Stone Masonry in Ann Arbor, MI

Natural Character, Set to Last a Lifetime

Retaining walls hold back saturated ground only when at least 12 inches of clean angular gravel sized 1/2 to 3/4 inch sits behind the wall face, and 24 inches performs better still. Drainage decides whether a wall stands or leans. Danaher Family Masonry and Restoration builds stone masonry in Ann Arbor, MI, from chimneys and retaining walls to additions, restored features, custom arches and patterned facing, with drainage, bedding and joint work planned before the first course goes down.


Working with natural stone rewards patience, and we give each face the time it needs. Close relationships with suppliers around Ann Arbor, MI open up a wide range of stone, from wall stone to veneer and salvaged material that suits an older property. Ours is a small family operation, 40 years of combined experience, and the same hands that quote a wall build it. Use our contact page to set up a consultation, and we will walk the site with you.

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Our Approach to Natural Stone Construction

  • Stone Chimney Installation

    Chimneys sit more exposed to freezing and thawing than any masonry on a building. A new stone stack follows the 3-2-10 rule, rising 3 feet above the roof and standing 2 feet taller than anything within 10 feet, topped by an overhanging crown.

  • Stone Chimney Restoration

    Deteriorated stacks usually fail at the crown and joints rather than in the stone itself. Crowns get recast 2 inches thick with a 2.5 inch overhang, a drip edge and a 3/8 inch expansion gap, and open joints are repointed with compatible mortar.

  • Stone Retaining Walls

    Gravel matters as much as the stone. Backfill runs at least 12 inches of clean angular stone, walls under 6 feet get 1.5 inch weeps every 8 feet, and taller walls take 3 to 4 inch weeps every 3 to 4 feet.

  • Stone Additions and Extensions

    Anchored veneer over wood or steel framing is limited to the first story and 5 inches thick. Deflection stays within 1/600 of the span, veneer to 40 psf may sit on wood construction, with 12 feet 8 inches maximum above a steel angle.

  • Stone Feature Restoration

    Pillars, sills, garden walls and entry surrounds lose mortar long before losing stone. Failed joints get raked out and repointed with a mix as soft or softer than the original, because hard portland-heavy mortar traps moisture and accelerates decay in the surrounding material.

  • Custom Stone Arches and Patterns

    Quoins, banding, arches and coursed patterns give a wall real presence. Dry stone work is built with a 5 to 10 degree batter, roughly 6 inches of height per 1 inch of setback, while mortared lintels bear 4 inches each side.

Why Choose Us for Stone Masonry

Access to a Wide Stone Selection

Choosing stone is the part most people enjoy, and options should be real rather than theoretical. Suppliers nearby stock fieldstone, limestone, sandstone and split granite in varied sizes and color ranges, so selection happens against your actual house instead of a catalog page.

Stone Laid With the Grain in Mind

Every piece has a natural bed, and setting it on that plane keeps water out of the layers. Face-bedded stone sheds and delaminates after enough freezing cycles, which is exactly what careful orientation at laying time prevents for good.

New Work Blended Into Old

Additions announce themselves when nobody studies the existing wall first. Color range, size distribution, joint width and tooling profile are read off what already stands, so fresh stonework settles into the elevation rather than dividing it into obvious before and after.

Walls That Handle the Water Behind Them

Saturated soil generates enormous pressure against a wall face. Gravel backfill of 12 inches or more, clean angular stone from 1/2 to 3/4 inch, and weeps spaced for the wall height relieve that pressure so your investment is not slowly pushed over.

A Design Conversation Before Any Cutting

Talking through pattern, coursing, joint treatment and stone type upfront saves rework and expense once material is on site. You see options, ask questions and change direction while changes remain free, which is a far better moment than mid-build.

Character You Cannot Get From a Kit

Manufactured panels repeat, and eventually the eye catches the repetition. Natural stone laid piece by piece never duplicates itself, so a wall, chimney or arch carries texture, depth and shadow that molded products cannot reproduce at any price point.

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Let Your Stonework Say Something Permanent

Stone outlasts nearly everything else on a property, which makes the decisions behind it worth getting right the first time, from bedding orientation to the gravel nobody ever sees. Danaher Family Masonry and Restoration lays and restores stonework across Ann Arbor, MI on chimneys, retaining walls, additions, arches and older features that deserve another century. Take whatever time you need to decide. When you are ready, describe the project or send photos through our contact page, and we will set up a consultation, look at stone options together, and put a clear project estimate in front of you without any pressure attached.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What are the downsides of stone veneer?

    Weight and placement limits are the practical drawbacks. Anchored veneer over wood or steel framing is restricted to the first story and 5 inches of thickness, and poor flashing or a blocked drainage plane traps water behind the facing.

  • What do you put under stone veneer?

    Sheathing, a water-resistive barrier and flashing come first, then a drainage plane, then anchors and mortar. Base flashing extends at least 8 inches up the backing, with the barrier lapping its top edge by a minimum of 4 inches.

  • Is wet stack stone a better choice than dry stack stone?

    Each suits different work. Mortared wet stack resists lateral movement and sheds water at the joint, while dry stack relies on a 5 to 10 degree batter and careful fitting, giving roughly 6 inches of height per 1 inch of setback.

  • What type of mortar for natural stone wall?

    Type N at 750 psi handles most above-grade stonework, and Type S at 1,800 psi suits higher-stress or below-grade conditions. On older walls, mortar must stay as vapor permeable and as soft or softer than what it replaces.

  • Is it necessary to put drainage gravel behind a retaining wall?

    Yes, always. Danaher Family Masonry and Restoration backfills every retaining wall in Ann Arbor, MI with at least 12 inches of clean angular gravel from 1/2 to 3/4 inch, because trapped water creates the pressure that pushes walls out of line.

  • Can I install natural stone against a cinder block wall?

    Block makes a solid backing for stone facing. A 2 inch air space is recommended over block backing with 1 inch as the minimum, and anchors plus flashing still handle drainage so moisture never sits behind the finished face.

  • Does stone veneer need to be sealed?

    Usually not, and sealing can cause harm. A film that reduces vapor permeability traps moisture inside the stone and the joints, and trapped water freezing behind a face is what causes spalling in this climate to begin with.

  • What are the disadvantages of stone walls?

    Cost and labor lead the list, since natural stone is heavier, slower to lay and more variable than block or brick. Danaher Family Masonry and Restoration prices stonework honestly in Ann Arbor, MI so expectations line up before anything is ordered.