The present study was designed to evaluate and compare the durability of three types of commercial marble building stones (white marble and grey marble from the Harouni quarry, and green marble from the Shavaz quarry) against destructive environmental factors including thermal shock and salt crystallization cycles under laboratory conditions. Based on X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of efflorescence samples collected from building facades in Yazd city, sodium chloride (NaCl) was selected as the deteriorating agent in the salt crystallization test (20 cycles), while the thermal shock test was conducted over 30 cycles (heating to 110°C followed by sudden cooling). Initial physical and mechanical properties including density, effective porosity, P-wave velocity (Vp), Schmidt hardness, uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), Brazilian tensile strength (BTS), and point load strength index (Is(50)) were measured. The findings revealed that white marble, with its uniform calcite structure, exhibited the highest initial strength (UCS = 38.73 MPa) and the greatest stability against both destructive processes (point load strength loss of 52% after 30 thermal cycles and 69% after 20 salt crystallization cycles). Grey marble, due to the presence of calcite cement veins and organic matter, showed the highest sensitivity to thermal shock (77% point load strength loss). Shavaz marble, despite having the lowest effective porosity (0.65%) and a layered aragonitic structure, was identified as the most vulnerable stone to salt crystallization (79% tensile strength loss after 15 cycles). In general, white marble is more suitable for use in environments with thermal and salt stresses, while the application of grey marble and Shavaz marble should be limited to interior conditions with restricted exposure to destructive agents. The results of this research emphasize the determining role of microstructure and inherent defects in stone, compared to parameters such as initial porosity, in predicting durability.