Driveway Pavers in Santa Cruz CA - A Firm Base and Edges That Keep Pavers in Place
Asphalt cracking or a slab that's heaved? We lay interlocking pavers on a packed base, with edges that hold them tight, so the driveway stays put.
Are driveway pavers right for your house?A straight answer in Santa Cruz
If your asphalt is cracking or an old concrete slab has broken up, driveway pavers in Santa Cruz are worth a look. A paver driveway is interlocking concrete pieces laid over a packed base, and the joints between them help keep down the cracking you usually get with asphalt and concrete.
The price mostly moves with the size of the driveway, what has to come out first, how deep the base goes, the pavers you pick and whether the work reaches the sidewalk or street. The schedule turns on those same things, plus any permit. Your written estimate spells out what we'll do and why.
Most driveways we see around here are older concrete or asphalt that's done its time. If yours reaches the sidewalk or street, we sort out the city side before we dig, because nobody wants a permit question with the old driveway already sitting in a dumpster.
Call me at (831) 201-6259 for a plain answer on whether pavers suit your driveway, and if they don't, I'll say so.
Paver driveways we build and rebuild
Every driveway starts from something different, an old slab, a strip of gravel, a slope, so we plan the tear-out, the base and the edges around what's already there.
Interlocking concrete pavers
This is the standard paver driveway, set tight over a packed base with a solid edge holding it in. It suits most front driveways and takes a car well.
Replacing asphalt or concrete
We break out and haul off the old surface, then dig down far enough for a proper base instead of laying new pavers over whatever failed.
Permeable pavers
Wider joints filled with stone let rain soak through instead of running off the driveway. They suit some lots and not others, and I'll tell you which yours is.
Driveways on a slope
A driveway cut into a hillside often needs a wall to hold the bank beside it, and we handle that through our retaining wall construction work.
Why people hire J&L in Santa Cruzfor driveways and the brick around them
I'd rather tell you a job isn't worth doing than sell it to you, and that goes for driveways too. You'll deal with me from the first look onward.
The owner looks at every job
I come out to look at every job myself, and my crew does the work with me on site, so the person who bid your driveway is there when it's built.
In business since 2013
We've run this business since 2013. That's 13 years of seeing which work holds up and which gets called back for.
Licensed and insured
We're licensed and insured. If you're comparing bids, that's the first thing to check with anyone who's going to dig up your driveway.
Base and edges spelled out
We'll tell you how thick the base is and what holds the edges, because a paver driveway is only as good as what's under it.
Older brick and stone, too
We're best known for repointing and masonry restoration on older brick and stone, so if the steps or walls by your driveway need work, I can look at those while I'm there.
Book a paver driveway estimatewith J&L in Santa Cruz
Send your address, say whether the work reaches the sidewalk or street or fronts Highway 1 or 9, and mention any plans to widen. We'll reply within one business day, and I'll come out for a free estimate at your property, with no pressure to book.
From first call to finisheda driveway done once
You deal with me from the first look to the walkthrough, and the written estimate tells you what we'll do and why before anything gets dug up.
You call or write in
Call (831) 201-6259 or send the form with your address and a few words about the driveway, and I'll set a time to come out.
I look at it myself
I walk the driveway, check how water runs off it and where it meets the sidewalk. You get a written estimate that says what we'll do and why.
Permits come first
We find out whether the city or the county covers your address. If the work reaches the sidewalk or street, the permit has to be issued before anyone starts, so we pull it and line up the inspections.
Dig, base, edges, pavers
My crew and I tear out the old surface, pack the base, set the edges and lay the pavers. Permit work gets an on-site visit from the City Inspector, and that inspection is part of the permit cost.
Walkthrough before we're done
I walk it with you before we call it finished, and any sidewalk, curb or gutter we worked on goes back to the city's standard. Pavers take traffic right away, so you can park on it.
Paver driveway questions
When does a driveway need a city Concrete Permit in Santa Cruz?
In the City of Santa Cruz, you need a Concrete Permit from Public Works when a driveway is built, torn out or repaired in the public right-of-way, which takes in the sidewalk and street. The city's requirements list a Class A General Engineering or C8 Concrete license for that permit, and along Highway 1 or Highway 9 a separate Caltrans permit has to come first. For work that stays on your own lot, we check with the city or county for your address before we schedule anything.
How long do paver driveways last, and what upkeep do they need?
A properly installed paver driveway needs little upkeep and can stay good-looking for decades, but that lifespan rides on the install, so ask any installer how they build it. Cars and feet bring dirt, stains and wear, so upkeep means cleaning, getting stains out and, if it's needed, stabilizing or sealing the sand in the joints.
Can pavers be reused after utility repairs?
Yes, the same pavers can be lifted for a repair to a utility line or the base underneath, then set back in place. That's a real advantage over asphalt and concrete, where a utility cut leaves a patch you'll be looking at for years.
Do Santa Cruz stormwater rules apply if I widen my driveway?
They may, because the city's stormwater standards can apply to driveway expansion and to projects that disturb soil. Depending on the size and scope, you may need to send runoff to landscaped areas, add rain gardens or complete the city's Low Impact Development Site Design Checklist. Tell us about any widening plans at the estimate so we can plan for it.
How much does a paver driveway cost in Santa Cruz?
A paver driveway's price in Santa Cruz comes down to its size, what has to be torn out and hauled off, how deep the base goes, which pavers you choose and whether the work reaches the street. Widening the driveway or adding a wall on a slope adds to it, and your written estimate puts a figure on your job.
What is the best way to compare paver driveway bids?
Ask each installer how thick the base will be and what will hold the edges, because those two answers decide whether the pavers stay put. Industry guidance calls for at least 6 inches of base under a home driveway on well-drained ground, and it says flat metal or plastic landscape edging can't hold interlocking pavers tight. We'll tell you both before we start.
Driveway pavers from Santa Cruz outward
We're based in Santa Cruz and lay paver driveways across the cities around it, from the coast over the hill and plenty of places in between. Pick your city below, or call if yours isn't listed.
Price your Santa Cruz paver drivewaybefore you pick a contractor
Call (831) 201-6259, email hi@santacruzconcreteandmasonry.com or use the form. If fresh asphalt or concrete would serve your driveway better than pavers, I'll tell you so at the estimate instead of selling you something you don't need.