Driveway pavers in Springfield IL - a driveway that stays flat and tight
Cracked, heaved or patched driveway? We dig it out, build the base right and lay pavers that sit level and locked together.
What does a good paver driveway in Springfield take?
Driveway pavers in Springfield, IL are interlocking concrete units laid over dug-out, compacted ground and a packed gravel base, held tight by a solid edge, so you get a driveway that stays flat and can be lifted and reset in one spot instead of torn out.
Most people call us when an old concrete or asphalt driveway has cracked, sunk or been patched too many times, and they want something that looks better and holds up. We're based in Springfield and work in the cities around it. The price turns on the size of the driveway, whether the old one has to come out, how deep we dig and how thick the base goes, whether a slow-draining yard needs drain pipe, the edge we use and the pavers and pattern you pick. The schedule turns on the weather and on whether the work reaches the street. When I come out, the estimate gives you your own number.
How we build a paver driveway
Most of a paver driveway is the part you don't see once it's done. We have the underground lines marked before we dig, so nobody hits a gas or water line. Then we dig out to firm ground and compact the soil, because soft dirt left under a driveway sinks. We lay the gravel base in layers and pack each one, since a thick layer only gets tight on top. We set a solid edge restraint along the sides so the pavers can't creep apart. After that we screed a thin bed of sand, lay the pavers in your pattern, sweep sand into the joints and run a plate compactor over the whole thing to lock it together.
A driveway usually touches other work. Where the lot slopes or the driveway is cut into a bank, we often pair it with retaining wall construction so the soil beside the pavers stays put. On an older house I'll also tell you if the brick steps or foundation next to the new driveway could use masonry restoration, and whether that can wait.
Paver driveway work at the curb in Springfield
The strip where your driveway meets the street usually belongs to the city, not you. Before anyone digs in that public right-of-way, Springfield's public works office has to issue a separate excavation permit, and curb cuts and driveways are on its application. For a home, the form points to a standard residential driveway detail the city posts online. If we'd need to block the street, the sidewalk or parking spaces while we work, the city has to approve that and the fees have to be paid first. Whether the rest of the driveway on your side of the sidewalk needs a permit too is the city's call, so we check with the office for your address before we start. If your job needs a permit, we take care of the paperwork.
A lot of what we replace is old concrete that cracked and heaved, often with an apron that has to meet a curb and a walk poured long ago. We see the same driveways on jobs in Chatham and Decatur, and we build them the same way.
How a paver driveway job goes
Call or send the form
You call (217) 210-0722 or send the form, and we get back to you to set a time for me to come out. Let us know if the driveway runs all the way to the street.
I look and write it up
I come out myself, check the old driveway, how the yard drains and where it meets the street, and tell you what I see. The estimate spells out the digging, the base and the edging we plan to use, so you can hold it up against anybody else's.
We build it and walk it
Once you say go, we check what your city or village asks for, set a date around the forecast and our crew does the work. When it's done, we walk the driveway with you before we pack up.
Get a paver driveway estimate that shows the base and edging
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I'll come out, look the driveway over and write a free on-site estimate, and there's no obligation to go ahead.
Questions to ask before a paver driveway
How much does a paver driveway cost in Springfield, IL?
A sand-based concrete paver driveway in Springfield usually costs about $14 to $17 per square foot, not counting tearing out an old driveway. Those figures assume a 4-inch compacted gravel base, so when you compare quotes, ask whether removal is included and how thick the base is. I'll give you your own number when I come out.
How thick should the base be under a paver driveway?
Industry guidance calls for at least 6 to 8 inches of compacted gravel base under a driveway, and more for poor soil, hard freezes or heavy traffic. That's thicker than the base the usual price figures above assume, so ask every installer how thick a base they plan to lay and get it in writing.
What edging holds driveway pavers in place?
A real edge restraint built to take side pressure, not the flat metal or plastic edging sold for flower beds, which gives too little support to keep pavers tight. Timber isn't recommended either because it warps and eventually rots. Ask each installer what edge they plan to use.
How do I keep a paver driveway from holding water on clay soil?
Put drain pipe under the base, which is the recommended step for clay or other slow-draining ground that carries cars. The guidance says the small added cost comes back many times over, so if your yard stays soggy after a rain, count drainage as part of the job, not an extra.
When is the best time to install a paver driveway in Springfield?
Pick a stretch without heavy rain or snow and with ground that isn't frozen, because the bedding sand and pavers should only go down on a base that isn't frozen. We set the date by the forecast, so a cold or wet spell can push things back a bit.
How do I take care of a paver driveway in winter?
Shovel or plow it the same as any other driveway. Concrete pavers can stand up to deicing salt better than ordinary paving because they're dense, strong and high in cement and don't soak up much water.
Why Springfield homeowners call Artisan Springfield Concrete and Masonry for paver driveways
I write your estimate myself
I come out to look at every job and write the estimate, and then I'm on the driveway working right alongside our crew. The person who priced your base is the one making sure it goes in that way.
In business since 2013
I started this business in 2013, and we're best known for repointing and brick repair on older homes. That's why I want a new driveway to look like it belongs with the brick and stone already on your house.
Licensed and insured at the curb
We're licensed and insured. That matters where a driveway meets the street, because the city wants liability insurance with the City of Springfield listed as additionally insured before it permits work in the right-of-way.
A straight answer on your driveway
If patching your old driveway will do for now, I'll tell you that, because I'd rather lose a sale than sell work your house doesn't need. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
On a paver driveway, the dig, the base and the edge decide how it holds up, so get every installer to put those in writing. When you're ready, get in touch and I'll come take a look.
Other work that often goes with a new driveway
Retaining wall construction
If your driveway cuts into a slope or the yard drops off beside it, a retaining wall holds the soil and keeps the paver edge supported.
Masonry restoration
New pavers can make tired brick steps, porch walls or a chimney look worse by comparison, and restoration brings the old masonry back in line with them.
Book your paver driveway estimate in Springfield
Call (217) 210-0722 or send the form with your driveway's rough square footage, and I'll come out with a fair idea of what the dig and base will take.
