How to Build an Elevated Brick Patio

Build a retaining wall around the planned exterior brick patio. Install blocks or landscape timbers according to directions to create the wall. Retaining-wall blocks are commonly used. Dig a trench about 6 inches deep and 12 inches wide. Fill it with gravel and place the first row of the retaining blocks in place. Add rows until the desired height is reached. The blocks have an interlocking feature and stay in place without mortar.

Remove the sod and organic matter from the interior of the retaining wall. Grass and roots decay over time creating voids in the soil that can lead to soil settling.

Add about 6 inches of gravel in the area. Use a vibrating plate tamper to compact the gravel to the point that no footprints are visible if you walk on the gravel. Add 6 more inches of gravel and repeat the tamping process. Continue adding gravel until the finished gravel surface is about 6 inches under the planned top level of the brick patio.

Add 3 inches of sand to the top of the gravel. Use the vibrating plate tamper to pack the sand so footprints are not visible when the sand is walked on.

Place the brick pavers on the sand in the desired pattern. Keep the pavers as tight as possible. Use a brick saw with a diamond blade to cut bricks as necessary to fit tightly against the retaining wall. Check the level of the bricks with a 4-foot carpenter's level to make sure the brick work has a slope of about 1 inch in 10 feet away from the home.

Scatter fine sand on the top of the patio and brush the area with a broom. This forces sand into any crevices between bricks and helps hold everything together.