Paver Patios & Outdoor Living
Somewhere to actually sit outside, built on a base deep enough that it is still flat in five years.
Pavers are the surface. What keeps them flat is the depth of the excavation, the quality of the aggregate and how thoroughly it was compacted — none of which you can see once the job is finished.
What goes wrong, and why
- Dips and low spots — a base compacted in one thick lift instead of several thin ones
- Heaving — water held in the base with nowhere to drain, then frozen
- Edges creeping outward — no edge restraint, or one never properly pinned
- Weeds in the joints — the wrong jointing sand, or none swept in
Making it a room, not a slab
A patio is more useful when it has edges — a seat wall, a planted border, a change of level, a fire pit to sit around. Those are far cheaper designed in from the start than retrofitted onto a finished surface.
What this includes
- Paver and porcelain patios
- Fire-pit areas and gathering spaces
- Outdoor kitchens
- Water features
- Seat walls and steps built in
- Base compacted in layers, with edge restraint throughout
How a project runs
- 01 Consultation We come out, walk the property and listen to what you want the space to do.
- 02 Plan and quote A plan and a price you can look at and change before anything is dug.
- 03 Build Drainage and grading first, then hardscape, then soil and planting — in that order.
- 04 Walkthrough We hand it over in person and explain what it needs to stay the way it looks.
Frequently asked questions
Will a paver patio survive an Alaskan winter?
A properly based one will. Freeze-thaw is hard on anything laid on an inadequate base, which is why the excavation and compaction matter more here than the choice of paver.
Pavers or poured concrete?
Pavers flex slightly with ground movement and an individual one can be lifted and reset. Concrete is a single slab, so when it cracks the repair is visible. Both have their place, and we will say which we would use where.
Can you extend or repair an existing patio?
Often, yes. Whether an extension can tie in neatly depends on the existing base and whether the original pavers can still be matched.