How to Make a Brick & Stone Walkway

Outline the site of your walkway by inserting wooden stakes into the ground every 4 feet. Tie a string to each wooden stake and walk the course of the site to see if it's wide enough and follows a direct route from your entrance to patio or other area. If your walkway will serve as a primary path to your house, it should be 48 inches wide to allow for two people to pass one another.

Excavate the walkway site by digging out the growth and soil until the level is 8 inches below ground. Continue digging until the surface is level. If the walkway is located near the house, slope the surface 1/4 inch for every foot to direct water runoff away from the home's foundation.

Tamp the soil surface with a hand tamper until it is flat and level. Add a 4-inch layer of gravel over the surface and tamp the gravel over the entire surface. Add another 2 to 3 inches of gravel and tamp it. The compacted gravel surface should be about 7 inches deep. Place a level on the surface to check that the surface is sloped away from the house.

Add a flexible edging material around the border of the walkway. Drive 9-inch nail spikes through the slots in the edging to secure it to the ground.

Dump a 1-inch layer of coarse sand over the gravel surface and spread it even with a rake. The coarse sand provides traction against the bricks and stones, preventing them from shifting.

Place your first stone or brick in an outer corner of the walkway. Tap it firmly into the sand with a rubber mallet. Follow your chosen pattern to place the bricks and stones, working your way from one corner across the length of the walkway site. In the places where the bricks meet the stone, place a level on both to ensure they are even with one another so people don't trip.

Pour fine sand over the brick and stone surface and use a stiff broom to work the sand between the spaces. Continue to compact the sand into the joints until you fill the spaces. The fine sand provides cushioning for the bricks and stones as they settle.