I have an irregularly shaped yard which I want to get covered with pavers. I don’t need anything fancy; just some bricks or pavers to keep the weeds from growing and provide a decent surface for patio chairs and tables. It is about 270 square feet total.
I’m trying to get estimates from three sources. So far, only one contractor has been responsive. If I can’t get a few more to compare to his estimate, what should I consider a reasonable cost? I don’t want anything fancy, just a nice hardscaped surface. If you are thinking, “well, it depends on…” the answer is, I want the cheapest option.
If it matters, this is in a fairly dense residential urban neighborhood in Chicago (Lincoln Park). Thanks!
There are a lot of factors in the cost of something like this. I’d start by pricing the materials myself so I have some idea what contractors are charging you for the labor.
I did my patio a couple summers ago, bigger area than yours plus retaining walls, estimate was $10k.
I thought I could do it a lot cheaper, but when you add up the labor, materials and equipment rentals for: moving gravel, compacting surfaces, cutting pavers, etc. it turned out that the estimate I was given was reasonable.
I just did a patio last fall about an hour north of Boston and the cost was in the $15 per Square Foot range. Took 2 days. 1 day to prep the area and set the base and 1 day to lay the pavers and set the stairs to the yard.
Get quotes from Home Advisor or Thumbtack. My quotes were all over the place, in price. In the end the guy with the best references was the lowest bidder, so easy decision for me.
Also, even if the concrete is the same cost, weeds will get between the pavers over time, though there is supposed to be a cloth barrier underneath it. Concrete doesn’t have that problem.
Pavers work great if they are set on a properly compacted base.
There are many DIY vids. You can even buy a landscaping project book with DVD that gives every detail of the job.
Get your supplies on site well ahead of time. You’ll have to rent the compactor the day before.
You could even break the project into two days. Pick a dry weekend. No rain forecasted. Prepare the base day 1. Cover well with a tarp. Come out fresh day 2 and lay the pavers.
Thanks for all the useful info! I truly appreciate it. But a couple of refinements to my question:
Townhouse HOA absolutely forbids concrete slabs. That would have been my first preference, but alas, it is not an option. They need to preserve access to underground infrastructure, I assume.
Pavers are apparently sold in pallets, not as individuals. So I am possibly going to have to buy quite a few more than I need. That’s fine, but I just can’t multiply square footage by cost per brick.
DIY is not an option. I have ten thumbs and no stomach for physical work. I will gladly pay tradesmen to ply their trades. I just don’t want to overpay, hence my desire to get a good idea of a fair price for the work.
A landscape contractor should be able to provide the number of pavers that you need.
He probably buys them by the pallet to get a bulk rate discount. But there’s no reason to leave a customer with a big pile of unused pavers in their garage. A full time landscape contractor always has new jobs waiting and can use the pavers.
I would request a few spares. Just in case a installed paver gets broken. You can easily pop up the bad one and drop in a new paver.
I don’t know what landscape contractors charge. I can only suggest getting multiple quotes. Get a firm price for the whole job. Ask the contractor what work he plans to do.
It helps to know how pavers are properly installed. Be cautious if he tries to skip any of these steps.
I’d make a point to be home when the work is done. Look out the window occasionally and confirm he’s doing all the work promised.
There lots of design choices. The standard checkerboard. Or you can create a pattern. Like this.
Maybe add a few accent pavers in a color.
Lots of options. If you’re willing to pay a bit extra.
We’ve had a few major projects recently; replacing fencing around ten acres of horse pasture, new windows, new roof. Instead of estimates we just went with contractors our friends/neighbors have used and liked. Now we are spreading good word of mouth about the three contractors.
Not sure where you got this idea, but you can certainly go to big box stores and get exactly the number of pavers you desire. They might give you a discount if you buy X number, but they’re sold individually.
You might also check Craigslist, I’ve found lots of great deals on stuff like this. You sound like the kind of person who doesn’t own a truck but you might find someone who would deliver them for some extra money.
Thanks for this info. I was told, by the one paving contractor who has come to look at the yard so far, that the pavers had to be purchased by the pallet. I’ll be sure to press him on that.
And you are correct, no truck. I barely own a hammer. :o
I spent four summers on my hands and knees laying paver patios and driveways. They can really look great, but they can also look like shit, and the difference is due almost entirely to the quality of the installation - the base and the edging. If the townhouse development requires pavers, take a walk around and see which patios look the best. You’ll want to make sure they’ve been in for a few years before you pass judgment, because freeze-thaw cycles will do a number of a poorly installed base. Find out who installed those patios and call them for a quote.
It won’t be cheap. The company I worked for charged ~$10-12/square foot, but that was 20 years ago. $15/SF seems pretty reasonable to me for a professional job.
Aside from Renee’s point, you’re also going to need more than you think you do. Interlocking patterns (which hold up better than side-by-side ones) mean you’re going to have to make cuts on a lot of the pavers on the patio edges, not to mention any irregular shapes in the patio layout. You’ll also want to have have some extras to replace pavers that get damaged or chipped, and you want to get them now - color and finish are a lot more consistent within a single batch than they are from batch-to-batch.
If you’re hiring a professional (as opposed to simply labor to install them), they can probably get a better price on a pallet than you can on the exact right number anyway.
Depending on the pattern and stone size, there’s 75-100 SF of pavers in a pallet. Given cuts around the edges and extras, you’re probably looking at 3-4 pallets for a 270 SF job regardless.
but you might find someone who would deliver them for some extra money.