How to Build Steps in a Hill With Pavers

Creating the Terrace

• 1

  Decide where you want the path to go. A curved path is more difficult to create than a straight path.

• 2

  Drive a 1-by-1 inch, 2-foot-high wood stake into both sides of the beginning of the path and the end of the path with a hammer. Stretch and attach a strong twine to the stakes to show you the layout.

• 3

  Cut 2 replicas of the paver from plywood to use as a template for digging the terraces. Put a mark in the center of each plywood

• 4

  Lay one of the plywood pieces down where the first top step is to go and spray paint around it with red paint. Pull the plywood up.

• 5

  Dig a terrace within the boundaries of the red paint, being careful to keep the sides flat. The rear depth of the terrace should be no more than enough to make a right angle with the floor of the terrace. The front depth should be even with the surrounding soil.

• 6

  Tamp the soil on the terrace floor with a hand tamper.

• 7

  Lay the plywood in, marked center up, and test the flatness of the hole with a carpenter's level. It should run flat from front to back and side to side. The plywood should fit solidly into the hole with the front end even with the lip of the terrace.

• 8

  Leave the plywood in and lay the second plywood in front of it, going downhill. Estimate the distance away from the first plywood so that the mark in the middle of the first piece is 17 1/2 inches away from the mark in the middle of the second piece after the second piece is installed in a terrace. Adjustments can be made if the measure is off after digging the second terrace.

• 9

  Follow the same steps to install the second piece of plywood. Remeasure the distance between the two middle dots and adjust the terrace so that the distance is correct.

• 10

  Remove the plywood from the first terrace and leave the second plywood in its terrace. Place the plywood down and create a third terrace the same as you did the second one. Continue to dig terraces down the hill using the hopscotching plywood, keeping to a consistent 17 1/2-inch spacing between the plywood pieces.

Laying the Paving Stones

• 11

  Measure the back dirt wall of each terrace and cut a 1/4-inch sheet of plywood to match each one individually. Paint the pieces of plywood flat white on all sides.

• 12

  Wedge all the plywood into their terraces to create a smooth back wall for the paver stone that is visible even at night.

• 13

  Spread 1/4 inch of sand along the terrace floor. Smooth it out with the 2-by-4 piece so that it is level in all directions.

• 14

  Lay the paver stones into each terrace, and hammer them down with a rubber mallet. Check again with the carpenter's level to ensure that they are level in all directions after you install them. Pack the sides with soil if there are any gaps between the paver and the terrace wall.

• 15

  Remove the stakes and twine.