Paver patio on slope / retaining wall question

[FS7]

I'm going to be building a patio this spring, and the area is slightly sloped. The area is about 40' x 12'/15' (it will have a bumpout). The house side doesn't really matter, as it will be leveled when installed. The 12' side of the patio is about 8" lower than what will be the top of the patio, and the 15' side is probably close to about 16" lower.

I will excavate the area to start, but the low parts will require only removal of the grass (no excavating) as they're already low. The crushed stone base at that point will be deeper, but that's not an issue.

I assume that I will make the retaining wall first. I'll put down some gravel to start with in the wall trench, compact, and lay down the wall. Since this is short, it will be just a stacked stone wall. Should I build this up to the level of the patio and use the top level of the wall as edging, or should I lay the top layer of pavers on the top of the wall? If that's the case, do I use mortar or construction adhesive to secure the edge stones?

[2beast]

We do this for a living.
Lots of our work has been posted here.

Is the drop off area going to be a step or just a drop off?

One concern I have is the 16" drop off of the edge as a safety issue.
Thinking night time someone stepping back off of the edge.

Have you considered a seat wall with drains spaced in to let water pass through?
Also can add lighting under the edge which really adds a lot to a patio.





On low walls. I like the look of dropping the pavers inside the wall and using the wall as a nice color accent/ border.

Hint here.........

Use fine gravel under pavers instead of sand especially near the wall.
So much settling can happen from the sand washing out over time down along the wall

[FS7]

Honestly, until I get the stakes in and the line pulled, I don't really know what the drop will be. I'm only guessing - from the back of the house to one corner of the deck, from thinking about steps I know the difference is 8". If the slope were identical, it would be about 10" or so at that corner, but I do believe it starts to slope a bit more there.

A seat wall would be an option and would preclude the issue with a step. If we don't do a wall, then I will definitely do a step if the drop exceeds 8". Not sure what - perhaps a second retaining wall with a planter bed and flagstones or something - but I will make sure it won't be a safety hazard.

I was planning on using stone dust to cut into the ant problem, not just near the wall. If the cost difference is huge, I'll only do that near the wall.

I like the idea of lights.