Retaining Walls, Sitting Walls and Fire Pits
The pieces that turn a slab into an outdoor room: walls that hold back a grade, walls to sit on, and a fire pit built from the same block or stone.
What we build
Retaining walls. Segmental block walls (VersaLok and similar systems) and natural boulder walls that hold a grade so a patio or pool deck can sit level. Built on a compacted stone base with drainage behind the wall, which is the part that determines whether it's still straight in ten years.
Sitting walls. Knee-height block walls with a cap, around a patio edge or a fire pit, that give you seating without furniture and a finished edge to the concrete.
Fire pits. Round, square or rectangular, wood-burning or plumbed for gas, built from matching block or stone with a steel insert where it makes sense. Usually sized for the patio around it so the seating works.
These are most often built as part of a patio or pool project, where the wall, the steps and the concrete all come out of one plan, but we take stand-alone wall jobs as well.
Walls and fire pits we've built
Why Distinctive Stone & Concrete
Built to last in CNY weather
Rebar reinforcement, a 4,000 PSI minimum mix, proper base prep and control joints. Our concrete is designed for freeze-thaw winters and road salt, not just for the day it's poured.
Start to finish, one crew
Excavation, removal of old concrete or decking, forming, pouring, finishing and sealing. You deal with one company and one price.
Real options, real numbers
Most projects get good-better-best pricing so you can choose the finish that fits your budget. Estimates are free and on site.
Frequently asked questions
Do you do landscaping?
Not as a rule. We build the wall, the steps and the concrete, and we can backfill and seed the disturbed edges when we're done. Planting, mulch and perimeter stone are left to you or your landscaper.
Wood-burning or gas fire pit?
Wood is simpler and cheaper to build. Gas needs a line run by a plumber and a burner kit, but lights instantly and leaves no ash. We build either; if you want gas, line up the plumber before we pour so the sleeve goes in the right place.
What if the wall ends up longer than planned?
Walls are priced per face foot, so if the grade needs more wall than the drawing showed, the price moves with it. We flag that on site before building, not after.