Stone masonry in Hilo HI - a wall built for what it holds and how it looks
Loose stones, a leaning wall or a new wall you're planning? We work out what it has to hold, then build it to stand.
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- Stone masonry
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- (808) 229-1042
How do you know your stone wall needs work?
Wall leaning or bulging
If the face tips forward or swells out in the middle, the ground or water behind it is usually pushing harder than the wall was built to take. A bulge tends to grow until stones drop, and then you're rebuilding a section instead of repairing it.
Stones loose or fallen
Stones that rock when you push them, or have dropped onto the lawn, usually mean the base has settled or the stones around them have shifted. Every stone that comes out leaves the ones above it with less to sit on.
Cracked or missing mortar
On a mortared wall, joints that crack, crumble or open into gaps let rain into the wall. The longer water gets in, the more mortar it washes out, and a joint repair can turn into resetting stones.
Wet spots or white stains
Damp patches at the base after rain, or a white crust on the stone, show water moving through the wall instead of draining away from it. Fixing the drainage now costs less than fixing the wall that water eventually pushes out.
What does it take to build or fix a stone wall in Hilo?
Stone masonry is building and repairing walls of stone, either dry-stacked with no mortar or set in mortar, for garden walls, property lines and retaining walls. In Hilo, our crew lays the stone so the wall carries what it has to hold, lets the water behind it out and looks the way you want it to.
Most calls start with a stone or lava rock wall that's leaning, dropping stones or losing mortar, or with a slope or property line you want held with new stone. The price turns on the wall's height and length, whether it's dry-stacked or mortared, the stone you pick and how much digging and drainage the ground needs. The schedule turns on getting stone delivered, how much of an old wall has to come down first and the rain, since fresh mortar shouldn't go on in a downpour. Stone masonry has its own contractor license class in Hawaii, and we're licensed and insured. We're based in Hilo and work across Hilo, Hawaiian Paradise Park and the cities around them, and I measure your wall and put the scope in writing before you decide anything.
Details to note before an estimate
- Rough height and length of the wall
- What the wall holds back, if anything
- Dry-stacked or mortared, if it exists
- Leaning, bulging or fallen stones
- Cracked or missing mortar joints
- Photos of the wall and slope
How we build and repair stone masonry
Before we lay a stone, we decide with you whether the wall should be dry-stacked or set in mortar, based on what it has to hold and the look you're after. Then our crew digs out the line, packs a firm base and sets the stone course by course, building drainage in behind the wall so water has a way out instead of pushing on it. On a mortared wall, we keep the fresh joints from drying out too fast in the sun, because joints that dry too quickly crack early. On a repair, I find what made the wall fail before we touch it, since new stone or mortar won't last if the same water is still getting in, and we finish by cleaning the face and hauling off what we dug out.
Stone walls often sit next to other masonry that needs the same attention. If a brick step, planter or wall beside your stone has worn joints, we can add brick pointing to the same estimate. When the wall that's cracking is part of the house, or the cracks run down into what the house sits on, that's foundation repair, and we treat it that way before anything goes back on top.
Other work that often goes with a stone wall
Brick pointing
Brick next to your stone wall with soft, sandy or missing joints can let water in, and repointing it closes that path.
Foundation repair
A crack running from your wall into the base of the house usually means the ground moved, and that has to be fixed before the wall.
What happens after you call about a stone wall in Hilo?
Call or send the form
Reach us at (808) 229-1042 or through the form, and we set a time for me to come out. Send photos if you have them so I know what I'm walking into.
I look the wall over
I measure the wall, check what it holds back and work out why it failed or what the site needs before I put a price on anything. You get a written estimate that lays out the scope, and if the job needs an engineer, I tell you that up front.
Our crew builds it
Our own crew does the work the way the estimate is written, and I run it on site. Questions go straight to the person who measured your wall.
We walk it together
When the last stone is set and the site is cleaned up, I walk the wall with you before we call it done. That's the time to point out anything you want looked at.
Common questions about stone masonry work
Should my stone wall be dry-stacked or mortared?
Dry-stacked suits garden walls, property lines and low retaining walls, while mortared suits walls that carry a structural load, stand taller or need a cleaner look. One national pricing guide draws that line at 3 feet, calling dry-stacked fine for retaining walls under it and mortar required for walls over it. That guide was written for the whole country, so I still check your slope and what the wall holds before we settle it.
What is the best way to drain a dry-stacked stone wall?
Give the water behind the wall a way out, so it can't build up and push on the stone. Weep holes, small openings through the wall, or a drain pipe laid in gravel backfill behind it are the usual ways to do that. Before you hire anyone, ask which one your wall will get.
How much does it cost to build a stone wall in Hilo?
I price each stone wall after measuring it, because its height, length, method and stone move the cost more than anything else. Stone is heavy and costly to move, and one guide says local stone is always the more economical choice for that reason. Your written estimate spells out exactly what the price covers.
How do I take care of a mortared lava rock wall in Hilo?
Check the joints for cracks and missing mortar, and have those spots repointed, the bad mortar raked out and new mortar packed in with a mix that matches the old. Basalt is porous, so new mortar has to cure properly and be kept from drying too fast in direct sun. Salt air, humidity, hard sun and heavy rain here wear on stone and mortar in ways a mainland wall doesn't see, so the joints are worth watching. When we repoint, the work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
How often does a lava rock wall need to be sealed?
A penetrating sealer is usually reapplied every 2 to 5 years, depending on how much sun, salt and rain the wall takes. It soaks into the stone instead of sitting on top, so the rock keeps its natural look with no gloss while less water gets into its pores and less salt stains it.
Does a small stone wall job need a licensed contractor in Hawaii?
Usually, yes. Hawaii's contractor licensing rules say no license is needed only when the total contract price is not more than $1,000.00 and the project needs no building permit, and the job has to meet both. That total counts labor, materials, taxes and everything else, so look at the whole job, not just the labor, before you decide.
Get a written scope for your stone wall
We respond within 1 business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free and done in person at your property, with no pressure to book. I measure the wall, look at what's causing the trouble and give you the scope in writing.
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Book a look at your stone wall
Have the height, length, dry-stacked or mortared, and a few photos ready when you call (808) 229-1042 or use the form, and I'll come out knowing what to bring.