Fieldstone experiences?

I'm looking into purchasing a good quantity of rough fieldstone for a garden path, but the two quotes I've gotten so far have diverged considerably. I need about 120 sq. ft. covered. One place quoted me $400 for that amount, and another quoted $1,250!

So I was wondering whether any of you have had recent experiences buying fieldstone, what prices you paid (if you don't mind saying), and where the good sources might be. Both of the places I contacted were local, independent garden & landscaping centers.

I'd check back with both places and verify what exactly they're quoting you on. The $400 place might have been assuming you'd pick it up yourself while the $1250 place may have assumed they were delivering it, or something else along those lines. Either that or the quality/type of stone you're getting may be different between the two, that seems like an awfully big discrepancy if they're really giving you quotes on the exactly the same thing. Stone can vary a lot in price though, so if they're quoting you on two different types of stone I wouldn't be surprised that there could be that much deviation.

In terms of suggestions for where to buy, you'll probably have better luck if you head over to whichever regional forum is most appropriate for your area, you're more likely to find someone who lives near you there. (prices may vary widely depending on where you are in the country because of differences in local availability of materials, etc so you may get better price info there too)

We buy stonss by the pallet and here in Virginia Beach it is around 200.00. They will ask you what size you want 6 inches, 4, and 3 . We used it for landscaping as well add to the rocks around the pond. Bellieg

We purchased by the pallet - but Ecrane is correct about price differences according to the quality/type of stone. I would also add according to the size of the pieces. I am not sure if it is availability or just the handling of the large rock --but the bigger the more expensive. I know we looked at several sizes - trying to choose so that the overall path had the look we wanted. (Large and 'chunky') The smallest sizes were the least expensive. I think the largest rock we got was (a guess > 3.5 or 4 feet by 4-5 feet) and on that pallet there were only about 2 of those sized rocks. Later on, my husband and I went and got about 5 more stones (smaller) 1.5 feet by 1 foot etc., and because we needed so few, we paid 30 cents a pound. So it really does vary. Your best bet is to go to a stoneyard and find the size and the type that you want and it will have a price on the pallet. The shipping is usually only about 50 dollars here. Also, I know in PA (and I figure same in NY) there are quite a lot of stone quarries. Maybe you could go there yourself and if you had a truck or a trailer - they could load it for you. Eliminate the middle man. As far as our cost - of the 4 foot rock for the path - we got 3.5 Ton and it was $325 a ton. And the 3 foot rock it was 4.5 tons at $295/ton. I will look for a photo to see if I can find one that shows the scale of the rock. I think we covered quite a few more feet so it should be less for you. Hope this info helps.

this may give you some idea

This is a better photo - it shows the two sizes - largest foreground then next size down going towards that cedar arbor.

Thanks for the info. That does help give me an idea of what's available. I found a local place that specializes in stone & soil; I'm going to go tomorrow to see what they have. From what I've been able to tell from searches online and such, I'm going to need about 1.5 tons if I get the standard field stone, which is apparently usually used for walls rather than paths. But I'm also going to look at flagstone, which is the traditional path material. I'm trying to go for a relatively rough, wild look, with moss growing in the gaps & such, so I'm skeptical about the flagstone, which I think of as being quite smooth. But I do like the path that you made & could certainly live with something of that kind. So ultimately it may come down to price for the quantity needed.

Ours is the flagstone - but it is not smooth - I think we use field/flag term interchangeably. Even the stacked stone we used for the front porch - was called quarry thins and it was a flagstone - and I know it was a mix of crab orchard and others to make the colors.
For the path, we wanted a very thick stone and the larger pieces lent themselves to the thickness we wanted. But, the surface is not flat and smooth and formal..it is rough and has curves and 'hills' in it. Here is an internet site that shows stone. And, I will include a photo of the quarry thins (on the porch) ..I don't think these would be good for walking unless a great deal of prep or maybe mortar would be needed so any uneven ground would not cause a breakage in the stone.

Here is a site with examples: Hope this is not more info than you want/need.
http://www.millcreekmachinecutstone.com/fieldstone-pictures.html

Hm, those quarry thins look a great deal like the sort of fieldstone I'm looking at, actually. I went to 3 places today & they pretty much all have the same thing: something called "Pennsylvania Colonial Wallstone." And the only flagstone they had was really large pieces that are more suitable for a patio than a path. The good news is that the prices are more reasonable than I feared.

My plan is to cut up turf along the path and select stones thin enough that they fit comfortably within the trough that results. Topsoil will be filled in the cracks and underneath as needed. If done right, I hope that this would prevent breakage, but since I've never done this before, I don't really know!

J -
You can ask at the stone center, but I think that the wall quarries are too thin to make into a path (they do come in great colors tho - browns, lilac, pinks). They snap and if not supported really well, I think you may end up with much smaller pieces than you have in mind. I guess the smaller the piece --the less likely the breaking --but you don't want to go too small. Fieldstone will come in many sizes but once you find the size you want for your path's esthetic, you should look for thickness that will support the walking.. Top soil will shift and wash and sink. You may want to put some crush and run on the path - it packs well and stabilizes the rock. The stone people should be able to lead you. Our wall quarries were made into the steps of the porch ---but the quarries are sunk in mortar as opposed to the sides that are just stacked with a tad of mortor for stability. I feel quite sure that if no mortar, the quarries would not hold up on the steps. You can get the really thick fieldstone similiar to what we have --but --it doesn't have to be in the very large size like we have. For sure you will need to dig it down deeper, but what we have done is lay the rock on top of the ground where we want it... fit it like we want (but that is not hard because the pieces were so large it was basically end-to-end with a small area of dirt between for the mosses,etc) Then my husband sort of did an outline of the rock in the dirt, moved the rock and escavated the outline. That way he didn't have to pull up the entire area and intrude into the firm ground --the firm ground around helped surround and stabilize the rock. Of course we only did a few pieces (these rocks were heavy!) The major walkway was done by the landscaper and they just cleared the path depth to six inches or so (I guess) and laid the stone in and then backfilled. But they had a lot of equipment and manpower. One of the reasons we chose the bigger dimension stone is because I am always tripping and smaller stone and rounded edges and me don't mix. When our dog Rosie was alive and we took walks, she got used to me being on the ground more than up. If "it" can be tripped on or over--- I'm your gal to give it a go!

This message was edited Apr 6, 2008 5:19 PM

Check out your local sand and gravel companies. Most carry decorative stone and it is much cheaper then the landscaping/stone places.

E -
That is what I thought too - but I had no luck here in Hillsborough. I went to two sand and gravel suppliers (beautiful stone there too - the stone yards were vast and well organized) but there was no difference in price so I let the landscaper supply it - just in case something went wrong and a large rock split during installation, etc.

Jsorens - any photos of the completed project?

Lovely photos, missingrosie!

For other with the same questions:
Small rock is almost impossible to keep stable.

Minimum size ought to be about 2' diameter, and 2" thick. The stone should be as smooth as possible. Slightly textured is great. Lumpy and irregular is a hazard to navigation.
Such a stone will weigh something close to 100 lbs.
You may get by with 18" diameter, but it needs to be set very carefully.

Easiest way to set the stone is to make a level spot that is just barely too deep. Then put about a shovel full of sand there. Spread it out and set the stone on it. Twist the stone back and forth a bit, working it into the sand. If the stone is pretty smooth it might be stable just like that. If it is a rougher stone, then carefully lift it out and dig out the sand where the stone dug in the most, and add a little where the stone never touched the sand.
Take your time.
Use a level to make sure the stone is level.
Step on it as if you are walking along the path. Step on different parts of the stone. Make sure it is stable.
Back fill next to the stone with a soil and compost blend. Plant something low, spreading and easy to walk over. Lawn is fine, and there are many very low ground cover plants for sun or shade, moist or dry settings.
If you need to go uphill or down a gentle slope use a long 2 x 4 to make sure the path is following the hill smoothly. Do not do steep hills simply by laying the stones flat. There is a lot more to making a stable, secure, safe stairway.

Put the largest stones:
1) First stone in the path, for example, where it meets a patio.
2) As a step down, such as off a deck.
3) Where the path turns or splits.

If you have ended up with some 'too small' stones you could:
1) Use them in pairs, about an inch or 2 apart, set so they take the place of one larger stone.
2) Use them to fill out the path, but in areas that will not normally be walked on.
3) Put them where you are not striding along, for example next to a hose bib. You will use the small one to step on when you are reaching to turn the water on or off, and it is probably OK if the stone wobbles a bit.

Excellent advice, as always, Diana.

I'm now working with a pallet of stones and using them to edge garden beds. They were delivered on Thursday and I'm now halfway through them.

Will be nice to see some pictures of the garden bed!

Around here, stone like that is hard to use as a retaining wall. It is so thin you need to stack up quite a few to get any sort of height to the wall. We generally use a thicker stone for walls.

One more thing. About 5 or 6 or 7 years ago I had some landscaping done which included a flagstone path. Unfortunately, by the time it settled, I realized that it wasn't placed at my pace. Aarrgghh. Most of the time I walk around it. My bad for not paying more attention to what the workers were doing.

Tx_flower_child, you have made the same mistake lots of us gardeners do, that is ask a tradesman to do work and think he / she fully understands what EXACTLY it is we are looking for.

Reality sets in and we are sorely disappointed with end results. To prevent any repeat, next time you ask for any estimates, get any landscaping done or even painting. make sure you have drawn on paper, marked out the areas to be worked and go over your plant and costs to the last detail because for sure, your interpretation can be very different from another, and that's when confusing cross wires come into plays as without a piece of paper (SIGNED) you have absolutely no come back but, a costly mistake on many occasions.
For yard work, paths, steps, beds or whatever, mark out the area with horticultural sand you can drip from an empty juice bottle and trickle it around the shape you want, OR use the garden hose and move it about to give the round, circle or weaving pathway you want.
It's not difficult but saves any arguments and you get what you want without any argument,.

Hope you can fix the problems you have been left with and enjoy the hard fruits of your labours.
Best of luck and kind regards
WeeNel.

WeeNel
You haven't had work done here in my part of the world. Your advice sounds good in theory but even in the best of circumstances with the greatest work professionals --these guys want to manage their work shedule and methods and approaches since it is their warranty they will have to live with and of course their expertise is something needing to be respected. But I agree it does help to at least ask about how they will address certain aspects of the work like "How will the stones be adjusted to my stride?"

Diana - our stones will only be used for edging, not for any walls.

Rosie - we had magnificent workers with Alvaro, the head guy, being so in tune with what I wanted when we redid the old vegetable garden this year. I explained it, he asked a few questions, and I could not be more pleased.

My husband, Jack, tended the vegetable garden so well for 20 years, but the blistering heat waves of 2012, combined with the attacks of the crows on the tomatoes, led to his decision to give up on vegetables.

Here's Jack at the top with his rake and his broom, and Alvaro and the new path at the bottom.

One of the problems you run into is that many times you don't know all the questions to ask before hand. Would someone think about stride length in the design unless they have done several before. A professional might not think about it until he has done many of them and run into someone that has a stride much shorter than "normal" and that person complained.

As far as pacing, to some extent it was my bad. I was standing there watching while the stones were put in place! Later, when I asked that some be corrected, they were. But now I have a constant battle with the ground cover (that yes, I requested) that tries its best to cover the ground where the stones are.

I would like to point out one more thing if someone hasn't said this already. Make sure that your stones aren't so smooth as to get slippery when wet.

BTW, does anyone have any clever suggestions on using 2 long (I can measure), relatively thick (depth) but narrow (width) pieces of stone used for my kitchen counters and for the floor under my fireplace? Not granite, but called 'Broughton Moor'. Only mined in an area of England. (Will google.) Anyway, IMHO, it's quite lovely. Seemingly indestructible as I've had these 2 extra strips just laying outside on the ground doing nothing other than making me ask what I can do with them. They are a pale green-gray. And they would be slippery. I know I'm digressing and could maybe start a new thread. But surely someone here must have a suggestion?

How narrow? Like windowsill narrow because it will make a great sill. Narrow like your tush would fit on it? Because I have seen great benches and narrow sofa tables. I used ours for a chopping block - the granite guy smoothed the edges and put feet on it - weighs a ton tho. I use it all the time.

Could you stand it on end and use it as a garden vertical art form?
Maybe liquid nail a piece of rusty wrought iron to it? Or smooth colored river rock?

Could you attach letters with your address or WELCOME and stand it upright?


Pirl - that veggie bed looks absolutely magnificent. The soil a the colors, the planning, the path, --E V E R Y T H I N G.

Who is that next to the landscaper ;0) ?




This message was edited Sep 24, 2013 12:53 PM

Good ideas, Rosie. I used a piece of the Corian that was leftover from the cooktop cutout as a cutting board and it doubles as a landing spot for dishes hot from the oven...no damage at all.

Here's a page from Pinterest about uses for leftover granite pieces:
http://www.pinterest.com/capitolgranite/ideas-for-remnants/

We had granite installed originally and I hated it so we used a piece to make a top for the potting bench that Jack made. In hot sun that granite is very hot! It's fine in spring and fall and it stays outside all year.

Thanks for the compliment, Rosie. The guy behind Alvaro is the other mason who did not want to be photographed.

Forgot to measure while I was outside. It's bewitching hour right now for mosquitos, so will try to remember tomorrow.

I'm bad at this, esp. when trying to do this from long time ago memory, but if I had to guess, these 'slabs' are maybe 8 ft long and 3" wide. Maybe 2" deep. And VERY heavy.

Love the pictures on Pinterest tho.

Like slats? I would use vertical as garden art. Grouped - hopefully will not snap.

Pirl - did not even see the person behind Alvaro. I meant next photo in line

The two at the top are of my husband, Jack, when he toiled out in the vegetable garden. Now that it's my garden I do all the toiling!

Set him to pulling weeds if he want to sample the produce.
It must be a pleasure to 'toil' in there.

He is very good at digging weeds, like thistle that hides until it's 2' tall, but his knees do not allow him to kneel and weed. Thankfully, due to Preen and a lot of mulch, I get very few weeds.

That garden is pure pleasure.

Ok. I remembered to measure. Hadn't paid much attention before, but the 2 slabs are slightly different in size.
Length = 75" and 76"
Width = 4" and 4 1/2"
Depth = approx. 1"

And like I said, they are heavy!

Google 'Broughton Moor' if you want to see the color. And I think what I have is 'honed'.

I've been thinking on this for about 15 years now. So if no suggestions today, I'll just keep mulling it over. :)

Using them as either wall mounted shelves, to display photos or other treasures, or as lovely window sills, would be my only thoughts.

You could have them cut to the lengths you want if you do want to use them as shelves and the edges can be smoothed.

If you use them as window sills, be sure the height of 1" will still allow you to open the window. Casement windows and double hung windows might not make it easy. I have both types of windows and have gone through those problems.

If the material is like granite- it will snap in less supported from underneath else I'd say lay side by side about 4 inches apart and you would have the equal to a 13 inch bench seat. But you could not span and sit without something underneath.

You could have cut to coasters. You could have cut to coaster size and cover a small table - like a tile treatment. It would be heavy but you could use as a 'trim' and glue along the edges of a mirror - a beautiful honed frame of sorts. If you have an outside garden shed you could use liquid nails and fasten to the side wall in a frame shape and hang something in the center - like a mirror or group of mirrors to reflect the garden.

You could use as a door stop. Hot plate

these ideas would involve cutting and smoothing so would $$ some.

You could donate to community scrap and someone would use for something! I know art teachers go to ours located downtown for project materials.

Or if you have the handwriting skills you could paint a message on it and display it anywhere and for that you could leave it the long length!