Garden steps built to last
Steps between levels of the garden, built on solid footings with even risers and treads so they are comfortable and safe to use.
Why good garden steps matter
Garden steps get used every day, in the dark, in the rain and while carrying things, so they have to be comfortable as well as attractive. Uneven risers are the main cause of trips: people get used to the height of the first step and expect every other one to match. Well-built steps have the same rise and the same tread depth all the way, with a slight fall on each tread so water runs off rather than sitting and turning green.
Steps also hold the shape of a sloping garden together. They usually sit between retaining walls, beside a patio or at the end of a path, so they are best planned with those features rather than added afterwards.
How we build them
Every flight starts with a footing on firm ground, so the steps cannot settle or slide downhill. Risers are built in brick or block on that footing, and the space behind each one is filled and compacted before the tread goes on. Treads can be paving slabs, sandstone, porcelain, brick on edge or block, bedded on mortar with a small overhang that throws a shadow line and helps you see the edge.
We set out the flight before building so the number of steps divides the height evenly. Where the slope is long we can add a landing part-way down, which breaks up the climb and gives a place to turn. Edges, handrail positions and lighting are worth considering at this stage too.
Choosing materials
Matching the steps to the patio gives a seamless look; using brick risers with stone or porcelain treads gives contrast and makes each step easier to see. Brick risers suit older houses and gardens with brick walls, while block risers with porcelain treads suit a modern garden.
Grip matters more on steps than anywhere else in the garden. Riven sandstone and textured porcelain both give a good surface, and treads in shade benefit from regular cleaning to stop algae building up.
Part of a wider hard landscaping job
Steps are often one part of terracing a sloping garden, along with retaining walls, a patio and paths. Planning them together means the levels, drainage and materials work as one design. Our hardscaping page covers the other work we do outside.
If you are not sure how many steps a slope needs or where they should go, a site visit is the easiest way to work it out. We measure the change in level, look at how you move around the garden and suggest a layout before giving you a free estimate.
Garden steps questions
- What is involved in building garden steps?
- Setting out the flight so the risers are even, digging and pouring a footing, building the risers, filling and compacting behind them, then bedding the treads with a slight fall for drainage.
- How long does it take to build garden steps?
- A short flight is a smaller job than a long flight with landings and retaining walls either side. The height of the slope, the materials and the weather all affect it. We give a timescale with your free estimate.
- What affects the cost of garden steps?
- The number of steps, their width, the materials for risers and treads, whether retaining walls or a landing are needed, digging out and access to the garden.
- How high should a garden step be?
- Outdoor steps are usually lower and deeper than stairs indoors, which makes them easier to walk. The key is that every step in the flight has the same height and depth.
Related: patios, garden walls and driveways · retaining walls · patios · garden landscaping.