Driveway Pavers in Encinitas CA - A Surface You Can Park On as Soon as It's Set
Old driveway cracked, patched or sinking? We dig it out, build a solid base and lay a paver driveway that fits how you use it.
Driveway pavers built on a real base
Driveway pavers in Encinitas, CA are concrete units laid over a dug-out, packed base instead of one poured slab. Most calls come when an old driveway has cracked, sunk or been patched too often. Price moves with the size, the paver you choose and how much digging and base the ground needs, and the schedule turns on that ground and any permit. The written estimate puts a number on yours.
If the driveway runs along a slope, ask about retaining wall construction on the same visit. If brick or stone near it is crumbling, our masonry restoration work covers that.
What goes into driveway pavers
A paver driveway is mostly work you never see, so here's what our crew does from the old surface down to the last joint.
Digging out
We take out the old driveway and dig the area down to firm ground, because pavers are only as steady as what sits under them.
Base and drainage
We build up and pack the base in layers. On clay or other slow-draining ground under cars, drain pipes usually go into the plan so water can get out.
Laying pavers
We lay the pavers in the pattern you pick and cut them to fit the edges. Thicker pavers suit heavier vehicles, so we ask what parks there before ordering.
Edges and joints
We set an edge restraint along the sides so the pavers don't drift apart, then fill and compact the joints so the whole surface locks together.
Tell us about your driveway
Send us your driveway's rough size and whether the work reaches the street. We reply within one business day and set up a free on-site estimate, no pressure to book.
(760) 230-9799How we plan driveway pavers
Most driveway trouble starts under the pavers, so I sort out the ground, the water and the lines below before our crew digs.
- I look at it myself. I come out to see your driveway myself, and our own crew does the work with me running the site.
- Fully licensed and insured. We're fully licensed and insured, and you're welcome to ask about it when I come out.
- Permeable or standard, settled first. The first thing I settle is whether your lot suits permeable pavers or standard ones, because that choice changes the whole base.
- Utility lines marked before digging. Before anyone digs, we settle who calls to get the utility lines marked, because a shovel through a pipe or wire stops everything.
- Call to get started. Call or use the form, and mention any slope or old brickwork near the driveway so I can look at that too.
Where we work from Encinitas
Advanced Encinitas Concrete and Masonry is based in Encinitas and lays driveways in Carlsbad, Solana Beach and many cities around them. If yours isn't listed, call us and ask.
From first call to walk-through
I'd rather you know what we're doing and why before we start, so you hear it from me at the visit, in the estimate and again at the end.
Visit
I come out and walk the driveway myself, looking at the ground, the slope and where the water runs off. Then I tell you straight what I see, including anything I'd fix before laying a single paver.
Estimate
You get a written estimate for the job I described. Once you say go, we check with the city's building office and handle the permit application ourselves if the job needs one.
Work
Our own crew digs out, builds the base and lays the pavers with me running the site. When the last paver is set, I walk the finished driveway with you so you see exactly what you're getting.
Encinitas driveway paver questions
How long does it take before I can park on new driveway pavers?
You can park on concrete pavers as soon as they're installed, because they're ready for traffic right away with no cure to wait out like poured concrete. That means you get your driveway back soon after the last paver goes down. The time on the job goes into the digging and the base before that.
How do I know if permeable pavers will work for my driveway in Encinitas?
Check the groundwater first, because permeable interlocking pavers generally aren't used where groundwater sits within 2 feet of the bottom of the pavement. If yours is deeper, permeable can work. Plan on the joints settling, since they often need refilling with fine stone about three to six months after installation.
What do driveway pavers cost in Encinitas?
Paver work in San Diego usually costs about $10 to $29 per square foot installed, so treat that as a planning figure for the area, not our price. The written estimate gives you the number for your driveway.
Do I need a permit for driveway pavers in Encinitas?
You need a city encroachment permit if any of the work reaches into the public right-of-way along the street. The city's Land Development Engineering Division issues grading and right-of-way permits and lists a hardscape and drainage permit, so that's the office for questions about your lot. As our steps say, we check with the city first and file whatever the job needs.
How long do concrete driveway pavers last?
A trade group guide on permeable paving gives the paver units a 50-year design life, based on how they've held up in the field. That figure is for the pavers themselves, which is why the base under them gets most of our attention. It helps when you weigh the upfront cost against years of use.
What license does a paver contractor need in California?
Placing paving and other surfacing materials falls under the state's earthwork and paving contractor classification, set by the state licensing board. That's the classification written for this kind of work, and you can ask any contractor which license they hold before you sign.
Plan your Encinitas driveway with us
Call (760) 230-9799 or use the form, tell us what parks there and where water sits, and we'll set a time to look.