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Real stone, set for mountain winters

Masonry & Stonework in Steamboat Springs

Stone fireplaces, chimneys, veneer, flagstone patios, and retaining walls — set by a master mason, built to survive freeze-thaw, and detailed so water never gets a foothold. A written scope before we build, a photo update every working day, and the owner on every job.

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Call or text 970-393-6239Photos of your space welcome · 30-minute response, Mon–Fri

Serving Steamboat Springs and the Yampa Valley · Written proposal within 48 hours of your walkthrough · Owner-run, licensed and insured in Colorado.

Plain English — not a textbook

What we build in stone

Masonry is one trade with a dozen faces. Here's what we build in Steamboat Springs and across the Yampa Valley — and for each one, the detail that decides whether it lasts thirty winters or starts moving in three.

Full-height squared-stone fireplace with reclaimed timber mantel in a vaulted great room

🔥 Fireplaces & hearths

Full-height stone fireplaces, refacing an existing surround, raised hearths, and mantel installs — the centerpiece of a mountain great room, inside where you live with it every day.

What matters: clearances and venting follow the firebox listing and code, and the stone is tied to the structure — not just stuck to drywall.

Squared-stone chimney chase at a shingle roofline against pines and sky

🏔️ Chimneys & chases

Stone chimney chases, crowns, and caps — the most exposed masonry on the house, taking sun, snow, and wind all year.

What matters: the crown sheds water and the flashing where stone meets roof is done right. Most chimney leaks are flashing leaks wearing a stone disguise.

Finished granite stone veneer on a timber-and-stone home exterior

🧱 Stone veneer

Natural and manufactured stone veneer — exterior facades, skirting and wainscot, entry surrounds, and interior accent walls.

What matters: what's behind the stone. A drainage plane and weeps let any water that gets in get back out, so freeze-thaw never pries the work off the wall.

Flagstone patio with boulder edging at a log home

🪨 Flagstone patios & walkways

Flagstone patios, entry walks, garden paths, and stone steps — the outdoor rooms you use all summer and the paths you shovel all winter.

What matters: the base. Compacted, drained, and pitched so meltwater runs off instead of sitting under the stone, freezing, and heaving it.

Terraced stone retaining walls with integrated stone stairs on a hillside

⛰️ Retaining walls & stairs

Structural and garden retaining walls, terraced slopes, and stone stairs — Steamboat is a town built on hillsides, and stone is how a slope becomes a yard.

What matters: drainage behind the wall. Trapped water and frost are what push walls over; weep and drain it and the wall stands for decades.

Round stone fire pit on a flagstone patio with a mountain valley view

✨ Fire pits & outdoor features

Stone fire pits, seat walls, column bases, entry pillars and gate piers, address monuments, and caps — the features that finish an outdoor space.

What matters: caps and joints that shed water, and materials rated for heat where there's flame.

Stone is one layer of the whole exterior — see everything we remodel outside in Exterior Remodels, including siding and decks built for the same winters.

Straight talk on budget

What drives the cost — and how we keep you in control

Most of a masonry number comes down to a few things: the stone itself (natural full-bed stone, thin natural veneer, and manufactured veneer sit at different price points), square footage and height (tall work needs staging and more time), what's behind and beneath (structural backing, footings, base prep, and drainage are real work you don't see at the end), and access — stone is heavy, and a tight or steep site changes how it moves. We walk all of it with you before you commit, put it in a written line-item scope, and the price changes only by a change order you approve.

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Moss-rock stone fireplace with timber mantel in a log home great room
Local-expert credibility

Stone that survives Steamboat

At 6,700 feet, masonry is a water-management trade. The stone is forever — the details around it decide everything:

Freeze-thaw is the enemy. Water that gets into a joint or behind veneer freezes and pries the work apart. Drainage planes, weeps, caps, and the right mortar keep it out — or let it back out.
Footings to 48 inches. Structural walls and exterior masonry bear on footings below Routt County's frost line, so the ground can freeze without moving the work.
Fire-wise by nature. Stone is non-combustible — in Routt County's mapped wildfire zones, stone veneer, skirting, and patios are real assets in an ignition-resistant exterior.
Mountain sun is brutal. High-altitude UV fades cheap manufactured veneer. We match the material to the exposure — natural stone where it earns its keep, quality veneer where it makes sense.
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Our approach

How Elk Ridge builds in stone

Our stonework is led by a master mason with decades of it in these mountains — the fireplaces, chimneys, patios, and walls on this page are his craft. Elk Ridge wraps that craft in the way we run every job: a written line-item scope before work starts, the owner on the job, a photo and status update every working day plus a short written weekly recap, and the work backed by the full Elk Ridge Promise and a written 2-year workmanship warranty, with final payment only after you sign off.

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Good questions

Questions homeowners ask us

Is real stone worth it over manufactured veneer?
Both have a place, and we install both. Natural stone costs more up front but shrugs off UV and freeze-thaw for generations and never reads as fake up close. Quality manufactured veneer is lighter and friendlier to the budget, and modern lines look good — but at altitude the sun is hard on pigments, and cheap veneer shows it. We walk both options against your house and budget.
Why does masonry fail in the mountains?
Almost always water plus freeze-thaw. Water gets behind the stone or into a joint, freezes, and pries the work apart a little more every winter. The fix is in the details you never see — drainage plane and weeps behind veneer, caps that shed water, the right mortar, and flashing where stone meets roof or wall. That's where we spend our care.
Can you build or reface a fireplace?
Yes — full-height stone fireplaces, refacing an existing surround, raised hearths, and stone chimney chases, inside and out. Fireplaces are the heart of our masonry work. The firebox, venting, and clearances follow the manufacturer's listing and code, and we coordinate any gas or insert work with the right trades.
Do stone patios and walkways survive our winters?
Built right, yes. The stone matters less than what's under it — a properly compacted base with drainage so water doesn't sit under the stone and heave it. We set flagstone for our freeze-thaw cycles and keep the surface pitched so meltwater runs off instead of icing.
Do retaining walls need engineering or a permit?
Small garden walls usually don't. Taller walls, walls holding back a slope or a driveway, and anything structural generally do — and they need drainage behind them either way, because trapped water and frost are what push walls over. We tell you honestly which kind of wall you have and handle the permit when one is required.
Does stone help in a wildfire zone?
It's one of the best claddings you can have. Stone is non-combustible, and in Routt County's mapped wildfire zones an ignition-resistant exterior matters. Masonry alone doesn't fireproof a house — vents, roofing, and the first five feet around the home all play a part — but stone skirting, veneer, and patios are real assets in a fire-wise design.
How will I know what's happening on my project?
A photo and status update every working day, plus a short written weekly recap, and you reach us directly — the same business day.
What does the warranty cover?
A written 2-year workmanship warranty on our work, starting at your final walkthrough — above the local 1-year norm.
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Stone done right the first time

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Written proposal within 48 hours of your walkthrough. Calls and texts answered Monday–Friday, 7am–5pm MT — photos welcome. Messages returned the same business day. You reach us directly — no call center, no obligation.