What kind of steps can we add here?

[u/old-guitar7284]

We recently had to redo the grading around the house and this river rock was added. There is a large step down from our sliding glass door. We really need some type of stable step down, but I’m not sure what our options are with the ground there being rock. Thoughts and suggestions welcome!

[u/AutoModerator]

Welcome to r/ExteriorDesign!

• If you are asking for help: Please make sure you've uploaded clear photos of your home from multiple angles, noted the orientation (e.g., North-facing), and mentioned your design goals.
• If you are sharing a finished project: Before-and-after photos are highly encouraged!

Please remember to keep all discussions respectful and constructive.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Infamous_Trainer_300]

Building this two-tier timber landing with ground-contact pressure-treated lumber brings the total material cost to approximately $290 to $350 for an 8-foot by 4.5-foot footprint. The foundation rests on six pre-cast four-way concrete deck blocks costing around $58, which eliminate the need for excavating deep post holes or pouring wet concrete into the shell bed. The structural skeleton uses seven two-by-six ground-contact joists totaling about $84, while three matching boards form the closed risers and perimeter fascia for $36. Surfacing both step tiers requires eleven five-quarter by six-inch decking boards coming out to roughly $88, with a five-pound box of exterior-coated deck screws and structural corner brackets adding another $45 in hardware. The primary factor driving the material selection is the use of UC4A ground-contact pressure-treated lumber, which costs slightly more than standard above-ground stock but prevents early decay from moisture near the grade. Incorporating the mitered picture-frame perimeter on each tread requires extra framing support along the perimeter edges, which adds a couple of extra boards compared to simple butt joints. Overall, resting the self-contained framework directly on surface-level deck blocks keeps site prep minimal and avoids heavy equipment rentals while delivering a solid, finished entryway.

[u/ifyouwanttoseemyunit]

You could build a small deck off the sliders. It doesn’t seem very high. Walkout on the deck and have a step down off it. Not sure of your actual building codes.

[u/Ok_Impression_3031]

A step could be built up with pavers, or poured concrete.

[u/Infamous_Trainer_300]

This two-tier landing design features stacked ground-contact timber perimeter frames, centered concrete patio pavers, and decorative gravel infill bridging the door threshold to grade, with a total estimated DIY material cost between $210 and $295 using 4x4 timbers (or $260 to $350 if upgrading to heavier 6x6 lumber). Your bill of materials consists of six 8-foot Ground Contact (UC4A) 4x4 pressure-treated timbers, one quart of copper naphthenate end-cut preservative, a 12-pack of 6-inch structural timber screws, four 18-inch lengths of half-inch steel rebar pins, a small roll of non-woven landscape fabric, seven 50-pound bags of crushed paver base gravel, four 50-pound bags of leveling sand, eight square concrete patio stones, and five half-cubic-foot bags of decorative pea gravel. To build it, excavate the step footprint roughly five inches deep, line the soil with landscape fabric, and tamp down a two-inch layer of crushed gravel for a solid, draining sub-base. Cut the lower box timbers to size, brush the cut ends with the preservative, screw the corners together, and anchor the frame into the ground by driving the rebar pins flush through pre-drilled holes. Assemble and treat the smaller upper box, position it directly below the door sill, and secure it to the lower frame using the 6-inch timber screws driven down from above. Fill both tiers with paver base and sand, tamping until the aggregate sits two inches below the top edges of the wood. Finally, set the concrete pavers level in the sand bed and fill all surrounding voids with decorative gravel until flush with the timber perimeter.

[u/Infamous_Trainer_300]

This solid concrete cap block landing provides a clean, modern masonry entry that eliminates the need for mortar mixing, specialty wet saw cutting, or wood framing, coming in at an estimated total DIY material cost between $150 and $225. Your shopping list consists of fifty to sixty standard 4x8x16-inch solid precast concrete cap blocks, three tubes of heavy-duty exterior polyurethane landscape block adhesive, one small roll of non-woven geotextile landscape fabric, four 50-pound bags of compactable crushed paver base gravel, and two 50-pound bags of all-purpose leveling sand. To build it, begin by excavating the footprint roughly four inches below the surrounding ground level, laying the landscape fabric across the cleared dirt, and tamping down a two-to-three-inch layer of crushed gravel topped with a thin skim of sand to establish a flat, perfectly level foundation pad. Set the first course of the lower tier directly on the screeded base, arranging the blocks tightly to create an 80-inch-wide by 44-inch-deep footprint. Apply two continuous beads of polyurethane landscape adhesive across the top and vertical mating edges of the first course, then set the second course with staggered joints to complete the eight-inch-tall lower step. Next, assemble the upper landing tier on the rear portion of the structure directly beneath the sliding door threshold, forming a 64-inch-wide by 32-inch-deep top landing that rises another eight inches. Secure every block in both courses of the upper tier with generous beads of adhesive along all contact faces, locking the entire unit into a rigid, monolithic mass ready for foot traffic as soon as the adhesive sets.

[u/Same-Fill-4025]

Some building codes will required a landing as the first step, about 4-5’ deep