Driveway pavers in San Diego, CA - a driveway that stays level and tight
Cracked, stained or sinking concrete out front? We build paver driveways on a well-compacted base, so the surface stays level and locked together.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What goes into a paver driveway in San Diego?
A paver driveway in San Diego is a surface of interlocking concrete pavers held tight by edge restraints along its sides, so the pavers don't spread when cars roll and turn on them. At Artisan San Diego Concrete & Masonry we build them across San Diego and the cities around it, and most of the work that decides how they hold up happens underneath, in the soil and the base.
Most people call us when their old concrete has cracked, heaved or sunk, or when they want the front of the house to look finished. The price comes down to the size of the driveway, whether old concrete has to come out first, how much digging and base it needs, and the paver you pick, standard or permeable. The schedule turns mostly on tear-out and base work, and on whether the street end needs a City permit, which we check before we start. I'll give you your own figure on site when I come out to look.
Is a paver driveway right for your house?
Old concrete past saving
When a slab is cracked and sunk along most of its length, replacing it beats patching again.
A front you want finished
Pavers come in colors and patterns that can sit well with the brick, stone or stucco.
A driveway that needs widening
Pavers let us add width or a parking pad and blend it into one new layout.
Curves and odd shapes
Pavers follow curves, turnarounds and odd-shaped lots without the cut joints a poured slab needs.
How we install driveway pavers
We start by getting the underground lines marked so digging doesn't hit a pipe or a wire. Then we tear out what's there, dig down and compact the soil, lay the base in layers and compact each one, set the edge restraints, lay the pavers, sweep sand into the joints and run the compactor over the finished surface. I don't let the crew rush the compaction, because that's what keeps a paver driveway level for years.
A driveway often touches other work. On a sloped lot, the cut along one side may need a retaining wall to hold the soil back, and an older brick or stone step, pillar or planter beside the drive can get masonry restoration so it doesn't look tired next to the new surface. If you want the paving to carry on to the front door, we handle walkway construction too.
Standard interlocking pavers
This suits most driveways, because rain runs off the surface to the street or a drain and the tight joints are easy to keep clean. It's what I'd put on a busy or dusty lot.
Permeable pavers
Wider joints and an open stone base let rain soak down through the driveway instead of running off. If you're thinking about them, we'll be honest about whether your lot stays clean enough to keep them working.
Resetting an existing paver driveway
If your pavers have sunk in one spot, we can lift that section, rebuild the base under it and lay the same pavers back. I'd rather do that than tear out a driveway that's mostly sound.
What happens when you call about driveway pavers in San Diego?
Call or send a message
Call (619) 220-2261 or use the form and tell us a little about your driveway. We get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
I look at the driveway
I come out myself, ask what's been going on, look at the old surface, the slope and the street end, and measure. You get your estimate right there on site, so you know where you stand before anything is decided.
We check what's required
Once you say go, we check with your city or the county on what the job needs. If the street end falls under a City review, that has to clear before we start, and we handle the paperwork.
We build and walk through
Our own masons and helpers do the work, and I'm on site checking it as it goes, the compaction most of all. When it's done, we walk the finished driveway with you.
Driveway pavers or a poured concrete slab?
Pavers cost more but repair cleanly.
A concrete driveway is one big slab, so when it cracks or a corner sinks, the fix is a patch or a saw cut, and the repair usually shows. Pavers come up one at a time, so a low spot, a root or a pipe repair gets lifted, the base fixed and the same pavers laid back.
If you plan to stay in the house and the budget stretches, I'd go with pavers, because the repairs down the road stay small. If you want the lowest cost up front and a plain surface, a poured slab is an honest choice, and we pour concrete too.
Examples of masonry and paving work
Look through these examples of masonry and paving work, from paver driveways to walls and walkways, to get a feel for what's possible at your house.
Get a price for your new paver driveway
Tell us your driveway's rough size in square feet and whether the work reaches the curb or sidewalk. We reply within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate, with no obligation.
Why San Diego homeowners call Artisan San Diego Concrete & Masonry for driveway pavers
Learned on a San Diego crew
I started as a helper on a small masonry crew here, mixing mortar and watching older hands fix what others got wrong, then opened this business in 2023. That's three years on our own, and the habit of getting the base right came with me.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured for the work we do at your house. In California, the state licensing board has a contractor classification that covers mixing, fabricating and placing paving and other surfacing materials, which is the kind of work a paver driveway is.
The person quoting checks the work
I'm the one who comes out to give the estimate, and I'm back on site checking our masons as they compact and lay. Call (619) 220-2261 or use the form, and I'll come take a look.
Paver driveway questions
How much does a paver driveway cost in San Diego?
Installed paver work in San Diego usually costs about $10 to $29 per square foot, and that range covers paver work in general, not driveways alone. Where yours lands depends on its size, whether old concrete has to come out, how much base it needs and which paver you choose. I'll give you your own figure when I come out to look.
How long do pavers last on a driveway?
Concrete pavers carry a 50-year design life, based on how they've held up in the field. That figure covers the pavers themselves, so how long the whole driveway stays flat comes down to how well the soil and base under it were compacted.
Are permeable pavers a good idea for my San Diego driveway?
Permeable pavers work on a lot that stays fairly clean, because on a very dirty site, sediment washed in by water or dust blown in by wind can clog the surface fast. They're also generally not used where groundwater sits within 2 feet of the bottom of the pavement. The City of San Diego lists permeable pavement among its examples of site design practices, alongside rain gardens and rain barrels, and I'll tell you straight whether your lot suits them.
Do I need a City permit to redo my driveway in San Diego?
You need a Right-of-Way permit from the City of San Diego when any of the work sits in the public right of way, which on most driveways means the end that meets the street. Which City review it goes through depends on the driveway's design, as the section on work at the street below explains, and we check that before any work starts.
How long does it take to install a paver driveway in San Diego?
Most of the time on a paver driveway goes into tearing out the old surface and compacting the base, not laying the pavers, so the size of the driveway and what's under it set the pace. If the street end needs a City permit, that review comes first, and I'll tell you where it stands when I give you the estimate.
What is the best way to compare paver driveway quotes?
The best way is to ask each installer how they'll compact the soil, since that step decides how level the driveway stays and keeps settling to a minimum. Ask how the base goes in and what holds the edges, and listen for a plain answer.
Want a price for your driveway?
I'll come look at your driveway, measure it and give you your estimate right there on site.
Work that often goes with pavers
Driveway pavers in San Diego and work at the street
The part of a driveway that most often needs the City's attention is the end that meets the street. The City of San Diego requires a Right-of-Way permit for any work in the public right of way, and for anything privately owned that sits there. Removing, replacing or adding a City-standard residential driveway qualifies for the City's Rapid Review, while a driveway that isn't City-standard goes in as a submitted project with plans, uploaded online. Whether a paver driveway counts as City-standard isn't something I'd guess at, so before work starts we check with the city, or with the County of San Diego in unincorporated areas, and when a permit is required we take care of the paperwork and the inspections.
On jobs here we mostly replace older concrete driveways that have cracked or settled, often on sloped lots, and we see the same tired slabs on jobs in Chula Vista and La Mesa.