Most step projects follow a familiar pattern: a few treads, some wall stone, maybe a paver landing. This wasn’t that.
The homeowner wanted something one-of-a-kind — a single, oversized natural-stone landing step that felt carved into the landscape rather than placed on top of it. No bluestone, no pavers, nothing pre-cut. They wanted stone with character. Weight. Presence.
To make it happen, we started where all good natural-stone projects start: the quarry.
We walked the yard piece by piece until we found a set of slabs big enough to hold their own on a slope this steep — material with good face, solid thickness, and the shape to sit naturally once graded in. Each stone was selected in person specifically for this install. That’s the only way to guarantee an outcome that feels intentional instead of improvised.
Once the material was on site, we carved into the hill and built a stable foundation using compacted aggregate and geo-fabric. With stone this size, you don’t place it — you persuade it into position. Every adjustment is done with the machine, then fine-tuned by hand so it sits level, drains correctly, and locks cleanly into the grade.
By the time we were done, the client had exactly what they asked for: a simple, striking, natural-stone step that looks like it belongs there — because we built it like it was always meant to be.
We build projects like this throughout Wilmington, where natural grade changes call for solutions that feel solid and intentional. Work of this kind falls within our hardscaping and masonry services, especially when large natural stone is used as the primary structural element. The goal is always the same: create something that settles into the landscape and feels like it was meant to be there from the start.
