Building a Dry Stone Wall: Bed Edging and Small Retaining Wall in Natural Stone
Walling without mortar up to approx. 60–80 cm height – from the gravel foundation to the batter and the backfill
Disclaimer
This guide has been prepared with great care. Nevertheless, we accept no warranty for the accuracy, completeness or currency of its contents. You follow this guide at your own risk – any liability for personal injury, property damage or financial loss arising in connection with its use is excluded. The contents do not replace professional advice for your individual situation. Always observe the manufacturer instructions of your tools and materials as well as applicable local regulations (e.g. building codes, neighbour law, utility line enquiries before digging). Work on electrical, gas or water lines and on load-bearing structures must only be carried out by qualified professionals.
Walling without mortar up to approx. 60–80 cm height – from the gravel foundation to the batter and the backfill
Dry stone walls are built without mortar – the stones hold purely through their weight, the interlock between them and a slight lean into the slope. That is exactly what makes them flexible against frost and settlement, and a valuable habitat: cushion plants, wild bees and lizards settle in the open joints. What matters is knowing the limits: this guide applies to free-standing walls and bed edgings up to about 60–80 cm in height. Taller walls, or walls retaining ground with traffic loads (driveway, parking space, neighbouring property), must be structurally engineered and belong in professional hands.
Tools
- Spade and shovel
- Hand tamper or vibratory tamper (rental)
- Rubber mallet and club hammer
- Mason’s string and wooden stakes
- Spirit level
- Wheelbarrow
Materials
- Natural stone, e.g. greywacke, sandstone or basalt (mixed sizes, approx. 300–500 kg per m² of wall face)
- Crushed stone 0/32 or 0/45 for the foundation
- Crushed stone or grit for the backfill
- Geotextile between soil and backfill if needed
- Cushion perennials for the joints if desired
Step by Step
Stake out the line and sort the stones
Stake out the course of the wall with string and pegs and pre-sort the stones: the largest, flattest pieces for the bottom course and the capping, medium ones for the middle, small ones as pinning stones to fill gaps. Pre-sorting saves an enormous amount of time when building.
Dig the foundation trench
Dig a trench about 40 cm deep and roughly a third wider than the wall itself. For a bed edging of 60–80 cm height, a wall thickness of 30–40 cm has proven itself. At the foot of a slope, the trench leans slightly towards the slope – so the wall gets its retaining lean from the very start.
Install and compact the gravel foundation
Fill the trench with crushed stone in layers and compact each layer of approx. 10 cm thoroughly with the tamper. The compacted gravel foundation carries the load yet remains permeable – waterlogging under the wall is then not an issue. A concrete foundation is not needed at this wall height and would even interfere with the flexible construction.
Set the first course of stones
Set the largest, heaviest stones as the bottom course, flattest side down, firmly into the gravel bed and tap each stone tight with the rubber mallet. Every stone must sit without rocking before the next one goes in – the first course is the foundation of all the others. Use the string to keep line and height.
Build up course by course with a batter
Build up course by course, each set back slightly, so the wall gains a lean of 10–15 % into the slope – at 80 cm height, the top thus sits 8–12 cm behind the base edge. Set every stone offset over the joint of the course below (“stone on joint”) and avoid continuous vertical joints – they are the predetermined breaking points of any wall. Fill cavities with small pinning stones and fix any rocking stones with stone wedges.
Install the backfill
With every completed course, fill the space between wall and soil with crushed stone or grit and tamp it down lightly. The backfill drains the slope behind the wall – water pressure is the most common reason retaining walls fail. A geotextile between soil and crushed stone prevents fines from washing in.
Cap and plant
The top course consists of large, flat and particularly stable stones – they finish the wall and hold the courses below in position. If you like, place cushion perennials such as alyssum, houseleek or ivy-leaved toadflax with a little lean soil in individual joints as you build. Their roots interlock the wall additionally.
At a Glance
Safety First
- Natural stones are heavy: lift from the legs to protect your back, roll heavy stones or move them in pairs, wear steel-toe safety boots and gloves.
- Wear safety glasses when dressing stones with the club hammer – stone chips fly uncontrollably.
- This guide applies only up to approx. 60–80 cm in height: taller walls and walls retaining paths, driveways or neighbouring properties must be structurally engineered – failure can cause serious personal injury.
- Before digging the foundation trench, check for buried lines; for walls near the property boundary, clarify boundary distances and local regulations in advance.
Mistakes You Should Avoid
Building vertically without a batter
A dry stone wall set vertically has nothing to counter the earth pressure and tips forward over time. The lean of 10–15 % into the slope is the structural core principle of the dry stone wall – not cosmetics.
Letting vertical joints run through
If joints of several courses line up above each other, a continuous weak point forms where the wall can crack open. Every stone belongs offset over the joint of the course below – as in brick bond.
Backfilling with soil instead of crushed stone
Soil behind the wall stores water, swells and presses against the stones in frost. The permeable backfill of crushed stone or grit is the drainage of the wall and just as important as the foundation.
Common Questions
How high can I build a dry stone wall myself?
As a rule of thumb for DIYers, 60–80 cm is a sensible upper limit – for bed edgings and small embankments. Taller walls, and anything retaining loads such as driveways or neighbouring properties, must be structurally engineered; depending on the federal state and height, a permit may also be required. If in doubt, ask your municipality.
Does a dry stone wall need a concrete foundation?
No – up to the height described, a roughly 40 cm deep gravel foundation, compacted in layers, is sufficient. It carries the load, stays permeable and keeps the wall flexible enough to shrug off frost and small settlements. That flexibility is precisely the advantage of this construction method.
Which stones are suitable for a dry stone wall?
Regional natural stone with reasonably flat bedding faces is ideal – such as greywacke, sandstone, limestone or basalt. Mixed sizes make interlocking easier; round river pebbles are unsuitable because they offer no stable bearing surfaces. Expect about 300–500 kg of stone per square metre of wall face.
How much batter does a dry stone wall need?
The usual figure is a 10–15 % lean into the slope, i.e. 10–15 cm of setback per metre of height. The lean directs the earth pressure into the ground instead of tipping the wall forward. Free-standing walls, by contrast, are set leaning slightly inwards on both faces.
What does a dry stone wall cost per metre?
DIY, material costs are around €80–200 per running metre at 60–80 cm height, depending on the type of stone. Built by a professional company, roughly €150–400 per metre is added depending on access and stone – correspondingly more for structurally engineered retaining walls.
When is a professional worth it?
As soon as a wall is to be taller than about 80 cm, retains ground with buildings, driveways or paths, or stands on the property boundary, the DIY project ends: such walls must be structurally engineered and properly founded. We build natural stone walls of any size – from planted dry stone walls to mortared retaining walls to complete slope stabilisation with drainage – including excavation with machinery, foundations and material delivery. We also plan combinations with steps, beds and paved areas from a single source.
