Stone Work
Patio Design and Installation
A well-designed patio changes how you use the outside of your house. Whether you picture a quiet retreat, a place to host, or something in between, the layout and the materials should follow the way you actually live — then be built well enough to stay that way.
5-year workmanship warranty
In writing, on every job we install.
- 5 years Paver patios, driveways, and walkways
- 5 years Concrete driveways, patios, and walkways
- 5 years Masonry, brick, and stonework
Stone steps that tie the levels together
Stone staircases are not only functional — they are a design element that adds structure and elegance. We integrate steps into the patio layout so transitions between levels feel natural and the space stays accessible.
Each staircase is built to match the materials and pattern of the patio it belongs to. On sloped ground especially, well-placed steps are the simplest way to take a patio from ordinary to custom.
Patios and walkways working together
Patios and walkways create flow, define space, and make a yard genuinely more usable. We design them together, with movement in mind, so the layout feels welcoming rather than accidental.
Stone, pavers, and stamped concrete can all be tailored to the architecture of the house. Whether a path is guiding guests toward a seating area or leading to a garden, it completes the look while doing real work.
Built for the Fairfax climate
We build with materials suited to this climate — weather-resistant stone, properly sealed pavers, and joints set to handle freeze-thaw movement. Good drainage and a compacted base are what keep a patio level years after installation.
How the work runs
Patio Design, step by step
Every job follows the same sequence. You are told which stage you are at and what happens next.
How you will actually use it
Before any layout, we talk about what the space is for — dining, a fire feature, a route to somewhere else — and how many people at once. Patios that feel wrong are usually the right material at the wrong size.
Layout and material selection
We set the shape and size on the ground, and choose material against the house, the light, and the maintenance you are willing to do.
Excavation
The area is dug out to the depth the base needs, not to the depth that happens to be convenient. This is the stage that decides whether it stays level.
Base and compaction
Aggregate goes in and is compacted in lifts, with the grade already pitched so water leaves the surface and travels away from the house.
Setting bed and laying
A screeded bedding layer, then units set to the pattern. Cuts at the edges are made to fit rather than filled in with slivers.
Edging, jointing, and compaction
Edge restraint holds the field together, joints are filled and compacted in, and the site is cleaned down.
Recent work
Patio Design projects
Recent patio design jobs, each with its own page. Photographs are our own work.
Patio Design photographs
★★★★★
Onyx leveled our paver patio for us after roots caused the pavers to lift up and be a danger to us. We are older and more likely to be injured if we fall. They dug out the roots and about 4 inches of dirt, repaired the broken drainage pipe underneath, leveled the foundation, added bluestone then put back our pavers and added a few new ones. They also built a small wall around the flower bed. The whole effect is quite stunning. They changed the pattern along the side as well making it more pleasing to the eye. We are quite happy with the result.
Questions
Frequently asked
How long does a patio take to build?
Most residential patios run three to six days depending on size, access, and how much excavation is involved. A backyard that equipment cannot reach is the factor homeowners most often underestimate — wheelbarrowing base material by hand can add days to an otherwise straightforward job, and we account for it in the estimate rather than discovering it on day two.
Pavers, natural stone, or poured concrete?
Pavers are the most forgiving over time: individual units lift and reset, so settling, staining, and utility work do not mean replacing the whole surface. Natural stone such as bluestone gives a look manufactured units do not, at a higher cost. Poured concrete is the cheapest large surface but cracks on its own schedule, and a crack in concrete is permanent in a way a lifted paver is not.
Will my patio settle?
A properly built one settles very little, and what does happen is correctable. Settling comes from base material that was not compacted in lifts, or from water moving under the surface because the grade sends it the wrong way. Both are decisions made before a single paver is laid, which is why we spend more of the job below the surface than on it.
Can you fix an existing patio that has sunk or pools water?
Yes, and it is a common call. With pavers, the field is lifted, the base corrected and recompacted, the grade re-established, and the same units reset — you generally do not need new material. If the original base was never adequate, we will tell you that rebuilding is the honest fix rather than relevelling something that will sink again.
Do I need a permit for a patio?
A ground-level patio usually does not, but requirements vary by jurisdiction and change when steps, walls, or proximity to a property line are involved. We check with your county rather than assuming, and tell you before work is scheduled.
Also from Onyx
Driveway Paving
Asphalt, paver, and concrete driveways across Northern Virginia and DC. Base prep done right, every layer laid the way it should be.
Brickwork
Brick patios, entryways, steps, facades, and repointing. Traditional technique, materials chosen to match what is already there.
Retaining Walls
Natural stone and segmental block walls that hold back soil, stop erosion, and add real structure to a yard.
Service area
Estimates are free everywhere on this list. If you are just outside it, call and ask — we often can.