Steps, retaining walls and firepits
Where the patio ends: steps, walls and a place for a fire
Classic, stamped or stone-and-block steps, retaining walls, and custom wood-burning or gas firepits in round, square or rectangular shapes.
Steps in three materials
Steps are where a patio meets the house, the yard or the driveway, and they are the part people use every day. Distinctive Stone & Concrete builds them three ways: classic concrete, stamped concrete, or stone and block.
Classic concrete is the plain, durable choice. Stamped concrete takes the same stone, brick or wood-look patterns and custom colours as the stamped patios and walkways. Stone and block is the third route, for a built-up look in place of poured concrete.
Whichever material you pick, the concrete is reinforced with solid rebar at a 4000 PSI minimum, and the excavation and site work to set the steps is part of the job.
Illustration of a round stone-block firepit set into a stamped stone-pattern patio, with a low curved wall and steps behind it
Retaining walls that hold a grade
A retaining wall holds back a change in level. Distinctive Stone & Concrete builds retaining walls as part of the same flatwork the crew does on patios, pool decks and walkways.
Because the crew already handles excavation, concrete removal and site work, a wall can be planned together with the patio and the steps instead of being sorted out afterward by a second contractor.
The estimate is free and happens at your property, which is where a wall question gets answered, because the lay of your lot is the whole brief.
Wood-burning or gas, round, square or rectangular
A custom firepit can be a traditional wood-burning pit or a modern gas-powered one. The shape is yours to choose too: circular, square or rectangular, set into the patio so it reads as a planned part of the space.
Firepits and fireplaces sit on the same list as stamped patios, pool decks and walkways, so a pit can be planned together with the patio around it instead of added as an afterthought.
If winter is on your mind, so is the concrete around the pit. The cure and care rules for new concrete apply to the steps and the surround alike.
Distinctive Stone & Concrete builds steps, retaining walls and firepits across Syracuse and Central New York, with excavation and site work included. Free on-site estimates.
Pick the material for the step
Classic concrete
Plain poured concrete, rebar-reinforced at a 4000 PSI minimum.
Stamped concrete
Stone, brick or wood-look patterns in custom colours.
Stone and block
Built up from stone and block instead of poured.
Firepit shapes
Round
Square
Rectangular
Wood-burning or gas
A firepit patio is meant to be lived on, and a Central New York patio has to take the freeze-thaw and de-icing salt that stamped concrete is sealed against.
New steps and walls need the same patience as any slab: stay off them for at least 24 hours, and never reach for ice melt in winter. The concrete care guide says to use sand for traction and a plastic shovel, and it covers sealing.
The pit often goes in with a new patio, so look at stamped concrete first. Planning a larger project? The financing page explains Wisetack terms, the service area page lists the towns around Central Square, and the office is at (315) 676-0005 or on the contact page.