Sunken Paver Repair done so it stays flat
The dip in the drive is a base problem. We fix the base, not the surface.
What actually goes wrong
Here is the honest version: a sunken paver is a symptom. The base under it lost material, usually to water, and the surface settled into the gap. Resetting the pavers without correcting the base just buys you a season.
Our ground is sand over limestone in most of the region, and sand drains fast right up until it does not. Add an afternoon storm that drops two inches in an hour and the base either handles it or it starts washing.
Roots from mature trees are another cause. Moisture collects in a paver base and roots grow toward it. The result is a raised, uneven patch above wherever they spread.
That is why the schedule on our jobs is mostly spent on the part you will never see again. The surface takes a day or two. The ground it sits on takes the rest, and the ground is what you are actually paying for.
How we run this job
We come look at it
One of us walks the property with you, looks at where the water goes, and gives you a straight read on what we see. If it is smaller than you feared, we say so.
You get the plan in writing
Everything in writing up front: what we are doing, what it is made of, how long it takes, and what it costs. Nothing changes without you signing off on it.
We build the base first
When pavers sink, it is almost always the base that went first. We build the base before anything else, digging to the depth your job needs and compacting aggregate in lifts under a screeded bedding layer, so the surface stays flat for years.
Pavers go down and get cut in
Laying the field is the fast part. The care is in the cuts at the edges and the restraint that locks the whole field in place.
Joints get filled and the site gets cleaned
Sand swept in and compacted, surface washed, debris hauled by us. You get the property back the way we found it, minus the problem.
Working out what actually failed
A good repair is invisible. That means keeping the units that came up, blending replacements so they do not read as a patch, and matching the joint sand so the repaired area does not sit a shade different from the field around it.
Repair starts with diagnosis, not with lifting pavers. The surface tells you where it failed; it does not tell you why. Pull up a sunken section without answering the why and you have bought a season.
The usual why is water: a downspout discharging at an edge, an irrigation head hitting the same spot twice a day, or a neighboring grade sending runoff across a corner. Second most common is a root. Third is a base that was never compacted properly.
The edge restraint is the piece nobody thinks about and the reason the field holds.
Joints should be filled all the way, and kept that way. The sand in there is structural: it shares load from one paver to the next, and that sharing is what makes a set of loose units work like a surface. Half-full joints wash out faster, and once they do, every paver is carrying its own load. Rocking comes next, then cracking.
Polymeric sand binds when it is wetted and resists washout better than plain sand, which is why it has become the default. It has to go in dry, get swept properly off the surface before wetting, and be watered in the way the manufacturer specifies. Rushed installation is why some jobs end up with a hazy residue over the pavers.
Fall
Set at roughly an eighth to a quarter inch per foot, away from the structure. Subtle to walk on, and the reason water leaves instead of standing.
Restraint
A perimeter edge restraint is what stops the field creeping outward and the joints opening from the outside in.
Joint sand
Structural, not cosmetic. It transfers load between units, which is the whole reason a field of loose pavers behaves like a surface.
Other repairs we handle
We take this work all over the region. Some of the places we are in most often:
What it asks of you afterwards
A lifted edge is the one problem worth fixing the week you notice it. Past about a quarter inch it becomes a trip hazard. Catching it early usually means resetting a few pavers. On a commercial property, waiting also means carrying a liability question until it is done.
The main job is the joints. When the sand drops below the edge of the pavers, add more. When leaves collect in them, sweep them out before they rot and start growing weeds. A properly built surface really does not need much beyond that.
If you like the look of freshly wet pavers, sealing gets you close to that all the time. It also makes stains easier to lift and helps hold the joint sand. What it asks of you is a recoat every few years and some care in choosing a product, since the wrong one can look plasticky or trap moisture. We will be straight with you about whether yours needs it.
Concrete pavers carry their color through the whole unit. Sun will mellow it slowly over the years, and there is no surface layer to wear off. Expect some shift in the first year or two while the paver finishes curing, which is normal. This is the material behind most of the driveways, patios and walkways we build, because it is predictable to lay and easy to match later.
If budget is tight, clay brick is usually not where we start, since it costs more and comes in fewer shapes. If the priority is a surface that looks the same in twenty years, it is the answer. Its color is the fired clay, and that does not fade.
Travertine gets requested for pool decks because it stays noticeably cooler than concrete under bare feet in the sun. It does want a sealer if the area sees oil or heavy staining, and as a natural stone, expect variation from one unit to the next.
The failures we get called out to fix
These are the mistakes you cannot catch by looking at a fresh install. That is exactly what keeps them in circulation.
Laying over the old surface
A new surface laid over an old one usually looks fine for about a season. After that, the base that ruined the first surface starts ruining the second. Speed and price are the only things the shortcut buys you.
Skipping the geotextile
Without a separation layer, the subgrade and the base slowly trade places. Soil particles ride water up into the stone while the stone presses down into the soil, and the base gets thinner every year. Surface repairs do nothing for that kind of settlement.
Using the wrong sand in the bedding
Bedding wants sharp, angular concrete sand. Rounded mason sand or beach sand behaves like ball bearings under load and lets the pavers wander.
Sealing too early
If a newly sealed paver job looks cloudy white under the shine, it was probably sealed too early. Concrete pavers need to cure and release their efflorescence first. Sealed in the first month, that haze stays locked beneath the sealer.
A sunken paver is a symptom. The base under it is the disease.
Common questions
Do I need to be home while you work
Most owners are at work while we are. What we need from you is access to the area and a water source. If the gate locks or there is a pet in the yard, tell us ahead of time. Should we run into a surprise, we will call you the same day.
Will the new pavers match what I already have
New pavers start out looking newer than the ones already down, because concrete pavers change color a little with sun and age. Sometimes the match is exact and sometimes it is close. When a line is discontinued or the difference is too obvious, we walk you through the options before anything gets ordered.
What happens to the old surface
We break it out and haul it off. Concrete and old pavers go to a recycler where one is available. That is included in the scope, not added on after.
How do you keep it from settling again
Most of the time it comes down to the base. If it was laid too thin or compacted in one pass, we dig it out and rebuild it in lifts, then check that water is leaving the area the way it should. Fixing the surface without the base just repeats the problem.
Do you work with HOAs and property managers
Yes. If your board only meets monthly, we plan the job around that meeting. Submittals and phased work that keeps residents moving are normal for us, so tell us how approvals run.
Do you cover Miami, FL
Yes. Being Miami-based means we are in and around Miami, FL almost every week. Ask us about scheduling when you call and you will get a clear answer.
Start with a conversation
Pictures and a short description are usually enough for a first answer. We will tell you what we think is wrong and what putting it right involves, and we will be honest when it can sit for a year.
Quality you can stand on