Best of 2003: Best Place To Buy Bricks And Stones

Thompson's Building Materials
6636 Federal Boulevard, Lemon Grove
619-287-9410

This is where contractors go for masonry products. Thompson's stocks almost 40 different varieties of bricks, including "used" (made to look old) for 36 cents apiece and "really used" (recycled from old buildings) for 83 cents. They carry Indian sandstone, Texas limestone, and Idaho quartzite; prices for natural stone and slate range from 12 to 70 cents a pound. Thompson's offers lightweight look-alike rocks for retaining walls and fireplaces, as well as hollow concrete boulders ($30 to $200) for landscaping accents.