Paver Base Layers
The compacted base and leveling sand under a paver, and the depths that keep it from settling.
Lay a Curved Stepping-Stone Paver Path for About $125 in a Day
Thirteen 20-by-20-inch pavers on sand beds make a 24-foot curved path: dry-lay the arc, cut out the sod one paver at a time with a long-blade spade in a sawing motion, set each paver on leveled sand, and follow either a level or the lawn's own contour.
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The Problem
A full paver walkway — excavation, compacted aggregate, screeded bedding — is a serious project. For a garden path that carries feet and nothing else, that spec is overkill, and the price of hiring it out is hard to justify.
The Technique
- Dry-lay the pavers on the grass and play with the arc until the spacing and curve look right. Nothing is committed yet — this is the design step, and it's free to redo.
- Cut around one paver at a time with a long-blade spade. Use a sawing motion and let the blade do the work, so it doesn't hang up on dandelion roots. Lift the sod in one or several pieces.
- Put down a sand bed in each cutout and set the paver.
- Level to your goal. If the path should be dead level, check each paver with a torpedo level and true up the sand. If it should follow the lawn — as in the reel — set each paver flush with the surrounding grass surface instead.
The reel's numbers: 13 pavers at 20 by 20 inches (55 to 60 pounds each), six bags of sand, about $125 in materials, roughly 15 minutes a paver — call it five hours for 24 feet, with the store run and breaks.
Pro tip: This is the light-duty spec — individual stepping stones on sand, fine for foot traffic across a lawn. A continuous patio or a path that carries carts wants the full base build (see the paver base layers tip), which is a different project.
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