How wide should a walkway be?

Roughly four feet where two people should walk side by side or a main entry path is involved; three feet is workable for secondary garden paths.

Why do my stepping stones keep sinking?

They were set on soil rather than on a compacted base with bedding. In clay, anything without base support finds its own level within a couple of wet seasons.

Do outdoor steps need drainage?

Yes. Base under the treads has to drain, and the run needs cross-slope so water leaves rather than sheeting down the stairway and icing in winter.

What is the difference between a garden wall and a retaining wall?

A garden wall holds little or no earth and is largely decorative or defines a bed. Once a wall retains meaningful grade, it needs drainage and, above certain heights, engineering.

Outdoor living

Walkways, Outdoor Steps & Garden Walls in North Georgia

Stone walkways, garden steps and low garden walls that connect the house, drive, patio and barn into one property.

Circulation is what makes a property feel finished. A walkway on a proper base, steps with consistent risers, and low walls that hold a grade turn a collection of separate areas into one connected place.

Part of our Outdoor Living & Landscape Design in North Georgia work across North Georgia.

What we see most often

Stepping stones sinking and tilting into the lawn
Uneven risers on steps that people catch a toe on
Walkways that puddle or ice because water runs across them
Garden walls bulging from no drainage behind them

Scope of work

What this work includes

Route & width

Paths laid on the lines people actually walk, at widths that let two people pass or a wheelbarrow through.

Base & surfacing

Excavation, compacted aggregate base and bedding under pavers, flagstone or stepping stone so nothing settles or rocks.

Steps & landings

Consistent risers, generous treads, landings at grade changes and drainage under every step.

Garden & edging walls

Low stone or block walls that hold planting beds and grade transitions, drained behind the face.

Paths and steps that stay level, drain properly, and make the whole property feel connected.

How it goes

Our process

Step 01
Walk the route
Follow existing desire lines rather than fighting them.
Step 02
Set grades
Establish riser counts, landings and cross-slope for drainage.
Step 03
Build base
Excavate, compact aggregate, screed bedding.
Step 04
Set & edge
Place material, restrain edges, joint and finish.

Common questions

Walkways & Steps questions we get

How wide should a walkway be?: Roughly four feet where two people should walk side by side or a main entry path is involved; three feet is workable for secondary garden paths.
Why do my stepping stones keep sinking?: They were set on soil rather than on a compacted base with bedding. In clay, anything without base support finds its own level within a couple of wet seasons.
Do outdoor steps need drainage?: Yes. Base under the treads has to drain, and the run needs cross-slope so water leaves rather than sheeting down the stairway and icing in winter.
What is the difference between a garden wall and a retaining wall?: A garden wall holds little or no earth and is largely decorative or defines a bed. Once a wall retains meaningful grade, it needs drainage and, above certain heights, engineering.

Where we work

Outdoor Living across North Georgia

We handle outdoor living for property owners across the north side of Atlanta — Cumming, Milton, Alpharetta, Roswell, Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Marietta, Woodstock, Canton and Ball Ground — and up through Jasper, Ellijay and Blue Ridge. Choose your area for local conditions, permitting and recent work nearby.

Regional overviews: Outdoor Living in Atlanta Metro, Outdoor Living in Lake Lanier, Outdoor Living in North Atlanta.

Also serving Cumming, Milton, Woodstock, Canton, Ball Ground, Jasper, Ellijay, Blue Ridge, Dawsonville, Cartersville, Blairsville, Helen, Cleveland, Gainesville.

Related work

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Tell us about your property

Send the basics and we'll come back with a straight answer on what your site needs, what order to do it in, and what it's likely to cost.

Walkways, Outdoor Steps & Garden Walls in North Georgia

What we see most often

What this work includes

Route & width

Base & surfacing

Steps & landings

Garden & edging walls

Our process

Walk the route

Set grades

Build base

Set & edge

Walkways & Steps questions we get

Outdoor Living across North Georgia

Patios

Pergolas & Pavilions

Outdoor Kitchens

Tell us about your property