How to Build a Brick Patio Without Digging

Choose a large, level area for your patio. A level start means quicker, easier construction. Rake the area to even the soil and eliminate rocks, weeds and litter.

Lay out your intended patio. Create a square patio with stakes at the corners or a curved patio with a hose laid along the ground. Walk the design, and use spray paint to mark the borders for easier construction. Calculate the number of pavers you'll need, based on patio and paver size.

Put a restraining wall along the spray-painted borders to contain the pavers and keep them from sliding. Use precast concrete curbs for easy, no-mess installation.

Use a hand tamper to compact the soil of the patio area and even it out. Tamp the soil heavily two to three times in each spot, then move on.

Lay 1 inch of bedding sand over the soil to support your pavers. Rake the sand to even it, and then draw a board across it to flatten the surface. Use a level to measure the surface and adjust the sand as you go.

Start laying pavers in one corner and move outward in your chosen pattern. Lay several brick pavers end to end and side to side with 1/8 inch of space between each paver. Use the level to check the pavers after each row. If pavers aren't level, use a rubber mallet to pound them into the sand and adjust them. Use a tape measure after each row to ensure straightness.

Sweep the patio when you're done, and spread 2 inches of masonry sand over the pavers. Walk the patio in straight rows with the compactor to tamp down the pavers and push the masonry sand into the cracks. Repeat this step two to three times.

Sweep off the patio. Repeat the masonry sand step the next day, and the next, if you notice the sand compacting in the cracks.