“They dug out the old cracked slab and showed me the stone going down in layers, with the compactor between each one. The patio has stayed flat through two winters.”
Angela B.Patio, Grandview Heights
Paver patios and driveways
Dig deep. Pack tight. Then lay the pavers.
Most paver failures start under the paver. We excavate, build the base in compacted lifts and set the edges before the first paver goes down, and the depth is written in your estimate.
- Base depth in writing
- 811 called before we dig
- Final walk-through with the owner
The cross-section
What's under your patio
Six layers. Four are out of sight when we leave, which is why we write them down. These are typical depths; your soil and your load set yours.
- 01Top
Step 1: Pavers
Concrete pavers chosen for the load: 60 mm (about 2⅜ in.) for a patio or walk, 80 mm (about 3⅛ in.) for a driveway. Laid tight in the pattern you picked, cut at the edges, never forced.
- 02Locks it
Step 2: Joint sand
Swept into every joint, then the surface is compacted again so the pavers lock together. A last pass the day after, once the sand has settled.
- 03About 1 in.
Step 3: Bedding sand
One inch of coarse sand, screeded flat. It levels the pavers. It isn't structure, so we never use it to fill low spots in the base.
- 044–6 in. patio, 8–12 in. driveway
Step 4: Compacted stone base
Crushed stone spread in lifts of about 4 in. and run over with a plate compactor, lift after lift. Thicker where the soil is soft or the load is a truck. Your depth is written in your estimate.
- 05When the dig calls for it
Step 5: Fabric, where the soil needs it
Much of central Ohio is clay. Where it's soft or holds water, geotextile fabric goes under the stone so the base doesn't sink into the soil.
- 06Before any stone
Step 6: Dug-out, compacted soil
We take out the sod and topsoil, shape the soil underneath to fall away from the house, and compact it before any stone arrives. A patio falls about ¼ in. per foot.
What we build
Three jobs, one way of building them
Patios, driveways, and the walks and steps between them. Each page says what goes under it and what decides the cost.
Patios
Back and side patios, sitting walls and fire-pit pads on a base sized for foot traffic and furniture.
Patios
Driveways
Paver driveways and aprons on a deeper base, because a truck is a different load from a chair.
Driveways
Walks and steps
Front walks, side-yard paths and steps, cut to fall away from the house and the door.
Walks and steps
Trained and enrolled
Who is on your job, and what they've taken
Our installer certificate, the paver programs we're enrolled in and our coverage, each with its card to show. The warranty terms are on their own page, so you can read them before you sign.
Installer certificate
Concrete Paver Installer
Course and exam from the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute on base, bedding, laying and edge restraint. The certificate number is in the footer.
Paver manufacturer programs
Installer programs of the pavers we use
Each paver brand runs its own installer program. We list the brands we're enrolled in and the tier of each, and show the card on request.
Coverage
Workers' compensation coverage
Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation · Policy 000000
Covers our crew on your job. Ask for the certificate.
How pricing works
No two yards dig the same, so there is no price list
We don't post prices because the cost sits under the pavers, in how deep we dig and how much stone goes down. This is what moves the number and when you see it.
What decides the price
Four things do most of it. Everything else is a rounding error.
Area and shape: square feet, curves, how many cuts.
Dig and haul-off: how deep we excavate and how far the spoil goes.
Base: how much stone the soil and the load call for.
Pavers and edges: brand, thickness, pattern, borders, steps.
What the estimate includes, and what it doesn't
One written scope, line by line. If it isn't on the page it isn't in the price.
In: dig, base depth, bedding sand, pavers, edge restraint, joint sand, haul-off, cleanup.
Out: city permits and fees, drainage work not listed, moving private lines, sealing unless you ask.
What happens at the visit
Sapna or Tri walks the yard, measures, probes the soil and checks the slope and access for a skid steer. It takes about an hour. They tell you then when the written estimate will reach you.
How and when you pay
A deposit books the date and orders the pavers. A second payment is due when the base is in and you've walked it. The balance is due when the job is done. Your estimate lists each amount and its due date.
If the job changes
Buried concrete, soft clay and old footings turn up when we dig. We photograph it, show you, and agree the added cost in writing before the work goes on. The rate for extra dig-out and extra stone is on the estimate from the start.
Materials and who buys them
We order the pavers and the stone. You choose the paver at the visit from physical samples. We order a little over the area for cuts and breakage, and what's left stays with you.
Prices are written on your estimate. We don't give a number over the phone for a yard we haven't seen.
Before you sign anything
Ask us how deep we'd dig
Any paver company can quote a patio. Ask each one the base depth, how many lifts and what goes under it where the soil is clay. We'll answer in writing.
Who runs it
Tri Truong, owner
Tri runs the crew and does the final walk-through on every job.
He learned pavers on other crews, took the installer course and started this company to build patios the slow way, base first. Sapna Bhandari measures every yard and writes every estimate. Floyd Younger leads the crew in the field. If a day moves, one of the three of them calls you.
Same estimator at the visit and on the phone
Crew leader on site every day
Owner at the walk-through
Tri Truong
Owner
From the yard
What homeowners say after the pavers are down
“The estimate named the base depth for the driveway. Floyd found buried concrete at the apron, sent a photo before anyone asked for money, and we agreed the extra in writing.”
Marwan K.Driveway, Gahanna
“I wanted a walk and three steps to the side door. Sapna drew the slope on the estimate, and the water runs away from the house now instead of toward it.”
Iwona W.Walk and steps, Powell
Sample reviews.
Where we build
Columbus and the suburbs around it
One yard crew and one estimator cover a tight circle, so the person who measures your yard is the person who answers your call.
Franklin County
- Columbus
- Bexley
- Grandview Heights
- Upper Arlington
- Worthington
- Dublin
- Westerville
- Gahanna
- Hilliard
- Grove City
- Reynoldsburg
- New Albany
Delaware County
- Powell
- Lewis Center
- Delaware
Fairfield County
- Pickerington
- Canal Winchester
We don't take jobs south of Lancaster or Circleville, east of Newark, or north of Marysville, and we don't pave commercial parking lots or pour concrete.
Questions
What people ask before they call
How much does a paver patio or driveway cost?
It depends on the area, how deep we dig, how much stone the soil calls for and which paver you pick. We don't give a number for a yard we haven't seen. At the visit we measure and probe the soil, and the written estimate lists every line. The section on how pricing works explains what moves it.
How soon can you start, and how long does a job take?
Your estimate gives a start window and a finish window. A patio is usually a matter of working days once the base is in. A driveway takes longer, and the dig and the base are most of it. Frozen ground stops us more than rain does.
Are you licensed and insured?
Ohio doesn't issue a statewide license for paver installation. The footer lists what we do hold: workers' compensation coverage and an installer certificate, each with its number. Ask for a copy of either and we'll send it before the job.
What happens at the estimate visit?
Sapna or Tri walks the yard, measures, probes the soil, checks the slope and the machine access, and talks through pattern and color with samples in hand. It takes about an hour. They tell you when the written estimate will arrive before they leave.
How do I pay?
In stages: a deposit when you accept, a second payment when the base is in and you've walked it, and the balance when the job is done. Each amount and due date is on your estimate. We take a check or a bank transfer.
What if it rains, snows or freezes?
Rain delays the dig and the sand, not the whole job, and we'll tell you when a day moves. We don't lay pavers on frozen ground or on a wet, soft base. In a hard freeze the job waits, and the base is covered, not left open.
Written estimate
Tell us about the yard
Say what you want built and where. Sapna or Tri calls to set a time to walk the yard, and the written estimate follows the visit.
Call or text(614) 555-0100
Yard office1845 Leonard Ave, Columbus, OH 43219
Hours
- Monday – FridayToday
- 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- SaturdayToday
- 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. (estimates only)
- SundayToday
- Closed