the cost of it in minnesota is 5.75 per sf material only. that cost is for low quality bluestone with various thicknesses between 1-1/2"-2" thick. not good if you have your base material perfectly level and have to set each stone one at a time to get them flush. a better way would be to buy "tight tolerance bluestone, where it is sawn to an even thickness, not just pulled from the quarry and loose-sorted. cost here jumps to 13.50 a sq ft. *raw material ($5400) *labor will run you $30-35/hr. try to guesstimate how many hours the crew might be there, or just ask how long it will take. maybe 3 days with 3 guys, say 100 hours ($3000) *figure miscellaneous costs (10%),($500) *wasted product for cutting (10% of 400= 40 sq ft), ($540) *travel (3 men, 3 days, 1 hour both ways= 18hrs) ($540) *skidsteer cost (350 per day @ 3 days), ($1050) *tax (7% of 5940), ($416) *subtotal ($11,446) *and markup (total cost +25%)($2861) +/- $14,307 - - - $35.76 sq ft i install for $26-40 /sq ft depending on the job scope, access to the project site, and whether dropping the price means getting the job. i wouldnt install over the concrete patio though. is it in good shape? is is full of settling cracks? how old it is will tell you whether or not settling might occur in the future. id rather start over with a base i know is set right. extra costs, i know.. but really, whats the advantage of the slab? good luck

Wait a second....high-end moldings, coffered and trayed ceilings, gas fireplaces (no doubt with high-end surrounds and mantle pieces, too), hardwood floors, brick and shingled exterior??? It sounds like you're going to have a lot of very specialized labor involved. I don't know about Virginia, but where I live, good finish carpenters, skilled masons and any painter you'd want to set loose on high-end moldings --- always command premium prices. In my experience, fixed bids very often end up costing more than time & materials, especially if you have carfully detailed plans at the outset -- and don't make any changes. Contractors always build in a certain amount of padding to protect their bottom line in the event of unexpected price jumps or other unforseen events. I would say, however, that 26% for profit and overhead sounds a bit excessive to me. A more typical range for P & O would be 12%-18%, depending on locality. Just my two cents. James P.S. There is one other approach you could present to your contractor. It's unusual, but becoming more common -- and it can benefit both you and him. You would have two contracts. One for a fixed fee for the entire project as agreed at the outset. The other contract would be for time and materials which would be billed to you at actual cost. That way, your contractor is guaranteed his fee, and you don't have to pay additional P & O if the cost of materials goes up, or more labor than is budgeted is required (and vice-versa, it benefits him if costs are less or the project is completed faster than expected). Naturally, any changes or additions outside the scope of the initial contract would require a written change order, which would rightfully include an agreed percentage of P & O on the additional costs. You can read more about these types of agreements by reading a Commentary article on page 26 of the Summer 2006 Issue (No. 179) of Fine Homebuilding magazine's annual issue "Houses". It should still be available on your local newsstand, or you order it from The Taunton Press. Here is a link that might be useful: Fine Homebuilding Houses - Summer 2006

I'm a Master Mason and also General Contractor. When I was laying stone we always had the homeowner pick out the stone at the yard. It didn't matter which yard or where it came from. My labor cost was based on what product they picked out. The reasons for this is. Some stone is quite harder to lay than others. Stone can vary greatly in price therefore the owners know this up front and we have them pay for it themselves. If they pick out something that we know is not durable, we tell them and they listen. My suggestion to you is to take control of this situation. Go find the stone you want, get a price from the supplier, talk to the mason and get it done. Tell the G.C. your tired of the delays and this job needs to be completed.

@ rschliefs. If installed correctly, bluestone is a classic, timeless presentation that should be valid for a lifetime. I would liken it to a black evening dress worn simply with pearls. There might be flashier options or the "brick of the day" might be tempting, but bluestone is an elegant option that coalesces with a wide variety of home styles. It certainly sounds like you have found a mason who is experienced with bluestone and can guide you through the process. "I love the look of bluestone and we are willing to pay the premium price for it - just wondering if it’s really worth it." Clearly, you see the value in the bluestone and I would add that for me it would be worth the price as well. Plus, you are right there in Pennsylvania, home to 99% of the bluestone quarries!! Good luck with your project! See below for an assortment of finished looks. Dry laid (Blue/Blue, Thermal) Same project Wet laid (Full Range/Thermal) (sealed as well) Wet laid (Full Range/Natural Cleft) Upper landing wet laid, walkway dry laid (Full Range/Natural Cleft) Hope these help a bit.