Base Course

Why does base depth matter more than the paver itself?

Two driveways built with the same pavers can fail years apart if their base sections differ. A walkway base and a driveway base carry completely different loads, and Central Florida's loose, sandy soil settles under weight unless it's excavated to stable ground and compacted in disciplined layers first. When a surface is sinking or rutting, the pavers themselves are almost always fine — it's the base underneath that was never compacted to the right depth for what the surface actually carries.

How can a homeowner tell if a contractor's base spec is adequate?

Ask what the base section is — the material and the compacted depth — and ask for it in writing before work begins, not as a verbal assurance. A contractor who can state a specific depth and compaction standard for your project has thought about your soil and your traffic load; one who answers in generalities is guessing. It's also worth asking how the base will be tested for compaction, since a base that looks solid on the surface can still be loose underneath.

Does a deeper base always mean a better driveway?

Not automatically — the right depth depends on what the surface will carry, and building a walkway to driveway-grade base specifications is an unnecessary cost, not extra insurance. What matters is that the depth matches the load: a base sized correctly for vehicle traffic on a driveway, and sized correctly for foot traffic on a walkway, each properly compacted for its own purpose.