Driveway pavers in Chico, CA - a driveway that stays level under your cars
Cracked concrete or a sunken, puddling driveway? We build paver driveways from a compacted base up, so they carry your cars and drain.
Request an estimate
Are driveway pavers worth it for my Chico house?
Driveway pavers in Chico, CA are concrete pavers set on a level sand bed over a dug-out, compacted base, with edges that hold them in, and done right they give you a driveway that carries your cars and drains instead of cracking across the middle.
Most people call us when the old concrete has a crack straight across, a corner has dropped, or water sits by the garage after every rain, and they want to know if pavers are worth it. The price mostly moves with the size in square feet, how deep the base goes, whether the old slab has to come out and whether the ground needs drain pipe, and the schedule mostly turns on whether the work reaches the sidewalk or street and needs a city permit first. If the front walk is in rough shape too, we can handle the walkway construction at the same time. Your written estimate lists each of those pieces, so you can see where the money goes.
How we build driveway pavers from the ground up
I start by figuring out why the old driveway failed, because pavers laid on the same bad ground fail the same way. We get the underground lines marked, tear out the old slab if it's coming out, dig down and compact the soil, then spread and compact the base in layers. Next we set edge restraints, the hidden curbs along the sides that keep pavers from creeping, level a thin bed of sand, lay the pavers, run a plate compactor over them and sweep sand into the joints to lock them together. Most of a paver driveway is what's under it, so the base, the edges and any drain pipe are written into your quote where you can see them, and so is removing the old driveway if it has to go.
A driveway rarely stands alone. If yours cuts into a slope, the bank beside it may need retaining wall construction so soil doesn't wash onto the new pavers, and if there's older brick around it, like steps, a planter or a garage front, masonry restoration can bring it back so the old work and the new look like they belong together.
Driveway pavers in Chico, and where the city's rules start
A lot of driveways in Chico run right up to the sidewalk, and that's where the city comes in. The City of Chico counts any construction in a city street, sidewalk, pedestrian path or bike path as an encroachment, and it issues encroachment permits for that work, driveway construction included, so a new apron or curb cut at the street falls under it. We find out whether the city or the county covers your address and take care of the permit paperwork as part of the job when one's needed.
Much of what I look at here is older poured concrete with a crack across it and a low corner by the garage, and I want to know whether it was a thin base, tree roots or water before I suggest pavers. We see the same thing on jobs in Durham and Oroville, and the answer is usually under the slab, not on top of it.
- Call (530) 399-1517
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–10 PM
- Chico, CA 95928
What happens when you call Cornerstone Chico Concrete and Masonry in Chico?
Call us or send the form
Call (530) 399-1517 or use the form and tell me what the driveway's doing now, whether that's a crack, a sunken corner or a puddle by the garage. I'll ask a few questions so I know what to look for when I come out.
I come out and measure
I look at the old driveway, where the water runs and where it meets the street, and figure out what's really going on before I price anything. You get a written estimate that spells out what's in it, down to the base, the edges and whether the old slab comes out.
We sort out the permit
We work out which office covers your address, and if the driveway reaches the sidewalk or street, we put in the city's encroachment application. The city aims to review a complete application within 10 business days, though the scope, the location and how complete it is can change that.
Our crew builds, we walk it
Our own crew does the work with me on site, from the dig to sweeping sand into the last joint. When it's done, we walk the finished driveway together.
Why Chico homeowners call Cornerstone Chico Concrete and Masonry for driveway pavers
The owner measures and prices it
I come out myself to look at the driveway, check where the water goes and where it meets the city sidewalk, and write the estimate. The person who decided how deep the base goes is the one there when it goes in.
Trained on large commercial crews
I learned brick, block and stone on commercial jobs a lot bigger than a house, and we've been in business since 2020. That's where I saw good work ruined by a rushed base or the wrong material, and it's why I start with what's underneath.
Fully licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured. That matters on a driveway, because we're running heavy equipment a few feet from your house, your neighbor's yard and the city sidewalk.
If you're trying to decide between pavers and another slab, send us a few details and I'll come out and take a look.
Request an estimateGet a written estimate for your paver driveway
We reply within one business day, then I come out to measure the driveway and look at the base, the edges and where the water goes. The estimate is free, done on site and written out so you can see what's included, and there's no pressure to book.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Phone
- (530) 399-1517
- Location
- Chico, CA 95928
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–10 PM
Questions about driveway pavers in Chico
How much does a paver driveway cost in Chico, CA?
Installed sand-based concrete paver driveways in Chico usually cost about $16 to $19 per square foot, going by a local price guide from June 2022, and those figures leave out tearing out an old driveway. Your own number moves with the base depth, drain pipe and removal, which is why our written estimate lists each one.
How long do paver driveways last compared to concrete?
One guide puts a paver driveway at 25 to 75 years and a quality concrete driveway at 30 to 40, so pavers can outlast concrete at the high end and fall short at the low end. Where yours lands mostly comes down to the base and the drainage under it, so it's worth weighing the whole range and not just the top number.
How deep should the base be under a paver driveway?
One paver maker's 2025 instructions typically call for 8 to 10 inches of base under a driveway, while that 2022 Chico price guide figures its prices on a 4-inch compacted base. That gap changes both the price and how well the driveway holds up under a car, so ask every contractor what depth their quote includes. I'd rather put your money into the base than into fancier pavers, and our quote shows the depth in writing.
Do I need drain pipe under a paver driveway if I have clay soil?
Drain pipe is recommended under paver driveways that carry cars on clay or other slow-draining soil, according to paver industry installation guidance. If water sits on your lot after a rain, I'll look at what's going on underneath before I price it, and if yours needs pipe, you'll see it on the quote.
What license does a contractor need to install a paver driveway in California?
California's C-12 Earthwork and Paving classification covers placing paving and other surfacing materials. The state's minor work exemption lets someone without a license take jobs up to $1,000 only when the work needs no permit and they employ no one on the project, so check any contractor's license with the state licensing board before you sign.
What is the best way to fix a cracked paver in a driveway?
Lift out the cracked or stained paver and set a new one in its place, because pavers come out one at a time and the rest of the driveway stays put. If a whole patch is sinking, though, the trouble is usually the base or water under it, and that's what I'd look at before swapping pavers.
Work that often goes with a new driveway
Retaining wall construction
When a new driveway is cut into a sloped yard, a retaining wall holds the bank back so soil and runoff stay off your pavers.
Masonry restoration
Older brick steps, planters or garage fronts beside a new driveway can be cleaned, repointed and repaired so the whole front of the house matches.
Get your paver driveway measured and priced
Call (530) 399-1517 or send the form with the rough size in square feet and whether the old driveway is coming out, so the first visit gets straight to the base.
Request an estimateCall (530) 399-1517