Questions we get before a job

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Clear the area of furniture and planters, and tell us about anything buried that isn't on the public map: an irrigation line, a dog fence, low-voltage lights. We call 811 before we dig, and public utilities are marked for free. Mark sprinkler heads you want to keep.

Columbus and the suburbs around it, in Franklin, Delaware and Fairfield counties. The service area page lists the towns and the places we don't go.

Not in-house. If you want to spread the cost, a home-equity line or a personal loan from your own bank or credit union is the usual route. Compare its rate and terms before you sign, and ask us for the estimate in writing first.

Settling, shifting pavers and failed edges, in the first three years from the walk-through. It doesn't cover cracks from impact, staining, salt damage or movement from outside work. The full terms, limits and exclusions are on the warranty page.

Work in the public right-of-way, such as a driveway apron, and some walls and steps need one in most Columbus-area cities. We tell you at the visit whether your job does and who applies. The permit fee is not in the estimate unless the estimate says it is.

Some will try. Joint sand locks the pavers and slows both. Sweep it, top it up when it drops, and pull anything that sprouts early. A tight base and tight joints do more than any sealer.