Blog>Trade>Starting a Business>What is the Stone Federation of Great Britain?
Last updated: 5 April 2024
What is the Stone Federation of Great Britain?
The Stone Federation of Great Britain promotes the use of natural stone and traditional trade skills in building and landscaping. This guide explains how the Federation supports members working with all types of natural stone.
There are lots of types of natural stone available on the market. With many naturally occurring in the UK.
Turning these beautiful raw materials into useful products takes great skill. Like so many ancient craft skills, a trade organisation is there to protect and promote centuries of knowledge. Simultaneously, supporting the tradespeople who still work in this industry.
Stonemasons can earn highly attractive salaries. To boost their profitability and raise their profile, you might also choose to join a trade association.
What is the Stone Federation of Great Britain?
It’s the UK’s trade association for the natural stone industry. Its members work with all types of stone.
The Stone Federation was established over a century ago and its members are generally companies working with all types of natural stone.
They work with a wide range of natural stone hewn from the landscape. Their products are sought after by, among others:
Architects
Designers
Stone material specifiers
Homeowners
Building contractors
Types of natural stone
The Stone Federation promotes all types of natural stone for interiors, exteriors and landscaping.
Natural stone is:
An attractive building material
Highly durable
Varied in colours and textures to offer a diverse choice of materials
In fact, the Stone Federation of Great Britain lists 80 different types of UK stone that are used by tradespeople. These include granite, limestone, marble, quartz, sandstone and slate.
Grow your stonemason or construction business
Get support, find more leads and win more work
Where is natural stone used?
The wide choice of types of natural stone makes it highly appealing in the building and landscaping trades.
Typical applications are:
New build cladding
New build load-bearing
Floors
Walls
Repairs and restoration
Conserving and restoring historical monuments and buildings
Residential and business interiors
Commercial, residential and public landscaping
Carving, lettering and sculpture
Monuments and headstones
Ornamental features for buildings and gardens
Whether you're a dedicated stonemason, bricklayer, landscape gardener or builder, you'll have worked with different types of stone. The Stone Federation is there as an organisation to help promote standards and highlight skills.
Why join a trade association?
People look for different things in a tradesperson. Top of the list for many is a highly professional, reliable and trustworthy expert in their chosen trade.
You demonstrate these credentials if you belong to a trade body, such as a certification scheme (like a CPS) or an association.
It’s an official badge of quality. That’s literally the case when you use a trade body logo on your:
Vehicles
Paperwork
Website
Email signatures
Marketing materials
Joining the Stone Federation of Great Britain reassures your customers about your reliability. That’s because, like Checkatrade membership, Stone Federation members are vetted, verified and approved.
A trade association is there to:
Ensure high standards for work
Promote qualified professionals
Reduce the risk of rogue traders
Along with other trade associations, we work hard to ensure high levels of quality in members. The problem of poor workmanship can negatively affect the reputations of all tradespeople.
Ready to take your stonemason business to the next level?
We can help you get there
How does the Stone Federation support its members?
Whatever the types of stone their members specialise in, the Stone Federation provides them with a range of services and support. One of its objectives is to promote the traditional skills needed for working with natural stone.
It also aims to increase the market share of natural stone for its members with support that includes:
Health and safety advice
Technical standards and guidance
Training and education
Representation to the government on issues affecting members
Use the Stone Federation of Great Britain logo
Free helplines and support on technical, legal and health and safety matters
Insurance advice
Member profiles on its website, social media and in its Natural Stone Source Book
How do you join and what does it cost?
If you’re interested in joining the Stone Federation of Great Britain, you can start by contacting them. This can be done through a number of methods, with all contact details available on their website.
The Stone Federation of Great Britain will discuss membership costs as part of your application process.
Grow your stonemason or construction business
Get support, find more leads and win more work
How can people find Stone Federation members?
Matching the right types of stone for the job is crucial. Stone Federation members are based across the UK.
The Federation recommend that homeowners or project managers only use their members when it comes to any natural stone project. Using their dedicated search tool will help ensure the highest levels of workmanship, service and excellence.
With the visibility provided by a trade association such as the Stone Federation, combined with a Checkatrade membership, your joinery business could really benefit. With a higher profile online, you will see a higher volume and quality of work coming through.
How to grow your stone working trade business
One of the key ways trade associations help their members is support in bringing in new business. With homeowners regularly searching our site for stone-related jobs, Checkatrade members also receive help with new enquiries coming their way.
There are lots of other benefits of Checkatrade membership too, including
They include:
Dedicated membership advice team
Work guarantee up to £1,000
Exclusive offers and discounts
Reduced cost of workwear and branding
Savings on other business essentials such as vans, fuel and materials
At Checkatrade, we ensure all of our members have the correct accreditations to carry out their field of work. A membership with a trade association such as the Stone Federation of Great Britain can also help with that.
With your Checkatrade profile able to show off your associations, certifications and associations, it is another good way to be seen as a quality and trusted tradesperson whose work can be relied upon.
Is a Checkatrade membership worth it?
One way to figure out whether the cost of something is worth it is to look at ROI (Return on Investment). In its most basic sense, this is how much something costs compared with the income it generates. Working out the ROI of a Checkatrade membership is definitely a must-do for any trade business
FAQs
Who are the Stone Federation of Great Britain?
They're the trade body representing all UK businesses involved in natural stone. That includes tradespeople and suppliers alike.
What are the benefits of joining the Stone Federation?
The Stone Federation provides members with advice, technical guidance and training. Members can also display its logo to demonstrate their high levels of professionalism .
How much does it cost to join the Stone Federation?
You can apply to join the Stone Federation online, where they will discuss membership costs with you as part of the process.
What are the different types of stone?
The Stone Federation lists over 80 types of natural stone in the UK. Examples include granite, limestone, marble, quartz, sandstone and slate.
Ready to take your stonemason business to the next level?
We can help you get there
Content disclaimer: This content has been created for general information purposes and should not be taken as formal advice. Read our full disclaimer here.
