Stonemason

Stonemasons carve and shape stone blocks, and lay and fit stonework on construction, conservation and restoration projects.

Also known as: Craft stonemason, stone carver

• Starter salary£24,000 a year
• Experienced£40,000 a year
• Typical hours37 to 42 a week

What you'll do

As a stonemason, you could:

• saw, carve, dress and polish stone blocks in a workshop, using hand and power tools
• build walls and lay paved flooring and paths following design plans
• repair damaged stonework on modern and historic buildings and monuments
• carve or repair architectural features, statues and memorial headstones
• make and fit stonework like window frames, archways and ornamental garden pieces

In this job, you'll work with materials like sandstone, limestone, slate, marble and granite.

Working environment

You could work on a construction site, in a workshop or at a client's home.

Your working environment may be at height, dusty, noisy and physically demanding.

You may need to wear safety clothing and use safety equipment.

Skills and knowledge you'll need

You'll need:

• knowledge of building and construction
• the ability to work well with your hands
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to use your initiative
• knowledge of maths
• design skills and knowledge
• the ability to work well with others
• the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

How to become a stonemason

You can get into this job through:

• a college course
• an apprenticeship
• working towards this role

College

You could take a college course, which would teach you some of the skills needed to get a trainee job with a building company.

Courses include:

• construction skills
• craft masonry
• stonemasonry

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Stonemason Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship.

This apprenticeship has pathways for different types of stonemasonry work, for example:

• interior stone fixing, often used for floors, wet rooms and kitchens
• memorial stonemasonry
• exterior stone fixing on buildings and structures
• heritage stonemasonry for conserving historic monuments

This apprenticeship takes about 24 months to complete and is a mix of workplace learning and off-site study.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

Work

You could start as a construction labourer or bricklayer and take further training with your employer to get a qualification in stonemasonry.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could become a site supervisor or specialise in heritage conservation.

You could also move into related areas like:

• estimating
• construction management
• training apprentices in further education

In time, you might set up your own stonemasonry business.

Career tips

You may be able to find short training courses in heritage skills by contacting organisations like The Historic England Foundation .

Registration

• you'll need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card or equivalent to train and work on a construction site

Guides for this industry

• Construction & Trades: pay, interviews and getting started →

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