Skaneateles · Pavers and steps

Paver Patios and Stone Walkways in Skaneateles

A terrace near the lake needs to drain, and on a big lot it may also need a stormwater plan. Sort out both before the first stone is set.

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The projects and soil notes here fit Syracuse and nearby towns.
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Gray paver patio along the side of a blue-gray house edged with gravel and mulch

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When pavers and steps fits a Skaneateles home

A lake-view terrace with no firm surfacePavers or natural stone give a seating area where lawn turns to mud after rain.
A garden path along the houseA winding stone walk links the drive, the side door and the water-facing yard.
A porch that needs new stone stepsStone treads at a change in height can replace worn wooden or failing steps.
A large lot with several outdoor roomsA patio, a walk and a fire area together can pass the point where site rules start to matter.

Quick answers

Questions about pavers and steps in Skaneateles

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Will my patio need a watershed plan?

Only if the project is in a sensitive part of the watershed and moves 5,000 square feet of earth or more. Tell the contractor your lot size and what else is being regraded.

Why does base depth change from yard to yard?

Wetter or weaker soil needs a thicker base, and Skaneateles has both well-drained and poorly drained ground.

Does a stone patio near the lake need a permit?

Whether a patio needs a permit is a question for the town or village office, and so are steps and attached work. Ask before you assume either answer.

Pavers and steps in Skaneateles homes

The Skaneateles soil map reads differently from its inland neighbors. Only 41.8 percent of the mapped ground is well drained, 13.0 percent drains poorly to very poorly, and open water itself takes up 12.7 percent. The largest dry-land map unit is Honeoye silt loam on gentle grades, with Lima silt loam close behind. That mix means your yard could be dry on one side and soggy on the other, and the base plan has to follow the yard, not the map.

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Base depth and where water leaves

The paver specification sets four inches of compacted base as the minimum for patios on well-drained soil. Wetter ground needs more, by two to four inches in cold climates. Ask the contractor for the depth, the compaction method and the slope of the finished surface, which should fall at least 1.5 percent. Ask where the runoff goes, because on a lake town lot it may end up in the water.

That brings in the watershed rule. In an environmentally sensitive part of the Skaneateles Lake watershed, a project that moves 5,000 square feet of ground or more needs a written erosion and stormwater control plan, which the Syracuse city water office must receive about two weeks before digging starts. A patio alone seldom reaches that figure, but a patio plus a drive, a walk and regrading might. Give the contractor your lot details early.

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Permits for steps and attached work come from the Town Building and Codes Department or the village. Footing depth for steps is left to the local office, so confirm it before anyone digs. A utility mark-out takes two working days at least.

Basis: USDA NRCS Soil Data Access (SSURGO), Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes

Here in Skaneateles

Sensitive parts of the Skaneateles Lake watershed require a stormwater control plan once a job moves 5,000 square feet of earth, so large patios and walks need early planning.

Permit notes are on the Skaneateles page.