Stone walls
Walls built to the frost line
A wall is mostly what you can't see. The stone on top is the last part of a build that starts three or four feet down.
We build
Property lines, gardens and field walls
Retaining walls and terraces
Piers, gate posts and house walls
Kinds of wall
Pick the wall for the place
Dry-laid fieldstone
Stone fitted by hand with no mortar. It moves a little with the frost and goes back.
Mortared fieldstone
A tighter, formal face. It needs a footing poured below the frost.
Granite block
Squared granite in courses, for terraces and long straight runs.
Terraces in a slope
Curved or straight walls that turn a bank into usable ground.
Below the frost
Two walls, one winter
The stone can look the same on the day the crew leaves. The difference shows up in March.
| Laid on the surface | Built to the frost line | |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Laid on the surfaceStone set on topsoil or a few inches of gravel | Built to the frost lineDug below the frost line, filled with compacted crushed stone |
| Drainage | Laid on the surfaceSoil packed against the back, so water sits there | Built to the frost lineClean stone behind the wall, with a pipe on taller walls |
| Lean | Laid on the surfaceStacked straight up | Built to the frost lineEach course set back into the bank |
| Through-stones | Laid on the surfaceA thin face over loose fill | Built to the frost lineLong stones tying the face to the fill |
| After March | Laid on the surfaceA lean, a bulge or open joints | Built to the frost lineThe wall goes back where it was |
How it goes
A wall in four steps
- 01
Walk the line
We stake the wall, probe for ledge and roots, and note where water runs.
- 02
Dig and build the base
Trench to below the frost line, then crushed stone in lifts, compacted at each lift.
- 03
Lay the courses
Largest stones first, each one set back, with through-stones tying the face to the fill.
- 04
Drain and cap
Clean stone behind the wall, backfill, then caps and a walk-through with you.
Questions
About walls
How tall can a wall be before it needs a permit?
The height is set by your town, and it is often around four feet for a wall that holds back soil. We check with your building department before we quote, and tell you if an engineer is needed.
Dry-laid or mortared?
Dry-laid walls drain through themselves and move with the frost, so they suit field walls and gardens. Mortared walls look tighter and need a footing, so they suit piers, house walls and formal steps.
Can you match an old wall?
Often. If the stone is still on site we reuse it. If not, we bring samples to hold up against the old wall before you decide.
Will the wall last?
A wall built on a base below the frost, with drainage behind it, is built to last. No one can promise a number of years, and we won't put one in writing without terms.
Site visits
Walk the site with us
Leave your name and cell number. We text you from the shop to set a day, and Hugo or Katie come out with a tape and a probe bar.
The written scope comes after the visit, with the stone and the base listed.