Driveway pavers in Alameda CA - a firm base and a surface you can repair piece by piece
If your driveway is cracked, sinking or holding puddles, we dig down to a proper base and lay pavers you can lift and reset.
Driveway pavers start below ground. The base does the work.
A paver driveway is concrete pavers set on a layer of sand over a base we dig out and pack. The pavers give you the look, but the base carries the car, and it's the part you can't see once the job is done. Built properly, a damaged patch can be lifted and relaid instead of torn out.
The price depends mostly on what's under and around your driveway: its size, how much old concrete comes out, how deep the base needs to go for your soil, the pavers you choose and whether the work reaches the street. The schedule turns on the weather and on any city steps. My written estimate spells out the scope for your driveway.
If a slope beside the driveway needs holding back, retaining wall construction can be part of the same plan, and old brick steps or garden walls along the drive may call for masonry restoration.
When to call about driveway pavers. Your driveway usually tells you.
Cracks across the slab
Long cracks and broken corners usually mean the ground or base under an old concrete driveway has moved. Left alone, the pieces lift and break further, and more of the slab has to come out later.
Puddles in the same spots
Water that sits in the same place after rain usually points to a soft or thin base underneath. The longer it sits, the more it softens the ground and the wider the dip gets.
Pavers that rock or sink
When pavers wobble, sink or spread at the edges, the base or the edging that holds them in place has usually given way. Caught early, that often means resetting a small area instead of the whole driveway.
Here's how a driveway pavers job goes. It starts with a visit.
When you call or write, we set a time for me to come out. I look at the driveway with you, check how the yard drains and where the driveway meets the street, and we talk through what the city may ask for on your job.
Afterward I send a written estimate that spells out the scope: what comes out, how deep the base goes, which pavers we'll use and how the edges are held. If something can't be known until the old driveway is up, I say so plainly rather than guess.
Once you're ready, we handle any city steps and schedule the work. Our own small crew of masons digs out the old surface and builds the base before any pavers go down, and I check in on site. At the end we clean up, and I walk the finished driveway with you and leave spare pavers from the same batch for future repairs.
Planning driveway pavers? Tell us about your driveway.
Send your driveway's rough size in square feet and photos of where it meets the street. We reply within one business day to book a free on-site estimate, no obligation.
(510) 254-3205Driveway pavers in Alameda. We work across the East Bay too.
Alameda requires an encroachment permit for any work in the public right of way, such as the driveway approach, sidewalk or curb, and we handle that application and the inspections. The city won't allow bins or materials there, so we plan room on your lot. Most site work also falls under zoning, which you can check through the city's Planning Division or Permit Center.
We're based in Alameda and do this work in Oakland, San Leandro and many other East Bay cities.
Questions about driveway pavers? Start with these.
The answers below cover cost, base depth, rain, permeable pavers and licenses. If your question isn't here, please call (510) 254-3205 and ask me.
How much does a new paver driveway cost in the Bay Area?
Driveway remodeling in San Francisco, materials and installation included, usually costs about $8 to $23 per square foot. That's a general figure for driveways, not for pavers alone and not our price, and where your job falls depends on demolition, base depth and the pavers you choose.
How thick should the base be under a paver driveway?
Trade guidance says the base under a home driveway on well-drained soil should be at least 6 inches thick. Since that guidance ties depth to how well the soil drains, it's worth asking every contractor how deep their base will go, and I put the depth for your driveway in the written scope.
Can pavers be installed in Alameda during rainy weather?
Not in heavy rain, and not on soaked sand. An industry guide specification calls for laying sand and pavers outside heavy rain and only on sand that isn't saturated, so a wet stretch can push back the start. We won't lay on wet sand, because we wait for it to dry out first.
Is a permeable paver driveway right for my lot in Alameda?
Usually only if groundwater on your lot sits more than 2 feet below the bottom of the pavement. Federal highway guidance says permeable paver systems are generally not used where groundwater is closer than that, so it's a lot-by-lot call. Where one fits, trade guidance says it's ready to drive on as soon as it's finished, with no curing time.
What license should a driveway paver contractor have in California?
The state licensing board's C-12 Earthwork and Paving class covers grading, digging and placing paving, so it's fair to ask any contractor which license they hold. For work at the street, Alameda also requires contractors to hold a current city business license as part of the permit. We're licensed and insured.
Driveway, walkway or wall to plan? Ask for a free estimate.
Call (510) 254-3205 or use the form to tell us what you have in mind, and we'll set a time to look at it with you on site.
Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
