Paver driveway installation is one of the most common jobs we do in Tampa. Most start the same way: an old concrete driveway with cracks, stains or a sunken section, and a homeowner who wants it to match the rest of the house. We remove the concrete, build a driveway-grade base, and lay concrete, brick-style or travertine pavers in the pattern you pick.
Reliable Hardscapes is a licensed Florida contractor (CGC1541003) with 12 years of paver work around Tampa Bay, and every driveway is backed by a 2-year guarantee.
Why pavers instead of new concrete
Poured concrete is one big slab. When the sandy soil under it settles or roots push up, it cracks, and patching never matches. A paver driveway is thousands of interlocking units on a compacted base. It flexes a little instead of cracking, a stained or broken paver can be swapped out, and if a utility line ever has to be dug up, the same pavers go back down.
What a driveway job includes
- Removal and haul-off of the old concrete or asphalt
- Excavation and grading so water runs to the street, not the garage
- A deeper base than a patio gets, compacted in layers to carry vehicles
- Pavers in your pattern, with borders and a clean transition at the street and garage
- Edge restraint, compaction and polymeric sand joints
- Optional sealing
How we install it
- On-site estimate. We measure, look at drainage and access, talk through layout, pattern and material, and give you a written price.
- Excavation and removal. Old concrete, sod or soil comes out to the depth the job needs. Grading is done in-house, so the finished surface sheds water away from the house and pool.
- Base. Crushed base rock goes down in layers, each one compacted with a plate compactor. The base is what keeps pavers flat, and it's deeper under driveways than under patios.
- Bedding and laying. A screeded sand bed, then the pavers in your pattern, with clean cuts at every edge and around drains.
- Edge restraint and joints. A restraint locks the outside edge so nothing creeps. The surface is compacted and the joints are filled with polymeric sand.
- Sealing (optional). Sealer deepens color and helps with stains. We'll tell you honestly whether your pavers need it.
Paver driveway cost
Tearing out an existing concrete driveway and replacing it with pavers typically runs around $15,000 for Blake's jobs. Size, the material you choose, extra demolition (like a sidewalk or apron), and pattern complexity move it up or down. The paver cost guide has more detail, and the estimate is free.
Permits and HOAs
Some Tampa Bay cities require a permit for driveway work, especially where the driveway meets the street, and many HOAs want to approve colors and patterns first. We go over your city's rules and your HOA's requirements during the estimate.
Recent paver driveways work
Frequently asked questions
How long does a paver driveway take?
Removal, base and laying usually take several working days, depending on size and weather. You get a schedule with the estimate.
Can I drive on it right away?
Pavers can carry traffic once the joints are filled and compacted. We’ll tell you exactly when it’s ready before we leave.
Will pavers sink or shift?
Sinking almost always comes from a thin or poorly compacted base. A driveway base is built deeper than a patio base and compacted in layers to prevent it.
What does a paver driveway cost?
Concrete tear-out and replacement with pavers typically runs around $15,000 for our jobs. See the cost guide.
Do you handle the old concrete?
Yes. Removal and haul-off are part of the job.
