How to Lay Pavers?

Start by marking the exact area using stakes and string line. This defines your excavation boundary and helps you visualize the finished project. Use a can of marking paint to outline the area on the ground.

• Measure the area and calculate total square footage — use our Square Footage Calculator.
• Mark a slope of ¼ inch per foot away from your house or any structures for drainage. This is critical — without slope, water pools and damages your foundation.
• Check for underground utilities before digging — call 811 (US) at least 3 business days before excavating.
• Decide on your paver pattern now — running bond, herringbone, basket weave, or random. Herringbone is the strongest for driveways; running bond is easiest for beginners.

Proper excavation depth is the foundation of a long-lasting paver installation. Too shallow and your pavers will sink and shift. The total excavation depth is the sum of: gravel base + sand bedding + paver thickness.

• Excavate 6 inches beyond your marked boundary on all sides to allow for edge restraints.
• Remove all organic material — grass, roots, and topsoil. Organic matter decomposes and causes settling.
• After excavation, compact the native soil with a plate compactor before adding gravel.
• Dispose of excavated soil — approximately 1 cubic yard per 50 sq ft at 6 inches deep. Use our Fill Dirt Calculator to estimate volume.

The compacted gravel base is the most important part of the entire project. It provides structural support, prevents settling, and allows water to drain away from below the pavers.

• Use Class II base rock or crusher run gravel (also called crushed aggregate base or road base). Do NOT use pea gravel or river rock — round stones don't compact and will shift.
• Add gravel in 2–3 inch lifts, compacting each layer before adding more. Never add and compact more than 3 inches at once.
• Compact each layer with a plate compactor — make at least 3–4 passes in different directions.
• After full compaction, the base surface should be firm, flat, and graded to your desired slope (¼ inch per foot).

A 1-inch layer of coarse concrete sand provides the final leveling surface for your pavers. It allows micro-adjustments so every paver sits perfectly flat.

• Use coarse concrete sand (not fine play sand or polymeric sand). Coarse sand compacts properly under the weight of pavers. Fine sand will shift and cause unevenness.
• Set screed guides (metal conduit pipes work well) at the correct height and slope across the area.
• Drag a 2×4 screed board across the pipes to create a perfectly flat 1-inch layer.
• Do not walk on or compact the screeded sand before laying pavers — you'll create footprint depressions that are hard to fix.
• Work in sections you can pave the same day — don't screed more than you can pave.

Edge restraints prevent pavers from spreading outward over time. Without them, even the best installation will gradually creep and separate at the edges. Install restraints before laying pavers so you have a defined starting boundary.

• Use plastic paver edge restraints (available at any home improvement store, ~$0.30–$0.50 per linear foot). They're flexible, durable, and hidden once installed.
• Spike restraints into the compacted base with 10-inch spikes every 12 inches.
• On curved sections, make small cuts in the restraint flange to allow it to bend smoothly.
• Concrete or stone borders can replace plastic restraints — add a row of soldier-course pavers set in concrete for a more permanent and attractive edge.

Now the fun part. Start from a fixed, straight edge — a house wall, existing hardscape, or a string line — and work outward. Lay each paver by setting it down and giving it a firm press, not a slide.

• Start from a corner or fixed edge and work outward to avoid disturbing laid pavers.
• Place each paver by setting it straight down — never slide it, which pushes sand and misaligns joints.
• Maintain consistent joint gaps — most pavers have built-in spacer lugs. For those that don't, use plastic spacers (1/8" for tight joints, 3/16" for standard).
• Check alignment with a string line every 5–6 rows. Small misalignments compound quickly.
• Use a rubber mallet to gently tap pavers flush if they're slightly high. Never hit pavers directly with a steel hammer.
• Mix pavers from multiple pallets as you go — color and texture can vary between batches.

Cuts are inevitable along edges, around obstacles, and in corners. Save all cutting for the end — lay all the full pavers first, then measure and cut the border pieces as a final step.

• Wet saw or angle grinder with diamond blade — wet saw gives the cleanest, most precise cuts. Angle grinders work but require more skill and create more dust.
• Mark cut lines with chalk or a pencil on the paver surface.
• Always wear eye protection, hearing protection, and a dust mask when cutting.
• For simple straight cuts on concrete pavers, a brick splitter (rent ~$30/day) is fast and requires no power.
• Cut pieces should be at least one-third the size of a full paver — smaller pieces don't compact well and can pop out over time.

The final step locks everything together. Compacting embeds the pavers into the sand base, and polymeric joint sand hardens to bind the edges of each paver, preventing shifting, weed growth, and ant infestation.

• Run the plate compactor over the entire paved surface — use a rubber pad under the compactor plate to prevent scratching the paver surface.
• Make 2–3 passes in different directions to ensure all pavers are fully embedded.
• Pour polymeric joint sand over the surface and sweep it into all joints with a push broom.
• Make multiple passes — joints should be filled to within ⅛ inch of the paver surface.
• Run the compactor over the surface one more time to vibrate the sand deep into joints.
• Sweep off all excess sand from paver surfaces before wetting.
• Mist the entire surface with water to activate the polymeric binders. Don't flood — a gentle mist over 2–3 passes is ideal. Allow 24 hours to cure before foot traffic, 72 hours before vehicle traffic.