Stonemason
Stonemasons carve and shape stone blocks, and lay and fit stonework on construction, conservation and restoration projects.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
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.
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.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
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
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
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.
More Information
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
More Information
You could start as a construction labourer or bricklayer and take further training with your employer to get a qualification in stonemasonry.
Registration
- you'll need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card or equivalent to train and work on a construction site
Career tips
You may be able to find short training courses in heritage skills by contacting organisations like The Historic England Foundation.
Further information
You'll find more information about careers in stonemasonry from Go Construct and the Stone Federation.
You can also get details about stonemasonry carving skills from the Crafts Council.
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External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.