How to build brick steps for a garden

How do you build brick steps for a garden?

🧱 How to Build Brick Steps for a Garden

Brick garden steps provide durable access between levels when they are built on a stable reinforced base, laid to consistent dimensions and detailed to drain water safely. This guide covers a typical low-rise set of solid brick steps; steps retaining substantial soil, built on reactive ground or connected to a dwelling require an engineer’s design and certification under AS 3700 Masonry Structures and AS 3600 Concrete Structures.

What skill level is needed to build brick garden steps?

Intermediate — Estimated time: 2–3 days, plus 7 days minimum curing before regular use

⏱️ Skill Level: Intermediate | ~2–3 days, plus curing time

What tools are needed to build brick garden steps?

🔧 Tools Required

For a one-off project, hiring a plate compactor, concrete mixer and wet brick saw is normally cheaper than purchasing them. Buying basic hand tools is economical because they are useful for future landscaping repairs.

What materials are needed for durable brick garden steps?

Quantities depend on the number, width and depth of the steps. The following suits a small set approximately 1,000 mm wide with three treads:

For minor, non-structural concrete only, a nominal site mix is 1:2:3—cement, sand and aggregate by volume. A nominal 1:1.5:2.5 mix must not be treated as an engineered structural specification; structural concrete should be designed, supplied and certified in accordance with AS 3600.

Safety Requirements

⚠️ Safety

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: 1️⃣ Check the Site and Approvals

Measure the total vertical rise from the lower finished path level to the upper finished level. Check soil stability, nearby walls, drainage paths, tree roots and underground services.

Confirm that water will not be directed toward the house, neighbouring land or a public footpath. If the steps will retain a significant bank of soil, treat them as a retaining structure and obtain an engineer’s footing, reinforcement and drainage details.

Choose a finished width. 900 mm is a practical minimum for a garden access path, while 1,000–1,200 mm is more comfortable for carrying tools or moving bins.

Step 2: 2️⃣ Calculate the Step Dimensions

Divide the total rise into equal risers. For stairways covered by the NCC, typical limits are:

For example, a total rise of 510 mm divided by three gives three equal risers of 170 mm. Using a 300 mm going gives a total horizontal run of 900 mm.

Every finished riser and going must be consistent. Account for the thickness of tread bricks, mortar beds and any upper or lower paving before setting the levels. Provide a slight outward fall of approximately 1:60—about 5 mm across a 300 mm tread—to shed water.

Step 3: 3️⃣ Set Out the Steps

Install timber profiles beyond the excavation and run stringlines along both sides of the proposed steps. Mark:

Check the layout for square by measuring both diagonals. The diagonal measurements should match. Use a laser or spirit level rather than relying on the existing ground, which may already slope.

Dry-lay several bricks to confirm that the planned width and tread depth minimise narrow cuts. Adjust the width slightly where practical while maintaining safe access dimensions.

Step 4: 4️⃣ Excavate and Prepare the Subgrade

Remove vegetation, roots, topsoil and soft material. Excavate sufficiently for the foundation design, allowing for the compacted roadbase and reinforced concrete slab.

For small steps on firm, well-drained natural ground, a common starting detail is:

These dimensions are not suitable for every site. Reactive clay, uncontrolled fill, steep slopes or retaining loads require engineered footings.

Compact the natural subgrade, then place roadbase in layers no thicker than approximately 75 mm. Lightly moisten and compact each layer until it is firm and does not rut underfoot.

Step 5: 5️⃣ Install Drainage

Where soil will sit behind or beside the brickwork, install geotextile fabric and a free-draining gravel zone. Add a slotted agricultural drain at the base where required, falling to a lawful discharge point.

Do not allow garden soil to remain directly against the rear of the brickwork without drainage. Trapped moisture can cause efflorescence, mortar deterioration and movement.

Keep weep paths or drainage outlets clear. Do not discharge water across the treads, onto neighbouring property or against the house footing.

Step 6: 6️⃣ Form and Reinforce the Foundation

Build rigid formwork to the required slab dimensions. Drive stakes outside the forms and brace them so they cannot spread under wet concrete pressure.

Place the reinforcing mesh on approved bar chairs. Do not leave mesh lying on the ground and attempt to pull it upward during the pour. Maintain the concrete cover required by AS 3600 for the exposure conditions.

Mesh sheets should be lapped and tied in accordance with the engineer’s design or supplier requirements. Reinforcement must not touch soil, formwork or exposed surfaces.

Step 7: 7️⃣ Pour and Cure the Concrete Base

Order premixed concrete for larger pours. It provides more reliable strength and is usually more economical than hand-mixing once mixer hire, labour and materials are considered.

Place the concrete continuously, compact around reinforcement and screed to level. Finish the surface flat but slightly rough so the mortar can bond effectively. Do not create a polished surface under the brickwork.

Cover the slab with plastic and prevent rapid drying. Allow at least 7 days before substantial brickwork loading where practical, and recognise that concrete develops its nominal strength at approximately 28 days. Follow the engineer’s and concrete supplier’s instructions.

Step 8: 8️⃣ Dry-Lay the First Course

Before mixing mortar, dry-lay the first riser and side bricks. Check bond, joint widths and cuts.

Use a traditional stretcher bond for straightforward construction. Flemish or English bond may be used decoratively, but they require more planning and cutting. Avoid unsupported stack bond unless it is specifically reinforced or engineered.

Standard mortar joints are generally about 10 mm. Arrange the bond so vertical joints do not line up through successive courses.

Step 9: 9️⃣ Lay the First Riser and Sidewalls

Mix only enough mortar to use before it stiffens. Follow the preblended mortar manufacturer’s water ratio and mixing time; do not add extra cement or repeatedly retemper mortar with water.

Spread a full mortar bed and lay the corner bricks first. Set them to the stringline, then fill between them. Butter each brick’s perp end to create full vertical joints.

Check each course for:

Tool exposed joints when they are thumbprint firm. This compresses the mortar and improves weather resistance.

Step 10: 🔟 Build the Core

For solid steps, build the risers and sidewalls progressively, then fill the internal core with compacted roadbase, concrete or a combination shown in the design.

If using roadbase, place it in layers no greater than approximately 75 mm and compact each layer thoroughly. Stop the fill low enough to accommodate the concrete bedding layer, mortar and tread bricks.

Do not fill the core with loose soil, garden waste or uncompacted rubble. These materials settle and commonly cause cracked or rocking treads.

For larger or heavily loaded steps, use a reinforced concrete core designed under AS 3600 rather than relying on compacted fill.

Step 11: 1️⃣1️⃣ Form Each Riser

Build the next riser from the compacted or concrete-supported level below. Recheck the finished riser height before laying each course.

Include tread brick and mortar thickness in every measurement. A common mistake is setting masonry risers evenly but producing uneven finished heights after the tread bricks are installed.

Use a storey rod marked with every finished riser and tread level. This is more reliable than measuring independently at each step.

Step 12: 1️⃣2️⃣ Lay the Tread Bricks

Use dense, exterior-rated bricks or pavers with suitable slip resistance. Ordinary face bricks may be too porous or slippery for horizontal use unless the manufacturer confirms they are suitable.

Lay tread units on a full mortar bed with no hollow spots. Maintain the designed outward fall, typically around 1:60. Keep any nosing consistent and modest—generally around 10–20 mm for brick garden steps—without creating a trip hazard.

Avoid small cut pieces at exposed corners. Where cuts are unavoidable, place them away from the main walking line and wet-cut them for a clean edge.

Step 13: 1️⃣3️⃣ Finish the Joints and Clean the Brickwork

Tool all exposed joints to a compact weather-resistant profile. A concave or ironed joint generally performs well outdoors.

Brush away mortar crumbs after the joints have firmed. Remove smears with clean water and a masonry sponge without flooding fresh mortar. Avoid strong acid cleaning, which can discolour bricks, damage mortar and corrode nearby metalwork.

If a proprietary masonry cleaner is necessary, wait for the recommended curing period, test a hidden area and follow the brick manufacturer’s instructions exactly.

Step 14: 1️⃣4️⃣ Cure and Protect the Steps

Protect fresh masonry from rain, frost, strong sun and rapid drying. Lightly mist in hot, dry weather if permitted by the mortar supplier, but do not saturate the joints.

Keep people off the steps for at least 48–72 hours and avoid heavy use for approximately 7 days. Prevent soil, mulch and irrigation water from contacting uncured mortar.

Once cured, reinstate landscaping without blocking drainage outlets. Confirm all treads drain freely and no step rocks, ponds water or varies noticeably in height.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Pro Tips

💡 Build the dimensions around whole or half-brick modules where possible. This reduces cutting, waste and labour.

💡 Make a full-size side profile on plywood or mark the rise-and-going pattern on a storey rod before excavation.

💡 Order all bricks from one production batch to minimise colour variation, and blend bricks from several packs while laying.

💡 Premixed concrete is often cheaper for pours above roughly 0.5 m³, especially after allowing for mixer hire and manual handling.

💡 Hire a wet brick saw and plate compactor for a weekend rather than purchasing low-use machinery. Purchase quality hand tools, as they remain useful for ongoing garden maintenance.

Recommended Tools

🔧 Recommended Tools