How to Build a Stone Wall on a Budget

A house lot set on a hillside may require an architecturally designed retaining wall designed by a professional landscaper and constructed by a stone mason. There may be construction issues relating to erosion, water seepage, texture of the soil, local restrictions, etc. that require working with experts.

Decorative stone walls

A decorative stone wall, however, is a project that the average homeowner can handle with a little guidance and from which he/she will gain a good deal of pleasure and satisfaction. Here are a few simple suggestions to help you add an attractive feature to your property.

Often the concrete foundation of a home stands out so massively that it is disproportionate to the size of the house or to a particular wing of the house. A decorative stone wall could bring these features back into proportion.

You may desire to include a flower bed of roses, perennials or annuals in the front or side yard, but would like to make it stand out from the lawn. A raised flower bed surrounded by a low stone wall will accentuate the flower bed and allow you to add adequate top soil for your selection of plants.

If your property is on a slight slope, you may want to create two levels so that you could enjoy a level area for badminton, croquet or other lawn games. A small decorative stone wall to divide the level area from the sloping portion might be the right landscaping solution to achieve just the right effect.

Economy Stone for Walls

Sources for natural field stone are available in your area at local landscaping supply outlets and quarries. But you will find that you will pay about $189 to $250 a ton plus about $15 per pallet and a delivery charge of about $75. Prices will vary according to your location, type of stone you choose, and delivery charges.

But there are more economical ways to procure materials for your decorative stone walls.

If you are in the process of building a new home, you should consider asking your developer if he has any suitable stone available. Sometimes there will be an excess supply of flat stones in the development as the result of blasting ledge prior to putting in foundations. He may be happy for you to cart some of it away or he may require a nominal charge.

If stone is not available on site, developers often own a piece of land where they store clean fill deposited from their many projects. This was the case when we were building our latest home. The subcontractor who graded our property had just such a lot and he gave us free access to whatever stones that we could handle. It proved to be a stone wall mine for us. If you do not have a pickup or a sturdy SUV, the cost of a rental vehicle is well worth the charge.

Many cities and towns have set aside lots where local citizens are allowed to procure mulch, compost, used lumber, bricks and stones. It is worth looking into at your town or city public works department.

Build a stone wall

Before you begin your project, you will need a pair of work gloves, protective eyeglasses, a square-ended shovel (spade), carpenter’s level, hatchet, a masonry hammer, string, two wooden stakes, and stones.

To determine how much stone you will need the formula to use is: # of cubic yds. = l’ x w’ x h’/27. In other words, if you multiply the proposed length, width and height of your wall in feet and divide by 27 you have the number of cubic yards of stone you will need. Since many outlets sell stone by the ton, you will need to multiply the number of cubic yds. by 1.5 to determine how many tons of stone you will need.

A low decorative stone wall is the easiest project to tackle first. If you intend to build your wall along a driveway, or the front of your property, or as one side of a flower bed, you may want to lay out a straight line. Drive one wooden stake into the ground at one end of the intended wall and the other stake at the other end. Tie the string between the stakes at ground level. If you are building the wall on a portion of your lawn, you will need to cut through the grass roots with the hatchet along the string to facilitate removal of the lawn. Move the stakes one foot into the area of the flower bed, garden, yard, etc. and make another cut with the hatchet. Next, make cuts from one cut to the other at 2′ spaced intervals to allow you to shovel out two foot swaths of lawn. (You can use these to replenish any bare spots on your property).

If your wall is to be curved about a flowerbed or a winding path, use a garden hose (or two) instead of the string to lay out the foundation for your wall.

You now have a trench 1′ wide by whatever you have determined the length of your wall will be. Dig it another two inches deeper, removing any loose dirt so that your wall will have a firm footing. Choose some of your larger stones that are flat on top and bottom for the base. Lay them in the trench abutting each other closely from one end to the other. A firm foundation is necessary for a wall that will last.

At this time it is advisable to set aside substantial flat stones that will serve to tie together your wall when you reach your desired height. These capstones will help to hold your wall together and do much to give it a finished and quality appearance.

Move the string from ground level to the height that you intend to build your wall. If you want your wall to conform to the contour of your land, you can simply measure from the ground to the height on your stake at which you intend to complete your wall. If you want the top of your wall to be level while the ground is not, use the level along the string to determine just where your string should be placed., then use the string as your guide as your complete your wall.

Building on your foundation, lay stones along the extent of the wall from one end to the other, choosing stones that fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Do not simply lay one stone upon the other, but interlay them so that a top stone covers the gap between 2 or 3 stones in the row beneath. Mimic the way bricks are set in a brick wall.

Sometimes you will not be able to make a perfect fit and gaps will show between some stones. That is to be expected. If the stones wobble, chip off small pieces of stone to shore up the stone you are laying so that it does not wobble before proceeding to the next stone.

Fill any remaining gaps with earth as a kind of natural mortar to help stabilize the stones. Later you might want to plant flowers or vines in these pockets of earth. Bluebells, forget-me-nots and lobelia are excellent choices for brightening up a decorative wall.

When you have reached the desirable height of your wall, less the thickness of the capstones, it is time to finish your wall by laying on the capstones from one end to the other. Once you have all your capstones in place, you can fill in a flower bed with topsoil, plant foundation shrubs around your house, etc.

Voila! You have added curb appeal and value to your property while getting some necessary exercise, but without any substantial outlay of cash.