How to Install a Walkway With Pavers & Steps

Identify the path of your walkway and where you will add steps. Insert wooden stakes every 4 feet on either side of the walkway and at the corners of each step. If possible, make your walkway at least 5 feet wide so multiple people can pass. Tie a string to the wooden stakes to create a clear outline of where you will install the walkway and steps.

Test the path by walking over it a few times. If it feels too winding or angular, adjust the stakes until you are happy with the course.

Use a spade and shovel to remove growth and dig out the surface of the walkway until it is 8 inches below ground.

Dig into the slope with a flat shovel at a 90-degree angle to create the surfaces for each step. The size of your pavers can determine the height and depth of each stair. For instance, if your pavers are 8-inch squares, the height of your steps will be 8 inches while the depth of your step can be 24 inches, or 3 pavers deep. Add 1 inch of height to the steps to account for the layer of sand used to hold the pavers in place.

Tamp the surface of the walkway and steps until they are level. Place a carpenter's level on the surface of each step and continue tamping until it is even. If necessary, use a hand shovel to remove soil until each step is even.

Spread 6 inches of gravel over the surface of the walkway. Gravel will improve drainage and provide a stable foundation to prevent the pavers from shifting.

Place landscape fabric over the surface of the walkway and steps. Insert metal spikes through the corners of the walkway and each step to secure the fabric into place.

Pour a 1-inch layer of coarse sand over the walkway and each step. Tamp the sand down until it is even.

Lay pavers on the walkway beginning at an outer corner. Place the pavers next to each other in the pattern you prefer, leaving 1/8 inch of space between each stone. As you work down the walkway, press the pavers into the sand with a rubber mallet.

Begin at the bottom of the slope when you lay pavers on steps. Press the pavers into the surface, using a level mallet to tap them so they are even. Continue spacing them 1/8 inch apart. Check that each step is level before moving on to the next step.

Spread fine-grained sand over the surface of the walkway and each step. Work the sand into the crevices between the pavers with a broom. Brush off the excess sand.