What a complete patio quote includes
A patio quote is usually a price per square foot for a surface. The surface is the cheap part. What sits under it is the patio.
Most of this list is buried by the time you see the finished job, which makes it the part to read before you sign rather than after.
Under the surface
This is the patio. The pavers are the part you look at.
Excavation and base depth
Look for That base depth is tied to site conditions rather than stated as a flat number.
We excavate and compact to the depth your soil and the climate actually call for. It is deliberately not a fixed figure, because the honest answer depends on what we find when we dig.
Definition →Compaction in lifts
Look for The word lifts, or a description of compacting in stages.
Base material compacted in several passes behaves very differently from base dumped in and compacted once. Settlement after the build is the evidence.
Bedding sand screeded level
Look for A bedding layer line, separate from the base.
The screeded bedding layer is what decides whether the finished surface reads flat or wavy.
Drainage slope away from the house
Look for A slope or grade figure.
We build a minimum 2 percent slope away from the home on every patio, checked before the surface goes down and again after it is complete.
Definition →Holding it together
A paver field is only as stable as its edges.
Edge restraint on every paver installation
Look for An edge restraint line, in plastic or concrete.
Edge restraint holds the outer courses under foot traffic and freeze-thaw movement. Without it the field spreads and the joints open up.
Definition →Jointing sand
Look for What goes in the joints once the pavers are down.
Jointing sand is what locks the units against each other and turns a field of separate pavers into one surface.
The surface itself
Where two quotes can say "pavers" and mean very different amounts of work.
The product, by name
Look for Manufacturer and product line, not just "pavers" or "stone".
We work with Oldcastle, Barkman, Holland, and Cheswick lines, from small format through large slabs. Size, colour, and texture all sit inside the word "paver".
The laying pattern
Look for The pattern named, not just the area.
A running bond and a herringbone are not the same labour over the same square footage. More cuts and more pieces per area means more time, and the pattern is the driver.
Cuts and edge detail
Look for How curves and edges are handled.
Curved edges, borders, and inlays all mean saw work. It is worth knowing whether that is in the number.
The job around the build
Real work that has to happen whether or not it was written down.
Excavated material and disposal
Look for Where the spoil goes.
A patio excavation produces a lot of material, and hauling it away is a real cost.
Removing what is there now
Look for A demolition line if you have an existing slab or deck.
Breaking out and disposing of old concrete is separate work from building the new patio.
Site access
Look for Rarely written down. Ask.
Gravel in, spoil out, then pallets of pavers back in again. Do that with a machine and it is a couple of days. Do it through a 3 foot gate with a wheelbarrow and it is most of the job.
Definition →Send us the quote and we will walk you through it.
Bring us the written estimate you already have and we will go through it line by line so you understand what is in it, what is not, and what the words mean. No obligation and no pressure. If it covers everything above, we will tell you that too.
Common questions
How deep should the base be under a paver patio?
It depends on your soil, drainage, and what is already there, which is why we do not publish a single number. We excavate and compact to the depth the site actually calls for and walk through what we found before the surface goes down. A quote that states one fixed depth for every job has decided the answer before seeing the ground.
What is edge restraint and why does a patio need it?
Edge restraint is a fixed border, in plastic or concrete, holding the outer courses of pavers in place. Without it the outside edge gradually creeps outward under foot traffic and freeze-thaw movement, the joints open, and the pattern loses its lines.
Does the paver pattern change the price?
Yes, noticeably. A herringbone pattern requires more cuts and places more individual pieces over the same area than a running bond, so labour scales with the piece count rather than just the square footage.
How much slope does a patio need?
We build a minimum 2 percent slope away from the house on every patio. It is checked before the surface goes down and confirmed after the build. A patio that is dead level sends water wherever the ground already went, which is often toward the foundation.
Why does settlement happen after a patio is built?
Most often because the base was not compacted in lifts. Base material compacted in several passes behaves very differently from material dumped in and compacted once at the end.
Checklists for other builds
Quoting more than one thing? Each build has its own list of what belongs in the document.