Driveway Pavers in El Dorado Hills CA - A Surface That Stays Flat Under Your Cars
Cracked, sinking or patched-up driveway? We lay interlocking pavers on a packed, layered base with solid edges, so they stay level and tight.
Get your paver driveway looked at
We answer seven days a week, from early morning until 11 PM, so call (916) 260-2151 when it suits you or send us the form.
What goes into a paver driveway in El Dorado Hills?
At P&J El Dorado Hills Concrete & Masonry, we build driveway pavers in El Dorado Hills as interlocking concrete pavers on a packed crushed-rock base, held in by edge restraints so they don't spread when you drive on them.
A lot of folks call me when their concrete driveway has cracked, sunk or been patched so many times it looks like a quilt, and pavers are a good way to start over, since one broken paver can be lifted out and reset instead of cutting out a whole slab. The price mostly moves with the size of the driveway, how deep the base has to go, whether drain pipe goes in and whether an old driveway has to come out first, while the schedule turns on that tear-out, any permit or district approval, and the weather. My written estimate puts each of those on paper so you can see where the money goes.
Why El Dorado Hills homeowners call P&J for paver driveways
The owner prices your job
I look the job over and write your estimate myself, then check in while our lead mason and crew do the work. The person who priced it keeps an eye on it.
Inspection-grade habits since 2013
I learned masonry on a city public works crew, where nothing got signed off until it passed inspection, and I started this business in 2013. That's why I care about the base you'll never see.
Licensed, insured, permits handled
We're fully licensed and insured. If your driveway needs a permit from El Dorado County, we handle the application and inspections, so you're not left sorting it out.
On a paver driveway, the part that counts ends up buried, so it's worth asking any builder exactly how they'll do it. When you want my answer for your driveway, call or send us a message and I'll come take a look.
How we lay driveway pavers, from the dirt up
Most of a paver driveway is the part you'll never see, so that's where we put our time. We dig out the old surface and soft soil, then lay crushed rock in layers and pack each one down before the next goes on, so nothing underneath is left loose. Paving industry guidance calls for a thicker rock base under a driveway than under a walkway, and deeper still on some sites and under heavy traffic, so we set the depth for your ground and the cars it'll carry. Where clay or other slow-draining soil sits underneath, the same guidance recommends drain pipe in the base and says the small extra cost pays back many times over in a longer-lasting driveway, so I'll tell you straight if yours needs it. Then we level a thin sand bed, lay the pavers in your pattern, set the edge restraints that keep them from spreading under your tires, and sweep sand into the joints so the whole surface locks together.
A new driveway often brings the rest of the front yard into question. If the driveway runs along a bank, retaining wall construction holds that soil back with drainage behind the wall, so it doesn't slump onto your new pavers. If the steps, columns or brick planters near it are crumbling, our masonry restoration work repairs them so the old masonry doesn't look tired next to the new surface.
Sand-set concrete pavers
This is the standard paver driveway, pavers on a thin sand bed over packed rock, and it suits most homes and most cars. It's also the easiest to fix later, since a stained or cracked paver lifts right out.
Permeable pavers
These have open joints filled with small stone so rain soaks through instead of running down the driveway. They work best where no loose dirt washes onto the surface and no dust blows in, because either one can clog the joints fast.
Tearing out an old driveway
If concrete or asphalt is already there, we break it out and haul it off before we dig for the base. You'll see that removal as its own line on the estimate, so you know what it adds.
How can you tell it's time for a paver driveway?
Cracks across the concrete
Long cracks that keep widening, or slabs tipping up at the seams, usually mean the ground under the concrete has moved. Patches seldom last, and every rain season lets more water into the break.
Edges creeping into the lawn
When pavers along the side drift outward and gaps open in the middle, the edge restraint has usually failed. Left alone, the gaps grow and pavers start rocking under your car.
Water standing after rain
Puddles that sit on the driveway or against the garage usually mean water isn't draining off or through the base. The longer it sits, the more it softens the ground holding everything up.
Sand gone from the joints
Empty joints, weeds and pavers that click when you drive over them mean the joint sand has washed out. Without it the pavers lose their grip on each other and begin to shift.
What happens after you call about a paver driveway?
Call and I come look
Call or send a message and I'll come out myself to look at the driveway with you. You get a written estimate that spells out the base depth and edging.
We handle permits, then build
If the job needs a permit, we take care of it before we start. Our lead mason and crew then build it, and I stop by to check the work.
Walk the finished driveway together
When the last joint is swept full, we walk the driveway together so you can see the edges and surface and ask anything. We clean up before we go.
Paver driveway questions, answered
These are the questions I hear most when I'm standing in someone's driveway. If yours isn't here, ask me when I come out to look at the job.
How much does a paver driveway cost in El Dorado Hills?
In the Sacramento area, a sand-based concrete paver driveway with the base included usually costs about $16 to $20 per square foot. That figure doesn't cover tearing out an old driveway, so get that step priced separately, and your own number moves with the size, the base depth and whether drain pipe goes in. My written estimate gives you the figure for your driveway.
Which office issues a driveway permit in El Dorado Hills?
If your driveway meets a County road, El Dorado County's Department of Transportation issues the Encroachment Permit when that road's speed limit is over 25 mph, and the County's Building Department handles slower roads. That permit covers the part of the driveway in the right-of-way, the public strip along the road, along with things like landscaping placed there. We find out which office covers your address and handle the application, here and in the cities around us across El Dorado, Sacramento and Placer counties.
Do I need a grading permit or CSD approval for a paver driveway in El Dorado Hills?
You might, because El Dorado County requires grading permits in its unincorporated area to protect property and keep pollution out of creeks and streams. If your lot is in the El Dorado Hills Community Service District's architecturally controlled area, the district has to approve your plans before the County will issue a grading permit, and missing that approval can hold the permit up. We sort out what applies to your lot before any digging starts.
How long do paver driveways last?
Good concrete pavers on a well-prepared base can last for generations with almost no upkeep, according to the paver industry's guidance, when they're installed to its guidelines. The base is what decides it, so when you compare bids, look at how each one prepares the base and how deep it goes.
What causes pavers to sink in a driveway?
Pavers usually sink because the soil or base under them wasn't packed down well enough, so it keeps settling under the weight of your cars. Water trapped in the base, a sand bed laid too thick or joint sand that's washed out can do it too, so it's fair to ask any contractor how they pack each layer.
How do I pick a contractor for a paver driveway in El Dorado Hills?
Pick the one who can tell you exactly what goes under the pavers, because the base, the edging and the drainage decide how the driveway holds up. In California, the state licensing board's C-12 Earthwork and Paving class covers grading, digging and laying paving, so it's reasonable to ask what license a bidder holds.
Get a written paver driveway estimate
Tell us the driveway's rough size, the street it meets and whether an old driveway comes out, and we'll reply within one business day. I'll come look for free and send a written estimate, no obligation.
Paver driveway ideas
Other work around your driveway
Retaining wall construction
A widened driveway often leaves a cut bank beside it, and a wall with proper drainage behind it keeps soil and runoff from spilling onto the pavers.
Learn moreMasonry restoration
Brick and stone around your entry wear with age, and bringing them back while we're already on site makes the front of your house look like one job.
Learn more