You can't really appreciate how difficult it is to choose natural stones in your landscape, until you actually visit a place like Tri-State Stone and Building Supply in Bethesda, Maryland.

We didn't really appreciate how difficult it was to choose stone until we actually visited Tri-State Stone & Building Supply (Tri-State) in Bethesda Maryland. We also gained new respect for our mason after our visit.

This is not your typical stone place. In fact, Card rock® stone is quarried on the site, so be prepared to get dirty and put up with dust, potholes, and lots of activity. Ladies, please leave your sandals and high heels at home.

Tri-State Stone & Building- what a great place
Tri-State is simply amazing. It is just west of I-495 beltway off of Seven Locks Road and relatively close to Washington DC in Bethesda, Maryland. In the early hours, you will find teams of grown men going through flagstone and handpicking pieces for their jobs.

This is a place to find and talk to masons in the Washington DC Metro area if you can get their attention. Most are there to select stones, buy materials and to get to their job sites.

As we found out, when we asked where the Pennsylvania Select Blue was, the folks at Tri-State pointed to rows of the stuff.

To make things difficult, the stones come in and are stacked on their sides. There may be a hundred or so stones stacked up and you may want a stone that is 20 pieces in. The larger stones (2 feet x 3 feet) are heavy and sold by the square foot.

As you pull out stones and examine them, you will notice they are not all alike even though they may be graded in a certain category. The smaller stones are though. That means moving each stone in front until you get to the one you want. Bring gloves and be careful when doing this. Also plan on spending a couple of hours there. You can also buy beautiful Card rock stone at Tri-State [download color Card rock Stone brochure PDF]

Tri-State's policy is one price for contractors and the public. There is also a "No Returns Policy." Once you buy it, it is yours. Of course they also expect you to abide by their other rules as well, especially the one that says you must replace the stones that you move. There is limited help available, but ask if you some help loading things into your truck or van.

Tri-State's Prices are excellent
If you have a truck, a strong back, and/or a lot of help, you can take advantage of excellent prices for a do-it-yourself masonry project that involves stone, gravel, sand and blue dust. (See Tri-State's Price List).

Bags of blue dust which is very good to lay flagstone on is about $1.50 per bag. Yes we did say $1.50 and the bag weighs about 100-150 pounds. There's only one catch, you must fill it yourself and make way for truck and loader who also are after the stuff. Of course, you can weigh your truck and have Tri-State dump the materials right in your truck too and the then pay for it.

If you are going to visit Tri-State
We suggest that you keep several things in mind. First, there's a lot of activity here. This is an actual quarry and there are dump trucks, loaders, and many masonry contractors selecting stone and materials for their jobs. Be careful where you step and be prepared to move your truck or van if asked to.

Also be careful when moving stones. They are much heavier than you think.

Go during a week day when it is less hectic and avoid mornings when masonry contractors are getting their materials. Saturday mornings at Tri-State are very busy since the company is only open a half day.

Dress for the occasion and bring:

1. Work gloves and shovels,
2. Wear blue jeans or work clothes,
3. Wear boots or work shoes, and
4. Bring something to drink.

Tri-State does deliver to the curbside. See the 2nd page of the Tri-State price list for their delivery policy and suggested sizes and quantities of materials needed. We also suggest that you download the Tri-State Price List and use it to compare prices in your area.