Driveway pavers in Athens GA - a surface that stays locked tight under your cars
If your old driveway is cracked, sunken or just worn out, we build a paver driveway on a compacted base made to carry cars.
What goes into a paver driveway in Athens?
We put in driveway pavers in Athens, GA as interlocking concrete pavers set over a compacted base, so you end up with a driveway made from the ground up to carry the weight of your cars.
Most folks call us when an old concrete or asphalt drive has cracked, settled or worn thin, or when they want something out front they'll enjoy looking at. The price mostly comes down to how big the driveway is, what has to come out first, and what the ground underneath needs, and I can't tell you how deep the base should go until I've looked at your soil and how it drains. The schedule turns on the weather and on whether the county needs a driveway permit before we start, which we take care of. Your own figure comes in a written estimate that says what we'll do and why.
What happens after you call about a paver driveway?
Call us or send the form
Call (706) 395-0746 or send the form and tell us a little about the driveway and what you've noticed. We'll set up a time for me to come out to your house.
Walk the driveway with me
I come out myself, look at the driveway and the ground around it with you, and listen to what's been bothering you. Then I write up an estimate that says what we'll do and why, including how deep the base goes and what edging we'll use, so you can see how it fits your soil and drainage when you compare bids.
We get the permit and build
Once you say yes, we take care of any permit the job needs with the county, and we're fully licensed and insured. Then our crew does the work with me right alongside them, from digging out the old drive to setting the last paver.
Walk the finished driveway together
When the pavers are in and swept, we clean up and walk the driveway with you so you can look over the edges and joints and ask anything you like. Every job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
How we build driveway pavers, and the work that goes with them
A driveway carries cars, so we use interlocking pavers made for that weight and set them on a solid compacted base. We mark out the driveway, dig out the old surface and soil, and check how the ground drains before we settle on the base, because industry guidance ties base thickness to traffic, soil, drainage, moisture and climate, and calls for a thicker base under a driveway than under a patio even on well-drained ground. We pack that base in layers, lay a thin bed of sand and set the pavers in the pattern you pick, and I'll point you to herringbone, since the paving guidance recommends it where cars drive every day because it locks together best. Where soil drains slowly, like clay, that same guidance recommends drain pipes along the edge to pull extra water out of the soil and base, and I'll tell you if I think yours needs them. The edge matters more than most people expect. Flat metal or plastic landscape edging can't hold interlocking pavers tight, and timber warps and rots, so I'll show you the edging we use to keep them locked together before it goes in. We finish by compacting the pavers, sweeping sand into the joints and cleaning up.
Driveways rarely sit on their own. If the drive runs along a slope or a bank, we plan any retaining wall construction together with the driveway so the wall and the paver edge are laid out as one job. On older houses, the brick steps or front wall beside the drive often show their age, and masonry restoration, from tired mortar joints to loose brick, fits naturally into the same project.
Get an estimate for your paver driveway
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come look at your driveway with you. The estimate is free, done at your home, and comes with no obligation.
Paver driveway questions from Athens homeowners
Do I need a permit for a paver driveway in Athens, GA?
Yes, if you're putting in a new driveway or repairing one within the right of way, the strip of public land along the street, Athens-Clarke County requires a residential driveway permit with a site plan. That's paperwork we handle for you, and if your home is in a local historic district, I'll bring that up early so the review fits your plans.
What kind of pavers hold up to cars on a driveway?
Interlocking concrete pavers hold up to cars, while thinner, larger paving slabs aren't suited to driveways because they can flex and crack under the load. That's why the slabs that look fine on a patio don't belong where you park.
How long does it take before I can drive on a new paver driveway?
You can drive on it as soon as the paving is finished, because concrete pavers don't need any time to cure the way a poured slab does. That can shorten the whole project, since there's no wait at the end before you get your driveway back.
Does a driveway count toward my stormwater fee in Athens?
Yes, Athens-Clarke County counts driveways as impervious surface, and it bills single-family homes as small, medium or large by how much of that surface they have, with small under 2,000 square feet and large over 4,000. You can see how the county figures the fee on its site. County credits can lower the quantity or quality charges but not the base charge, and only after a licensed professional engineer checks your stormwater facility against the county's current design standards.
How much does a paver driveway cost in Athens, GA?
A paver driveway is priced by the job, and your number comes in the written estimate after I've seen the ground. A bigger driveway, an old slab to break out, a deeper base for slow-draining soil, drain pipes along the edge or a pattern with lots of cuts will raise it, while a simple shape on ground that drains well keeps it down. Give us a call and I'll come take a look.
What is the best way to fix sunken pavers in a driveway?
The best way is to lift the pavers over the low spot, fix the base underneath and set the same pavers back down. The same goes for reaching a utility line under the driveway, and none of the paving ends up in a landfill.
Other work that often goes with a driveway
Retaining wall construction
If your driveway cuts into a slope or the ground beside it keeps washing down, a wall holds that soil back and keeps it off the pavers.
Masonry restoration
When brick steps, columns or walls beside the driveway show worn mortar or loose brick, we can repair them while we're already working out front.
Call about your paver driveway today
Have the driveway's rough size handy, and know whether it's new or a repair near the street, when you call (706) 395-0746 so we can tell early on whether a county permit is part of the job.