10 Questions to Ask Your Brick Paver Contractor Before Hiring

1. A good paver job feels solid underfoot. Joints stay tight. Edges don’t creep. Water drains where it should. A poor job broadcasts its problems within a season, sometimes within weeks. I’ve been called to diagnose sunken bricks, wavy borders, and driveways with standing water big enough for mallards, and most of those headaches trace back to choices made before the first pallet arrived. Hiring the right brick paver contractor sets the tone for everything that follows. These ten questions cut through glossy photos and bargain quotes. They get to how a contractor thinks, not just what they say on a postcard. Ask them early, listen for specifics, and look for alignment with the conditions on your site. 1) What base system do you use, and how do you adapt it to my soil? Pavers don’t fail because of the bricks, they fail from the base up. If you only ask one technical question, make it this one. The right answer depends on your soil, freeze cycles, and load. A paver installation company that builds in sandy coastal soil has a different playbook than one working over clay with 40 freeze-thaw swings each winter. On a typical residential project, I want to hear a sequence: excavation depth tied to paver thickness and intended use, a geotextile separation layer if the native soil is soft or silty, a compacted aggregate base in lifts, and a bedding layer. For pedestrian patios in moderate climates, I’ve used 4 to 6 inches of compacted base. For brick driveway installation where SUVs and delivery vans will sit, 8 to 12 inches isn’t overkill, sometimes more where clay soils hold water. If a contractor says, “We usually do four inches,” ask why that’s right for your yard. Good installers talk in ranges and adjust for soil bearing capacity, frost depth, and drainage. Pay attention to what they call the aggregate. “Road base,” “crushed stone,” “Class 5,” and “21A” mean different things regionally. You’re listening for angular stone with fines that pack, not round pebbles that slide. For the bedding layer, washed concrete sand remains standard because it drains and allows minor leveling, but some paver brick installers prefer a setting bed of ASTM C33 sand or even a thin open-graded layer for permeable systems. The bedding layer should be thin, usually 1 inch after compaction. Anything more invites movement. Adaptation is the keyword. If you hear a one-size-fits-all base, that contractor might push the same recipe regardless of the site’s needs. I want someone who reads the soil and errs on the side of stiffness under traffic areas. 2) How do you manage water on and around the pavement? Pavers tolerate weather, but water that lingers beneath them erodes bedding, softens base, and telegraphs into dips. The best paver deck installers talk about grades like carpenters talk about square. They should describe a minimum cross slope for patios, often between 1 and 2 percent, and a flow path for runoff. If the patio meets a house, they should hold the finished surface at least 6 inches below siding or wood, and never pitch water toward the foundation.

2. Ask how they handle downspouts and adjacent soils. I once visited a new courtyard that looked perfect until a heavy rain. The downspouts dumped into the joint sand at two corners, which washed into the bedding and left the edges hollow. A simple extension and splash pad would have saved a service call. Good installers plan for where the water goes after it leaves the pavers, not just across them. If permeable pavers interest you, press for details about the sub-base storage capacity, underdrains, and maintenance. True permeable systems are more than wide joints. They require an open-graded base, no fines, and a careful design that matches soil infiltration rates. A contractor who hedges on those details might be selling you a look rather than a function. 3) What compaction equipment and testing methods do you use? Compaction is the quiet work that makes the rest of the job uneventful. You want a contractor who compacted the subgrade before adding base, who compacts the base in lifts, and who checks documented compaction or at least uses a consistent method. In clay or silt soils, a vibratory plate alone may not be enough. Rammer tampers are useful in tight spots, and heavier reversible plates shine on driveway depths. I like to hear specifics. Something like, “We place the base in 2 to 3 inch lifts and compact each pass until the plate leaves no imprint. Then we proof-roll the base,” tells me they’ve done the dance before. Some crews carry a simple moisture meter and will even wet the base to hit optimum moisture for compaction. Dry stone won’t knit the same. On the finished surface, I expect a protective pad on the compactor when seating the pavers to avoid scuffs, especially on tumbled or colored faces. The first passes should occur before joint sand goes in, then more passes after sand settles into the joints. A contractor who skips the first seating compaction or relies solely on joint sand to lock everything risks a spongy feel.

3. 4) How do you secure edges and transitions? Edges hold the field in place. If they drift, joints open, then weeds and ants move in. There are a few ways to handle edges: concrete restraints, spiked plastic edging, or built-in concrete haunches. Each has its place. In freeze-thaw climates, flexible plastic edging set on compacted base and anchored with 10-inch spikes every foot works well, provided it’s buried and supported. Concrete restraints can be fine along sidewalks but can crack and lift if set over unstable soil. Transitions to asphalt, concrete, or thresholds deserve attention. You want a uniform elevation change and a stable substrate. Where pavers meet a garage slab, a soldier course set tight with a clean saw cut looks deliberate and resists ravel. When meeting an asphalt driveway, a concrete toe or a mechanical edge restraint helps prevent pavers from nibbling their way into the softer asphalt. Ask to see photos of edges six months and two years after install. A thoughtful brick paver contractor keeps follow-up images and can explain why their edges still look tight. For decks, ask how the paver system interfaces with joists and pedestals. Suspended paver decks rely on different edge strategies than ground-set patios, and your paver deck installers should explain the load path and edge stops for wind uplift. 5) Which paver brands and styles do you recommend for this project, and why? Material choice is not just a color chart. It relates to thickness, compressive strength, slip resistance, and the look you want. Driveways want at least 60 millimeter thick pavers, often 80 millimeter where vehicles turn. Patios can carry thinner units, but some thin products sold for overlays are not suitable over new base installations. If someone proposes a 1 inch overlay on a new patio, that’s a red flag. Ask about freeze-thaw durability and efflorescence. Reputable brands publish technical data, including absorption rates and strengths. If your site sees ice, a textured surface helps underfoot. Smooth shot-blast finishes look sleek but can film in winter. Tumbled pavers hide chips from dropped tools better than crisp-edged slabs, useful in outdoor kitchens. It’s also fair to discuss patterns and laying bonds. A herringbone pattern resists shear in driveways far better than a running bond, which can show lines under turning tires. Contractors who talk through pattern choice in service of function, not just style, think like builders, not catalog salespeople. 6) What is included in your estimate, and what counts as a change? Clarity up front prevents friction later. A clean estimate breaks out excavation, base material, bedding, pavers, edge restraints, joint sand, disposal, and any extras like lighting, steps, or sealing. If the estimate lists only a square footage price, ask for the components. When I price a brick driveway installation, I separate base thickness and aggregate quantities. This makes it easier to adjust if we hit unexpected soft spots and need more stone. Hidden conditions lurk under lawns. Buried concrete, old pavers, or poor soils can add time and material. A professional paver installation company sets a unit rate for unexpected excavation or extra base and writes it into the contract. If changes arise, they should walk you through the reason before proceeding. Avoid agreements that allow the contractor to “use what’s necessary” without defining how they measure it. Note the payment schedule. Reasonable terms scale with progress: deposit to reserve the slot and order materials, a draw after base is in and approved, and final payment after walkthrough. Be cautious with large front-loaded deposits that exceed material costs. 7) Who will be on site, and what does a typical day look like? A contractor’s crew defines your day-to-day experience. The best crews show up with a plan, keep the site safe, and tidy up at the end. If the owner sells the job but subs it out without oversight, you need to know. There are talented subcontract crews, but accountability should sit with the company you hire. Ask how many people will be on site and who leads them. A solid patio crew runs three to five people: one on excavation and base prep, one on screeding and laying, and one or two on cutting, edging, and cleanup. Driveways often need a larger team for logistics. If the contractor shrugs and says, “Depends who’s free,” expect inconsistency.

4. Noise and access matter too. Saw cuts are loud. Compactors rattle windows. You should hear when those occur each day and how the crew protects adjacent surfaces. In tight neighborhoods, a good crew communicates with neighbors about parking and deliveries. 8) How do you handle cutting, dust control, and safety? Paver cutting generates silica dust, which is a real hazard if not controlled. You want a contractor who uses wet saws, vacuum attachments, or both. Dry-cutting with a gas saw throws a visible cloud and coats everything downwind. I keep a bucket and sponge on hand to wipe slurry splatter off nearby siding when wet cutting, and we set a sacrificial plywood board behind cuts near walls to catch overspray. Ask how they handle electrical lines, irrigation, and shallow gas or cable. A standard practice is hotline marking before digging, and you should see colored flags before excavation starts. Many problems come from nicked irrigation lines at 2 inches deep. A careful crew hand digs near foundations and utilities and tests zones after backfill. They’ll carry GFCI protection when using electric tools outdoors and keep cords off wet surfaces. Knife-edged pavers and saws mean gloves, eye protection, and hearing protection should be the norm, not the exception. Look at job photos. You can tell when safety is a habit. 9) What’s your approach to joint sand and sealing, and how do you prevent weeds? Joint sand holds pavers laterally and helps distribute loads. Joint material quality matters. Washed, https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-artificial-grass-pros/?viewAsMember=true angular sand compacts well. Polymer-modified joint sands harden and resist washout when installed correctly, but they can haze paver surfaces if applied sloppily or compacted while the surface is dusty. A careful installer sweeps, blows, and checks the surface before misting according to the sand manufacturer’s instructions, with light passes and adequate drying time. In shaded or cool conditions, they’ll adjust timing. Sealers are optional and context-dependent. They can deepen color, add sheen, and protect against oil stains on driveways. They also require maintenance and can peel if trapped moisture pushes upward. I rarely seal new patios immediately. I prefer to let them go through a season, clean them, and then seal if the owner wants the look or stain resistance. If a contractor pushes sealing as mandatory on day one, ask why and what product they use. Brick behaves differently from concrete pavers and usually breathes more. Wrong sealer, wrong timing, and you inherit a blotchy surface that is hard to fix. Weeds don’t spring up from beneath a well-built base, they germinate in windblown dust that settles in joints. You minimize them by keeping joints full, blowing debris off periodically, and treating early. Polymer sands help, but they are not a force field. Any contractor promising “no weeds ever” is overreaching. 10) What warranty do you offer, and how do you handle service calls?

5. Warranty language can be a tell. Manufacturers often cover pavers against defects for long stretches, sometimes with transferrable warranties, but those don’t cover install errors. The installer’s warranty fills that gap. One to three years on workmanship is common for patios. Driveways may be shorter if heavy trucks routinely use them. What matters more than duration is the response. Ask for an example of a callback they handled. Did they reset a sunken corner and adjust downspouts nearby? Did they refill joints after the first couple of rains? I track service calls because they teach us. In one case, a set of steps settled an inch over winter. We had compacted well, but a leaky downspout soaked the soil behind the risers. We fixed the steps, re-routed the downspout, and added a small drain tile run. It cost us a day and a couple bags of base, but it saved the client’s trust. You want a contractor who looks for root causes, not just quick patches. Reading the answers: what separates a pro from a pretender Competence sounds specific. It references numbers, materials, and sequences. It draws lines between what’s acceptable and what’s not. A seasoned brick paver contractor has made enough mistakes to keep from repeating them and enough successes to know when to push for a detail. They will nudge you away from thin pavers on a driveway or a pale, smooth slab on a shady north patio that turns slick. They’ll ask how you plan to use the space before they sketch a shape. A few subtle tells help. When they talk about base, do they ask to dig a test hole to see the soil? When they discuss drainage, do they pull out a level and spot the high and low points, or do they eyeball it from the driveway? During the estimate, do they measure the access path to see if a mini skid steer fits, or do they assume wheelbarrows will be fine? These small moves reveal their planning habit. A short checklist to use during your contractor meeting Ask them to walk the site and narrate the drainage plan in plain terms. Request the base and bedding details in inches, material types, and compaction steps. Confirm who leads the crew, how long the job will take, and how the schedule handles weather. Review edge restraint choices, cutting methods, and dust control on your property. Get the warranty in writing, with an example of a past service call and resolution. Budget, value, and when to spend a little more Costs range widely. As of the past couple of years in many regions, patios often land between the mid teens to mid thirties per square foot depending on access, depth of base, and paver selection. Driveways can climb beyond that, especially with thick pavers, deep base, and complex borders. If an estimate undercuts the field by 25 percent or more, the savings usually come from thinner base, faster prep, or lighter compaction. That may look fine for a season, then settle into a repair bill. Spending a bit more on the base pays dividends you don’t see every day. On a 400 square foot patio, adding two inches of base might cost a few hundred dollars in stone and labor. Compare that to the cost, hassle, and disruption of resetting a sunken corner under your grill in year two. Likewise, investing in proper drainage around a paver deck or entry can save a door threshold or keep meltwater from icing the first step. Where you can economize without risk: simplify borders, choose a standard color, and avoid excessive inlay patterns. These affect labor more than performance. Where you should resist thrift: base depth, compaction time, and edge restraints. Special scenarios that deserve extra questions Steep driveways and hillside patios: Ask about retaining details, geogrid, and the interface between pavers and walls. Cars turning on slopes exert lateral loads you need to resist, and herringbone patterns earn their keep here. Clay-heavy soils: Press for geotextiles under the base to separate fines. Without fabric, clay pumps into the base when it’s wet and vibrated, which hollows the layer over time. Shaded, tree-lined yards: Anticipate root growth and leaf litter. Edges near trees might need root barriers or simply a plan for re-leveling sections in a few years. Joint maintenance will be more frequent due to debris. Pool decks: Ask about slip rating, chlorine and salt exposure, and coping details. Paver deck installers should detail how they set the coping, waterproof interfaces, and manage expansion joints at the pool shell. Heavy vehicle use: Delivery trucks are heavier than they used to be. If your driveway sees frequent box trucks, design for that. An 80 millimeter paver, thicker base, and possibly a reinforced concrete edge at the street cut can be prudent.

6. What a professional process looks like, day by day On a well-run project, the first day often handles layout and excavation. Strings mark the finished height. The crew digs to allow for base and bedding, then proof-compacts the subgrade. If the soil looks spongy, they call you over, explain, and propose extra stabilization. The second phase builds the base in compacted lifts. Geotextile goes down over soft soils. Each lift gets compacted until it doesn’t deflect under the plate, and the crew checks elevations against strings or a laser. They’ll leave the base high by the expected compaction of the bedding layer. Next, they set screed rails and pull the bedding sand or chip layer tight, avoiding footprints. Pavers go down in pattern, usually off the longest straight edge. Cuts follow once the field is in. The crew sets edge restraints onto the compacted base, not just into loose soil, and spikes them tight. Compaction seats the pavers, then joint sand fills the voids. More compaction settles the joint material. The crew sweeps and blows the surface clean. If using polymeric sand, they follow the misting schedule, avoiding over-saturation that floats the polymers. Finally, they walk the site, adjust a low corner, check transitions at doors and downspouts, and stage leftover pavers under your deck for future repairs. A neat job ends with a tidy stack of spare units, a clean driveway, and a crew that thanks your neighbor for their patience with the saw noise. That last bit tells you as much as anything about the team you hired. How to compare similar-looking quotes Line up three quotes with scope broken out. Normalize the base depth, paver thickness, and edge method. If one quote calls for 4 inches of base and another for 8, ask both what they recommend after seeing your soil. Apples-to-apples comparisons expose where the savings or premiums live. Also compare schedules. A crew that can start tomorrow might be wonderful, or they might be filling gaps between larger jobs. Ask how they handle rain delays and whether they stack projects or focus on one at a time. Beyond price and timeline, weigh responsiveness. The contractor who returns calls during estimating usually returns calls during a warranty claim. The one who writes a clear scope with drawings is more likely to build what you expect. When you’ve heard the right answers The right contractor gives you clear next steps, not vague promises. They’ll offer a start window and a lead time for materials. They’ll suggest a pre-job walkthrough to confirm access, hose bibs, and material staging, and they’ll ask you to clear the path and mark any hidden utilities like dog fence wire. They’ll give you care tips: keep cars off a new driveway for a couple of days, avoid pressure washing at high PSI too soon, top up joint sand after initial settlement if needed.

7. Most of all, they’ll make the complicated parts feel manageable. The ground will look different for a week, then you’ll have a surface that works the way you want it to. That feeling of ease is not luck. It comes from the practices behind each answer to your questions. Choose the brick paver contractor who takes your site, your climate, and your use seriously. The bricks are the visible part. What makes them last is mostly underneath, in the choices they make that you only see if you ask.