The Quick Answer
- Patios and pool decks: 4–6" compacted base, 60mm pavers. Driveways: 6–10" base, 60–80mm pavers.
- Base goes in compacted lifts — thin layers compacted one at a time, not one deep dump.
- Bedding sand is exactly ~1" screeded — it's a setting layer, never a leveling fix for a bad base.
- Ask any bidder: base depth, lift compaction, and edge restraint. The answers predict the surface's lifespan.
01
Match the section to the load
The design load drives everything. A pool deck carries people; a driveway carries a 5,000-pound SUV turning its wheels in place; a gate approach might carry a delivery truck. Each step up means deeper base and often thicker pavers. Tell your estimator the heaviest thing the surface will ever hold — boat trailer, RV, work truck — and the section gets designed for it once.
02
When existing ground changes the plan
Organic soil, old fill, and construction debris under the surface don't compact and must come out — this is the honest reason two identical driveways can price differently. A contractor who probes the subgrade before quoting is protecting you from the change order later.
How It Works
Lifts and compaction
Crushed limerock base achieves its strength from compaction, and compactors only reach so deep — so base goes in 2–4 inch lifts, each compacted to refusal before the next. A 8-inch base compacted in three lifts is structure; the same 8 inches dumped and compacted once is a future rut. You can't see the difference on day one, which is why the process belongs in the written scope.
The bedding layer and the lock-up
One screeded inch of coarse sand sits between base and pavers — it lets each unit seat during final compaction, when a plate compactor runs over the laid field and vibrates every paver down into the bedding while joint sand works in from above. That final pass is what turns loose units into interlocked pavement.
Where It Goes Wrong
How base failures announce themselves
Ruts along wheel paths mean under-built or under-compacted base. A wavy field within the first year means the bedding sand was doing the base's job. Sunken rings near downspouts mean water is washing fines out from below — a drainage detail missed at install. Each is fixable by lifting and rebuilding the affected area, but none should happen on a properly built job.
Why edges matter as much as depth
Without a concrete or spiked edge restraint, the field creeps outward under load — joints widen at the borders, then the interlock loosens inward from there. Restraints are a small line item that anchors the entire system; their absence is one of the most common findings when we're called to repair another installer's work.
Ready for the next step?
Bring the question to the crew that does the work.
Common Questions
