How much does installing pavers cost ?

Patio and driveway pavers are now becoming a trend that homeowners are quickly becoming part of. Although asphalt driveways and wooden patios dominated the outdoor architecture the first part of the century, they are now being replaced by all styles and designs of pavers. Regardless if you are looking to use pavers for your driveway or a patio, installing pavers can be difficult if you want to do it yourself. For paver cost, you will need to factor in the price of the material as well as your own time to backfill, level, and evenly lay each paver. Prior to tackling the job on your own, it is a good idea to get an estimate from someone who can do a professional job.

The price of paver installation depends on both the size of the area that you want to pave as well as the type of paver that you want to use. While the area may change depending on the project, the type of paver varies the cost the most as some will require more cutting and shaping by a contractor in order to make them fit according to design. Here are some of the most commonly used styles and the price that each will cost you.

Brick Pavers Prices.

Simple brick pavers are square or rectangular shaped and often resemble regular bricks. They come in all sorts of colors and you can even find them in a wide array of corner styles (square corners, rounded corners, etc.). The price for these types of pavers is generally the same no matter what size you use. For example, a 6 inch square brick paver could run you $3 while a brick twice that size will run you $6. While the overall price of each paver may change, the actual cost per square foot is roughly the same.

Brick pavers require little if any cutting or shaping. The only cutting that would need to be done is if you choose to have a mosaic design that would require some minor cutting on the edges. The estimated cost to lay brick pavers is $12 to $18 per square foot which includes the price of the pavers, the material to level the ground underneath the pavers, and the installation of the pavers.

Interlocking Pavers Prices.

Interlocking pavers come in many different shapes and are designed to give your project a more natural design. Normally, these pavers will be in a variety of different sizes that are designed to lay next to each other and complete a pattern. When you purchase interlocking pavers, you should plan on receiving at least two different size pavers with the same pattern. These pavers will need to be installed lining up with the paver that they accent. This is similar to lining up wallpaper on the interior of your house or completing a simple jigsaw puzzle.

Installation of interlocking pavers will run you a little bit more than brick pavers as there is cutting that will be involved when the pavers come to the edge of the project area. As already stated, you will also have shaping that must take place in order for the interlocking pavers to leave their desired pattern and shape. The cost to lay interlocking pavers is approximately $18 to $24 per square foot which includes backfill material and installation.

Cobble Stone Pavers Prices.

Cobble stone pavers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and there is no specific pattern or design intended from the manufacturer. They are the most natural looking paver as no two pavers will be the same shape. Cobble stone pavers allow you and your contractor to design the pattern of your project to your exact specifications. Cobble stone pavers are more costly as most of the material is natural and comes from rock quarries as opposed to molded pavers (both brick and interlocking pavers are manufactured). In addition, each piece will need to be cut and shaped in order to meet your design requirements. The cost to lay cobble stone pavers is approximately $24 to $30 per square foot which includes all materials and labor.

Installation Cost.

If you decide that you want to purchase your own pavers and then hire someone for the installation, plan on spending between $7.50 and $15 which will ultimately depend on the type of paver that you choose to have installed.

Additional Price Consideration.

Grout is something that is becoming even more popular when it comes to pavers. There is exterior grout that holds up better than normal tile grout that you would use on the interior of your home. Grout can help you with every day clean-up of areas with patio pavers as there is no dirt or debris that will get stuck in the cracks between the pavers. Grout is not something that is normally included in the installation estimate and will run you approximately $2 to $4 extra per square foot.

Make sure that you keep in mind that there could be additional costs for any type of removal of old patio or driveway material. Even if you plan on pulling up this material on your own, you will still need to pay to dispose of it. It is advised that you request a price for removal from your contractor as part of the overall project.

To get a better idea of costs, here are some pavers estimates from professionals.

 

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