule.
Do you build outdoor fireplaces?
Yes — outdoor stone-veneer fireplaces, masonry grills, fire pits, and chimney rebuilds. Built with proper flues, frost-protected footings, and weather-rated mortar.
How long do your stone walls last?
Properly built stone walls — frost-protected base, hand-set face, drainage where needed — last centuries. The walls we restored on the Cape that were built in the 1820s are still in service. Our new walls are built to the same standard.
Do you work with architects and landscape designers?
Yes. A meaningful portion of our masonry work is collaboration with architects and landscape designers. We interpret drawings, source materials, and execute the build.
What towns do you do masonry in?
Cape Cod, Nantucket, the South Shore, and parts of the Massachusetts Southcoast. Full service area list.
Ready to discuss your stone masonry project?
Tell us about the property and what you have in mind. We respond within one business day with next steps.
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