That works out to $25/sq ft which seems awfully high to me if that is that is the labor charge only. Seems like that should be about what the "installed price" ought to be. By "installed price" I mean the TOTAL charge including the the stone, mortar, backing paper, wire lathe AND all labor including cleaning up any and all spills. I suspect that they don't really want to bother with your tiny little job because they'll spend almost as long driving to/from your house, dragging all their tools in/out, and cleaning up as they will actually adhering the stone to the wall. I'd check out another cultured stone supplier and ask about their "installed price per square foot" before you tell them how small your job is.

Dude, just hire someone. It sounds like this is significantly over your head.

OK, I finally did the corner this AM - waiting to do in front of the beds when we put walkway in. We're planning on digging down (to correct drainage - it's low in front of the steps), laying down filter fabric, then sand, then setting the huge stepping stones piled around, then filling between stones with the pea gravel that's in the driveway. Just filled a drainage ditch going down the edge of the driveway with 3/4" stone, after I stacked the stones for the wall this AM I raked the peastone over the ditch up to the stone wall to blend in the driveway. Stairs (I tried to make the edge near the driveway step down like I did here, but this may change depending on whether we dig out to put the stone 7 " below the first step, or bring it right up to the tread so I don't have to try to make a stone riser. The top step will have a white vinyl riser like the kickboard under the door, and we're going to face the deck support with white vinyl too and then I can fill in the last course of stone under the porch). Think this will keep people from stepping into the flowerbed to get up on the end of the porch? I also planted an azalea as close as I could to the corner, given the buried pipe from the downspout going in front of the porch, and the small hole we connected to the ditch (and filled with stone, I just mulched on top) where the gutter overflows every time we have a cloudburst. I hope it doesn't drown. I also hope it gets a lot bigger - this was a 99 cent salvage plant from the grocery store. Azaleas have shallow roots so I don't know how tall it will get, but I can't plant a tree there b/c of the pipe.

Folks, thanks so much. We already have multiple outdoor porches on other sides of the house, where the views are. Facing the front one only sees the street and other houses in the distance. The rear has a sweet view, so there are multiple patios, etc. on rear and side. Further, as much as a screen porch would be nice we're too far along now...would need an approved City plan change, hoa change, etc. But good ideas! I like the "mixed w/slatted wood" stairs picture...maybe we could do something along those lines. Virgil's really got it with the shape of the stairs; we could potentially color the concrete slightly (they have more integrated coloring agents now that don't change color as much)...ligher version of stucco siding color shown above.