Natural Stone Stair Case

Built a durable hillside staircase using reclaimed stone and marble blocks, carefully graded for stability and water runoff. Transported and positioned multi-hundred-pound stones with hand tools, ensuring a long-lasting, functional design.

In the summer of 2015, I built a stone staircase at my parents’ house to connect the driveway to a lower section of the yard. The goal was to create a durable, natural-looking set of steps using heavy stones sourced from nearby woods, along with three marble blocks that had been salvaged. The project required shaping the hillside, grading a base, and precisely positioning stones to create both form and function.

My first task was to locate and remove stones from wooded areas on the property. I used a lawn tractor to assist with pulling stones, but many of them were too deeply embedded to move easily. For those, I had to dig around the base and use two digging bars with two-by-fours as levers to lift and roll them free. To protect the lawn, I built a simple sled for moving the heavy stones without tearing up the grass, then transported them across the yard to the work site.

Once the materials were staged, I carved the general shape of the staircase into the hillside. I graded each step using smaller rocks and sand to create a stable base. Each stone was leveled individually, with a slight forward slope added to allow for water runoff. Careful attention to layout was required to ensure each step was safe, functional, and visually balanced with the others.

One of the more challenging aspects of the job was moving multi-hundred-pound stones down the hill and into the middle of the staircase. This required planning and physical effort to maneuver the stones safely without damaging the work area or the materials. By using slow and careful movements and thinking every action through, I was able to place each stone precisely without mechanical equipment.

The finished staircase has been in use for over a decade and remains stable and functional. Only two stones have settled slightly, which I repaired by adding a small amount of sand in 2024. The project demonstrates my ability to plan, adapt, and physically execute a long-term outdoor solution using raw materials, basic tools, and a strong work ethic.