Build a Flagstone Pathway In 5 Minutes

My video on how to build a flagstone patio or walkway: • How To Install A Flags...
My video on how to cut flagstone: • How to Cut Flagstone (...
In this video I share a time-lapse of me building a walkway out of flagstone from my front yard to my backyard. You'll get to see the entire process including digging down, tamping the dirt, laying down the gravel base, leveling the layer of decomposed granite, placing the flagstones, cutting the flagstones, and finally leveling the flagstones.
I've already done a video explaining exactly how to build this step by step, so be sure to watch that. However, I think this will give you a really good idea of what the process actually looks like.
This project took me about twenty hours to complete from start to finish. I completed it over a period of seven days working anywhere from 1.5hrs to 4hrs each day. There's a lot of digging and it is back breaking work so I wouldn't recommend doing this for 8 hours a day unless you are used to this type of work already (for example if you install floors for a living.)
I think I could have finished this a bit faster, but I had to dig around a lot of roots from a nearby tree and avoid damaging a sprinkler line in the process. I also had to repair the sprinkler line.

[@Gladys7477]

Great walkway but an explanation of the steps and all the materials used would have helped those of us trying to learn.

[@djvelvetgrrl]

There's a video showing all the steps that you can click on at the end of this video. Or search his channel for flagstone patio.

[@djvelvetgrrl]

I see now he actually links to the video on the description of this video! 😊

[@cindyski4413]

I guess I’ll be going for the cheaper and crappier version! Great job! Impressive!

[@camaroman101]

Same, I'll add time and labor saving also

[@kortnee-annhasselmann8038]

Nothing about this, including the video length, was 5 minutes 😂

[@donnamcgrath1704]

😂😂😂

[@thedohhh]

Lol

[@Elderelic]

I was thinking the same thing lmaoo

[@vinetamer]

And we all watched till the end right?

[@lkey8254]

Yeah, but it got us all to watch it, huh?!😂

[@maureenlavallee1319]

fabulous job, guess i won’t be doing this myself!

[@BeeHash]

Alternate title: The Flash building a stone pathway

[@terrykeyes8931]

Facts

[@pastorryker]

🤣

[@sjc3532]

Don't forget all in under FIVE WHOLE MINUTES

[@AtlantisIndigo]

Bhahahahaha

[@g1g72]

First KZbin video I've ever slowed down. Helped alot. Thanks!

[@cindyski4413]

I don’t move that fast in 5 minutes! 😂

[@fingers2556]

Just took two Excedrin!

[@Critical-Thinker895]

I tried moving that fast and caught on frre.

[@vecon20]

😄😄😄😄👍

[@Karlapanini28192]

your wife says u can be done in 5 minutes

[@seand2278]

I feel like the Home Improvement theme should be playing. UuUuUh (that noise Tim Allen makes)

[@ginarebere6905]

It looks beautiful! You did a lovely job!

[@StayHandy]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@roscmon]

Maybe you should have done it in 15 minutes so we could have a little time to see some details of the progress.

[@StayHandy]

I have another video which is a detailed step by step for building a flagstone patio. I recommend watching that for more details.

[@jusatnk]

Try slowing down the playback speed.Button at lower right corner.

[@genevievecolmenero9380]

I needed Information how and explain a process so i could implement it. Thanks.

[@ReasonNotFightFlight]

Looks great! Obviously a great amount of work, but it looks absolutely beautiful.

[@StayHandy]

Thanks!

[@fish1999onBass]

*Perfect flagstone pathway*

[@daniel.gilliss6030]

Nicely done. Very labor intensive to get it to look right & be level.

[@StayHandy]

Thanks. A small walkway like this isn’t too bad but an entire patio is a lot to handle.

[@alanmacphee9302]

Thank you for this video! It was the perfect length, very informative, and well-produced.

[@photojunkysdronezonevlog]

All the people that gave it a thumbs-down because they actually thought he did all the work in 5 minutes, were the same people who got mad at the get-rich-quick in 5 minutes video.

[@colomacountry]

great job man, it looks like the hardest part was levelling :)

[@StayHandy]

It was!

[@ericking9464]

The level on those stones bro...... I AM IMPRESSED.

[@sab_1055]

Beautiful! My first thought was 5 minutes with a dump truck maybe, but that's a cool cutting tool. I want one.

[@StayHandy]

Thanks 👍

[@kristycannon7923]

He did such a beautiful job! My question is: Was he going for the grass eventually growing between the stones? Some people like that look. I guess he could've put down a weed cloth and filled the gaps between the stones with a fine pea gravel for another type of look, too. Or, he could've used paver set sand and maybe kept the weeds & grass out of spaces between the stones. Would love to see an update later as the grass fills in to see what it looks like.

[@macysondheim]

Seen way better pathways than that… personally wasn’t impressed at all./

[@daniel.gilliss6030]

@@macysondheim I bet you have never built one yourself. Step off Hater.

[@marcosmota1094]

@@macysondheim I just finished a pathway with about forty five natural stones. Different thicknesses, shapes, protrusions, pivot points, etc. Took three days even with lots of my tricks and cheats...looks great, good meshing, balance, and decent water shedding. I still need to see how it weathers for a few seasons, and appreciate that OP did this time lapse in addition to the full videos. It's one thing to "have seen" better work, it's quite another to work up to the task and *do* it.

[@YourPalBenFrank]

The weed cloth won't work if your putting topsoil in between anyway your better off spraying it and letting grass fill in the gaps

[@bassphantom4613]

Great work! That man for sure tired after that. Wow.

[@mluiga]

That looks like 7 minutes at least! I'm offended now.

[@hawkeye9661]

Really awesome job! I am attempting to do a small area with Arizona Flagstone with unfortunately all different sizes . I've never seen sand and DG used together. Before I start the job please help me with your rationale on that. I'm wondering if the sand is for leveling and the DG was used for stabilizing the flags together.... Thanks again for a great vid.

[@Crumpled4skin111]

Look awesome! But shouldn’t you use weed barrier fabric?

[@jennienshaneopals291]

I’m a stone mason ..nice job young fella

[@blowfish6173]

completely invaluable without describing the steps.

[@dolceman9]

Great job man , well done

[@leticiavallejo7914]

Great job❗Looks beautiful❗I would have tackled this 20yrs ago 🤣, now, it's, "Call the Handyman." 🤷‍♀️ NOTE: In his comments he said the job took 20 hours. He did it in increments of about 1-4 hours/day. It would have taken me 20 days 🤣🤦‍♀️🤣.

[@Reavesuppercut]

confirmed: i did all that in 5 minutes. Barely broke a sweat

[@mr.joshua204]

God damn liar

[@mysteriousmike226]

Hey...better than watching cement dry🤣🤣✌️btw great job

[@restagiu]

Are the stones 1" or 1 1/2" thick? do you think they could be cut with agrinder and tile diamond blades? I do not have that saw.

[@oksanavladimirovna1423]

That's a lot of work...

[@MiguelinaAriasMIA]

May you please put what material you were using? That would be helpful. Thank you

[@StayHandy]

It’s flagstone. I have a video on how to install a. Flagstone patio that is the same process and I explain it in more depth:

[@Tinyteacher1111]

Can’t see, but there’s a longer version?

[@MendedAndWholeLife]

Inspiring video! ❤️🙌🏻

[@jemikabates9038]

Title should be how to speed through a video in 5 minutes

[@VibingoutwithRene]

Nice video. What kind of stones are you using? Could you tell me the name of the flagstones?

[@shawnmurphy3693]

Good job man

[@kamrintm]

that was rad! thanks

[@billdavenport2862]

I finely got to liking the song because u don’t say ‘nothing’

[@kandyfleet]

Very nice work

[@southeastsales4142]

How long in time did this take for you to do total?

[@zeejimi4044]

No gravel layer for enhanced drainage ? Do you think the stone slabs will still be level after one or two winters or rainstorms ? I don‘t. ❄️⛈💦

[@patrickfarrell6638]

Nice work.

[@miamichi5]

Awesome job 👍! Wish you lived in Florida pay you to do both sides of my property 😁!...great video.

[@-ull3972]

it would only take him...10 minutes.

[@darlene5286]

Even faster if you watch in 2x speed 😂 This was interesting, thanks

[@StayHandy]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@Michael-wy7om]

Looks good 👍

[@StayHandy]

Thanks!

[@BL-vz3fv]

In your " how to build a flagstone patio or walkway" video you said to use 1 1/2 inch- 2 inch flagstone - this flagstone looks like 1/2 -3/4 inch at best. How is it holding up?

[@TrexChick]

excellent job

[@ChrisDembinsky]

Does anyone have any recommendations on where this is sold near east central Florida? Looking for a distributor not retail big box stores.

[@vtvita]

Superb video!

[@cdcd4502]

What is the white stuff under each stone

[@Cha0sRider]

Quick question: Do you think it would be best to reroute your irrigation line instead of underneath the walkway or is it ok like that?

[@StayHandy]

If you can avoid routing your water lines under hardscapes, do it. But most of the time you can’t.

[@susanb374]

The gutter at the front of the garage? What was done with that?

[@worganyos]

great video

[@joshcole4520]

What was the material swept into joints of stones

[@StayHandy]

Decomposed granite (DG) with the screenings.

[@lordpizza4391]

nice man

[@vidikat]

Genius!

[@corysimpson1450]

will this be ok if you have freezing and thawing ?

[@jay2dv1]

How did you know how much flagstone you needed?

[@StayHandy]

I measured the width and multiplied it by the height and figured out the approximate sq feet.

[@zacharyarcaro2886]

Did you plant something beside the walkway and between the stones next to the house? If so, what was it and how is it doing?

[@StayHandy]

No

[@tannerscherer9586]

I’m interested in offering this to some clients of mine. If I may ask, how much do you charge for something like this?

[@StayHandy]

So many variables to consider. I do have a pricing course at HandymanStartuo.com that I recommend though.

[@DK-qx3lv]

Nice!

[@wesm2301]

How much would u charge to do that for a customer? That same job?

[@elliottalderson2788]

It took me longer to complete my 3rd grade jigsaw puzzle 🧩?

[@laurabensman2311]

Subtitles for each step would have been helpful

[@nicolettaagnelli9536]

Bravo!

[@zaprojektujzycie1154]

Źle zatytułowany filmik. Powinno być "przygotowanie ścieżki kamiennej w 5 minutowym skrócie" ☺️

[@damianojeda7017]

In 20 years of laying stone I’ve never needed a concrete saw 🤣

[@marcosmota1094]

I read your comment yesterday and thought of it today. I was cleaning up the excess soil from around my pathway stones, after wetting, compressing the stones, and waiting for the water to drain from yesterday. I was using a *cat hair brush* to scrape the stones and shape the clumpy soil. Gee, what would you say about a *cat brush* to clean stones?!!! Just because you've been doing something for two decades does not preclude learning new methods, improvising, and being creative.

[@suspicious-channel]

If people are stupid enough to think that doing this takes five minutes (and that this isn't a timelapse) they shouldn't be making a pathway at all.

[@CSIG1001]

2 years later

[@earthbalance77]

How can I learn from this fast video?

[@elizabethackerly679]

Thank you, your videos are very helpful. We have only 1/4 in slate, can we use That for a flagstone patio following your instructions for 1-2in flagstone? Do we have to use concrete and mortar for the slate?

[@StayHandy]

1/4" seems very thin. Honestly I don't know the answer but it seems like that would be fragile and you'd have a lot of breaks over time.

[@jeromekeehn1128]

For a walkway you can get y with 1.5 inches, but 2 inches is recommended. For a patio definitely 2".

[@mexzcanninja7412]

What was the approx. cost for all this?

[@michellie]

That took 5 minutes?

[@YodiRoberts]

The walkway looks amazing! What a great job! Ever since I was a little girl I dreamed about having a flagstone walkway somewhere in my garden when I grew up, well here I am in my 50s and still don't have one. I would have never attempted on doing it but I am curious if you were to pay for the same job you did yourself, what would be the cost for labor / parts where you are? I live in FL and there are plenty of ;landscape architects that's how they call themselves here, and I want to have an idea of what am I dealing with before I call them. Thanks! :D

[@iSLeePz]

Rates can vary by location, but typically around $25 per square foot on pavers, and around $35-$40 per square foot for natural stone ( depending on how expensive the stone/material is and how many laborers )

[@chrisgutierrez2305]

Am I the only one thinking, "damn If that water line burst where all that work is, that's gonna suck."

[@pamelavance648]

Uhm shoot should of run it down the edge instead

[@DonnaMartini]

so it is a five minute video of how to build a flagstone pathway in three days... well at least that is how long that would take me... lol. Awesome job though

[@clarocco419]

Hi Dan, are you for hire? We have flagstones in our yard. Some very thick and some not as thick. Been trying to find someone who will help us work with our stones. We haven't been able to find anyone that knows flagstones like you. We're in Ohio.

[@milay6140]

This is his first project. Next time it won’t take that long.

[@plugger410]

Do you still have to use a full 4 inches of gravel and 1 inch of decomposed granite for just a walkway?

[@honeytranful]

Ur 4 inches of DG and 1 inch leveling sand

[@ThaiLifeChronicles]

But..How much did you charge for it?

[@trailsidecarpentryhandyman9378]

Mr Handyman Startup, Mrod from Denver, formerly Belle Creek, now Trailside Handyman here. Do you do this work for clients anymore. I stopped doing these back breaking jobs for mine, to much time at anyone house scares me now -:)

[@StayHandy]

No I would never take this job on. This was a project at home.

[@normanderla2117]

I can do this in 30secons. Just play passforward 4x

[@TommyC503]

Looks great unfortunately I have no idea how he did it

[@benheaton4486]

You make some very great videos. Is there any merit to using weed fabric? If so-- in between which layers?

[@StayHandy]

I wouldn’t recommend it.

[@benheaton4486]

Handyman Startup thank you. Any particular reason?

[@VeganSurf]

@@benheaton4486 It's gonna degrade/break down over time, it would only be helpful the first year or two then you'd have old degraded shredded weed fabric under your flagstones

[@Kevin-ij9ri]

That looks like it took a lot longer than 5 minutes

[@betterstill100]

🥰

[@gt7492]

Makes my back hurt. I move much slower. 🤣

[@michaelkoziolek7308]

It will take you a whole day to level flag stone in smaller pieces natural stone is in all sizes

[@shayleensosa1459]

What was that glue that u laid under the flagstone after cutting them?

[@leticiavallejo7914]

I believe he placed cement underneath the Flagstone.

[@lucilledelorme]

I can’t work that fast, got anything for ten minutes?

[@StayHandy]

Haha

[@cherylhamilton3000]

This would have probably been a very helpful video if I didn't feel like I was having a seizure....

[@judinelson1500]

Building a cobblestone path.

[@stuntedmonk]

Anyone find that even this they fast forwarded through?

[@SKgoon]

👌🏽

[@luismarquez7917]

Too fast to appreciate

[@dUsTysCaTmAn]

only those who actually believed it was possible to build pathway in 5 min are upset with title. if it said "my multiple day flagstone pathway project condensed into a 5 minute video", the same people would have found something else to dislike and comment about. that being said, hard to believe title is a mistake considering how detail oriented you obviously are....

[@StayHandy]

Haha, I appreciate the comment.

[@darrinlindsey]

Seems to me, it would take anyone much longer than 5 minutes to build a comparable walkway.

[@StayHandy]

Yes, the video itself is about 5 minutes. The project took much longer.

[@YodiRoberts]

5 minutes FF

[@captmack007]

Yah at least 10-15 minutes. Well that's with a short break. Omg

[@danrichardson4275]

grout