Costs: Stone facades | Features

Stone cladding typeCapital costNet present value for 60 yearsDesign life
	£/m2	£/m2	years
Natural stone
50 mm thick limestone in flush-pointed cement lime mortar	350	431	60
75 mm thick Portland limestone in flush-pointed cement lime mortar	425	516	60
Granite with sealant joints	500	619	60
Precast concrete units
Exposed aggregate precast concrete units with sealant joints	225	295	60
Reconstructed stone precast concrete units in flush pointed cement lime mortar	425	516	60
Limestone-faced precast concrete units in flush pointed cement lime mortar	600	713	60
Granite-faced precast concrete units with sealant joints	675	802	60
Table notes
Costs include inspection, cleaning, repointing or resealing, and minor repairs
Stone and concrete units are fixed with stainless steel fixings
Cost and work frequencies are generic, based on a 500 m2 plain office facade
Insulation and lining, scaffolding and overheads are excluded
Capital costs vary significantly reflecting the variable nature of stone: best value should be determined from a whole-life assessment of cladding options which satisfy project specific criteria
A discount rate of 3.5% is used to calculate net present values