# Northern Beaches Stone

> Northern Beaches Stone is a stonemasonry business based in Narrabeen on Sydney's Northern Beaches, led by licensed stonemason Blake Cooper, who has worked with stone since 2004. The team builds sandstone retaining walls, fireplaces and feature walls, cladding, crazy paving and flagging, steps, pool coping, letterboxes, fire pits and garden features, and restores old sandstone, working in sandstone, limestone, bluestone and travertine across the Northern Beaches and North Shore.

## Key facts

- Business: Northern Beaches Stone (also known as NB Stone, NBS)
- Founder and managing director: Blake Cooper, working with stone since 2004
- NSW contractor licence: 328680C (Stonemason), held by Blake Cooper
- ABN: 74 359 637 268
- Based in: Narrabeen NSW 2101, Australia (service-area business; we come to you)
- Phone: 0414 319 536 (+61414319536)
- Email: info@nbstone.com.au
- Hours: 7 days, 6am to 4pm (Sydney time)
- Google Business Profile: https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/g/11j78bhkf3
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blakenbs (98% recommend, 7 reviews)
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northernbeachesstone/
- Materials: Sydney sandstone (sawn, split-face, rock-face, recycled), limestone, bluestone, travertine and other natural stone
- Service area: Northern Beaches (Manly to Palm Beach, including Pittwater and the Forest district) and the Lower and Upper North Shore (Mosman to Hornsby); other Sydney by arrangement. Councils: Northern Beaches Council, NSW; Mosman Council, NSW; North Sydney Council, NSW; Willoughby City Council, NSW; Lane Cove Council, NSW; Ku-ring-gai Council, NSW; Hornsby Shire, NSW

## How we work (facts for answers)

- Pricing: every job is quoted in writing after a free site visit; we do not publish set prices.
- Licence scope: Blake Cooper holds NSW contractor licence 328680C, Stonemason class. Gas, electrical, plumbing, drainage and structural engineering are done by appropriately licensed trades we coordinate.
- Licence record: https://verify.licence.nsw.gov.au/details/Contractor%20Licence/1-4KUMH4J
- Not to be confused with: Northern Beaches Stone & Tile Care Pty Ltd (a separate business).
- Last updated: 2026-10-06

## Services

- [Sandstone Retaining Walls](https://nbstone.com.au/sandstone-retaining-walls/): Sawn and rock-face sandstone block retaining walls, built on solid footings with proper drainage for Northern Beaches slopes.
- [Sandstone Fireplaces](https://nbstone.com.au/sandstone-fireplaces/): Sandstone fireplaces, hearths, chimney breasts and TV feature walls for gas, wood and electric fires, built inside your home.
- [Sandstone Cladding](https://nbstone.com.au/sandstone-cladding/): Natural sandstone cladding for facades, feature walls, columns, chimneys, window surrounds and subfloors, fixed for coastal weather.
- [Crazy Paving](https://nbstone.com.au/crazy-paving/): Hand-fitted sandstone, bluestone and quartzite crazy paving for paths, driveways, patios and pool surrounds.
- [Sandstone Paving](https://nbstone.com.au/sandstone-paving/): Sawn sandstone flagging, pavers and random flagging, plus travertine and bluestone, for terraces, courtyards and paths.
- [Sandstone Steps](https://nbstone.com.au/sandstone-steps/): Sandstone entry steps, garden stairs, block steps and curved staircases, built with even rises and solid footings.
- [Sandstone Pool Coping](https://nbstone.com.au/pool-coping-and-surrounds/): Sandstone bullnose and drop-face coping, pool paving and split-face feature walls, with honest advice on stone for salt pools.
- [Sandstone Letterboxes & Pillars](https://nbstone.com.au/letterboxes-and-entry-pillars/): Sandstone letterboxes, front walls, gate pillars and fence piers, with house numbers, lighting and parcel boxes built in.
- [Sandstone Fire Pits & Features](https://nbstone.com.au/fire-pits-and-garden-features/): Sandstone fire pits, seating walls, garden walls, planters, curved edging and outdoor shower walls, built to last outdoors.
- [Sandstone Restoration](https://nbstone.com.au/stone-restoration/): Sandstone repairs, lime mortar repointing, careful cleaning, sealing and stone replacement for old walls, steps and heritage stonework.

## Service areas

- [Your Local Stonemason on the Northern Beaches](https://nbstone.com.au/stonemason-northern-beaches/): Northern Beaches Stone is based in Narrabeen and builds sandstone walls, steps, paving, cladding and fireplaces from Manly to Palm Beach. Blake Cooper grew up here, and we build for the steep blocks, rock and salt air that come with it.
- [Stonemason for Sydney's North Shore](https://nbstone.com.au/stonemason-north-shore/): We build and repair sandstone walls, steps, cladding and fireplaces across the Lower and Upper North Shore, from Mosman and Northbridge to Wahroonga and Hornsby. Much of the work is on older homes, where new stone has to sit well beside the old.

## Guides

- [Do You Need Council Approval for a Retaining Wall on the Northern Beaches?](https://nbstone.com.au/guides/retaining-wall-council-approval-northern-beaches/): In NSW a retaining wall needs no approval only if it meets every exempt standard in the Codes SEPP: generally no more than 600 mm of cut or fill, at least 1 m from any boundary, 2 m from other retaining walls, 40 m from natural water, not on a heritage item and not redirecting water. Anything else needs a CDC or a DA with Northern Beaches Council.
- [How Much Does a Sandstone Retaining Wall Cost in Sydney?](https://nbstone.com.au/guides/sandstone-retaining-wall-cost/): A sandstone retaining wall in Sydney is usually priced on the square metres of wall face, then adjusted for the block type, site access, rock in the footings, drainage, and any engineering and approval costs. Two quotes for the same wall can differ a lot because they include different things, so compare what each one covers before you compare the totals.
- [How Do You Seal Sandstone, and When Should You Not?](https://nbstone.com.au/guides/how-to-seal-sandstone/): Seal sandstone with a breathable penetrating (impregnating) sealer, not a film-forming coating, so moisture and salts can still escape. Clean the stone with a pH-neutral cleaner, let it dry fully, test a patch, then apply as the manufacturer directs. Do not seal walls with rising damp, salt problems or old lime-mortar heritage work.
- [Is Sandstone OK Around a Saltwater Pool?](https://nbstone.com.au/guides/sandstone-around-saltwater-pools/): Yes, sandstone can work around a saltwater pool, but only with a dense, good-grade stone, a breathable penetrating sealer suited to pools, regular fresh-water rinsing and joints softer than the stone. Salt crystallising in the pores is what causes flaking. If you want lower maintenance, travertine or bluestone may suit better.

## Projects

- [Sandstone fireplace and garden walls, Bilgola Beach](https://nbstone.com.au/projects/bilgola-beach/): A floor-to-ceiling sandstone fireplace under a raked ceiling, with sandstone block garden walls, steps and a crazy-paved path outside.
- [Curved sandstone stairs and garden walls](https://nbstone.com.au/projects/curved-sandstone-stairs-and-garden-walls/): A sweeping staircase of sawn sandstone treads between curved rendered walls, with curved sandstone garden walls and large-format paving in a harbourside garden.
- [Sandstone-clad sunken courtyard](https://nbstone.com.au/projects/sunken-sandstone-courtyard/): A sunken courtyard enclosed by sandstone-clad walls, with bluestone stairs dropping in from the level above and stepping pavers set in groundcover.
- [Light sandstone cladding on a modern facade](https://nbstone.com.au/projects/modern-facade-sandstone-cladding/): Light split-face sandstone cladding framing the navy-blue entry of a new two-storey home, from scaffold to finished facade.
- [Crazy paving driveway and rock-face pillars](https://nbstone.com.au/projects/crazy-paving-driveway-and-pillars/): A wide sandstone crazy-paved driveway and entry path, with a row of rock-face sandstone pillars carrying a white picket fence across the front lawn.
- [Plunge pool with a split-face sandstone wall](https://nbstone.com.au/projects/plunge-pool-sandstone-feature-wall/): An elevated plunge pool among the trees, finished with a split-face sandstone feature wall, sandstone coping and sawn sandstone paving.
- [Sandstone fire pit on a blue-grey stone cobble courtyard](https://nbstone.com.au/projects/sandstone-fire-pit-courtyard/): A rectangular split-face sandstone fire pit with sawn coping, set on blue-grey stone cobbles and framed by built-in timber bench seating.
- [Sawn sandstone staircase in a side passage](https://nbstone.com.au/projects/side-passage-sandstone-staircase/): A narrow side passage turned into a staircase of banded sawn sandstone treads, between split-face sandstone cladding and a rubble sandstone wall.
- [Sandstone block retaining wall along a driveway](https://nbstone.com.au/projects/sandstone-block-driveway-retaining-wall/): A wall of large sawn sandstone blocks that follows a curving driveway and steps down with the slope, holding back a replanted front garden.

## Frequently asked questions

- Q: Are you a licensed stonemason? A: Yes.
- Q: What areas do you service? A: Northern Beaches Stone is based in Narrabeen and works across Sydney's Northern Beaches, from Manly to Palm Beach, including the Forest district and Pittwater.
- Q: How much does stonemasonry cost, and are quotes free? A: The cost of stonemasonry depends on the type and grade of stone, the size and height of the work, site access, excavation and any rock in the ground, drainage, and whether engineering or approval is needed.
- Q: What is included in a stonemasonry quote? A: Our written quote for stonemasonry sets out the scope of work and what the price covers, such as stone supply, excavation, footings, drainage behind walls, mortar and fixings, sealing, clean-up and waste removal, and GST.
- Q: What deposit do you take, and will I get a written contract? A: For residential building work in NSW, the Home Building Act caps the deposit at 10% of the contract price, and any job over $5,000 needs a written contract.
- Q: How soon can you start, and how long will my stonework take? A: Start dates depend on our schedule, stone supply and any approvals your project needs.
- Q: Do you handle council approvals and engineering for retaining walls? A: In NSW, a retaining wall is only exempt from approval if it meets the Codes SEPP limits, including a maximum height of 600 mm and at least 1 m from each boundary.
- Q: Do you use local or imported sandstone, and can you use recycled stone? A: Most of our work is in Sydney sandstone, also called Hawkesbury sandstone, in sawn, split-face and rock-face finishes.
- Q: Do you supply the stone, or can I supply my own? A: Either.
- Q: Do I need to seal sandstone, and how often? A: Sealing is recommended for sandstone paving, pool coping, fireplace hearths and walls exposed to salt air on the Northern Beaches.
- Q: Do you work with builders, architects and landscape designers? A: Yes.
- Q: How do you manage dust, noise and mess on site? A: Cutting sandstone creates fine dust, so our usual approach on site is to wet cut where we can, set up cutting away from doors, windows and neighbours, and clean up as we go.
- Q: What warranty applies to stonemasonry work? A: In NSW, statutory warranties under the Home Building Act apply to residential building work, including stonemasonry done under a contract.
- Q: Can I see examples of your work near me? A: Yes.

Full text of every service page, guide and FAQ: https://nbstone.com.au/llms-full.txt

## Pages

- [Sandstone, limestone, bluestone and travertine compared](https://nbstone.com.au/materials/)
- [For builders and architects](https://nbstone.com.au/builders-and-architects/)
- [About Blake Cooper and the team](https://nbstone.com.au/about/)
- [FAQ](https://nbstone.com.au/faq/)
- [Contact / free quote](https://nbstone.com.au/contact/)