How to Lay a Stone Sidewalk

Excavate the pathway with a shovel, digging an 8-inch trench, removing the grass and topsoil.

Put wood stakes in the ground along the sides of the excavated pathway. Wrap string around the stakes and use a line level to make sure the string is level.

Shovel 4 inches of gravel into the excavated pathway and pack down the gravel with a hand tamper.

Place 3/4-inch PVC pipes about 4 to 6 feet apart perpendicularly along the excavated pathway over the tamped-down gravel. Shovel 2 inches of sand into the trench, smooth with the shovel spade and tamp down the sand with a hand tamper.

Remove the 3/4-inch PVC pipes and fill the impression holes left by the pipes with sand. Tamp down the entire pathway again with a hand tamper.

Lay your stones on top of the tamped sand, fitting them tightly together inside the shallow walls of the excavated pathway, even with the string level.

Install a retainer edge along the sides of the stone sidewalk by pounding the retainer edge's stakes into the ground with a rubber mallet. The retainer edge should be placed tightly against each side of the stone sidewalk.

Shovel sand over the whole stone sidewalk and moisten the sidewalk with a hose to compact the sand between the stones. Repeat as necessary until all joints between the stones are filled with wet compacted sand.

Allow the sand to dry and broom off the stone sidewalk's surface with a push broom. Run a plate compactor over the stone sidewalk thereafter.

Brush on a coat of stone sealant over the stone sidewalk. Let it dry according to the manufacturer's recommendation before using it.