How to Lay a Rock Sidewalk

Lay out the path with wooden stakes and string. This allows you to make changes to the shape of the path before you start digging. If your sidewalk is going to get a lot of traffic, you will want to make it 2 1/2 to 3 feet wide. Once the walk is laid out, you can calculate the amount of rock you will need. Take the width of the path and multiply it by the length to get the total area. Then add up to 20 percent more for waste material.

Dig out the area for the path. The depth you have to dig depends on the type of rock you have chosen for your path. For instance, if you use a flagstone that is 1 inch thick, you should dig down three inches in order to lay a good base for your rock.

Spread out the crushed rock or paver base to form the base for your path. Tamp this down with the tamper. The tamping helps to prevent settling, which could cause the path to become uneven and dangerous.

Place the sidewalk rocks on top the the base course. If you are fitting your stones tightly together, leave enough space between them for some sand to get through when the sand is added later. The sand acts as a binder between the stones.

Spread a layer of sand over the rock, along the entire path. Sweep the sand around over the rocks, working it into cracks and spaces between the stones. Sweep the excess sand off the side of the path. The path is now ready for use.