Driveway pavers in Lansing MI - a drive that stays level through Michigan winters
Cracked, patched or sinking driveway? We set concrete pavers on a deep, packed stone base so the drive stays even and drains.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What goes into a paver driveway in Lansing?
Driveway pavers in Lansing are concrete pavers set on a level bed of sand over a packed stone base, held in by edging, and they give you a drive you can fix a few pavers at a time instead of tearing the whole thing out.
Most people call when the old drive is cracked, heaved or patched one too many times, and they want to know if pavers are worth it. The price moves with the size of the drive, whether the old one has to come out, how deep a base it needs and whether drain pipe goes under it. The schedule turns on the weather more than anything, so I'll walk your drive and put all of it in an estimate you can think over.
How we build driveway pavers from the ground up
We start by laying out the drive and marking where it meets the street, the garage and the lawn. Then we dig out, pack the soil underneath, put down fabric if the job calls for it, and spread and compact the base stone before we set the edging that holds the pavers in place. A level bed of sand goes on next, then the pavers, then sand swept into the joints and a compactor run over the whole surface so it locks together. A paver drive is only as good as what's under it, so our estimate spells out how deep the base is and any drain pipe we're putting in. Ask every installer you're talking to the same two things so you're comparing the same job.
A new drive often brings other work along with it. If the drive cuts along a slope or the yard drops off beside it, retaining wall construction keeps that ground from pushing in or washing out. If the steps or brick by the front door are crumbling, we can plan masonry restoration at the same time so the whole entry is sound.
Standard sand-set pavers
This is the usual paver drive, with pavers on a sand bed over packed stone and sand in the joints, and it suits most homes that want a solid, good-looking drive. Water runs off the top like any driveway, so we slope it away from the house and garage.
Permeable pavers
These are built so rain soaks down through the joints, which suits a lot where water puddles or runs toward the house. They take a little more care, because traction sand isn't recommended on them in winter and any sand that gets in should be vacuumed out in spring so they keep draining.
Permits and digging rules for driveway pavers in Lansing
Lansing's Public Service Department issues permits for sewer connections, soil erosion and work in the city right of way, and the city's list names those, not driveway pavers, so the list alone doesn't settle whether your drive needs one. Before work starts I check with the office that covers your address, and if the job needs a permit we work out the paperwork with you before anyone picks up a shovel. When a city permit does apply, its conditions add steps at the digging stage. They require calling Miss Dig at 811 at least 72 hours before digging, and we make that call. They also require contacting the city's Forestry Division before digging within 10 feet of a tree or inside its root zone, and work within 500 feet of a lake, river or stream, or work that disturbs more than an acre, needs its own soil erosion permit.
Trees are the other thing we plan around. Plenty of drives here run past big, older trees, the same as on jobs in East Lansing and Okemos, and permit conditions bar piling material or parking equipment on the ground under a tree's branches, so we work out with you where the stone and pavers will sit before the first load shows up.
Why Lansing homeowners call Craftsman Lansing Concrete and Masonry for pavers
The owner prices and builds it
I come out to look at your drive and give the estimate myself, and I work on site alongside our crew while it gets built. The person who decided how deep your base goes is standing there when it gets packed.
Straight answers since 2023
I learned on other crews and did weekend jobs for neighbors before going full time in 2023. We're known for straight answers, and I'd rather tell you a job can wait than sell you work you don't need.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured. Michigan's maintenance and alteration contractor license lists the trades each holder may practice, such as concrete, excavation and masonry, so ask any installer you're comparing which trades are on theirs.
What's under the pavers decides how long the drive lasts, so start with someone who'll show you what's going under yours. Send us a few details or call (517) 237-5922. Satisfaction guaranteed.
Request a quoteGet a free estimate for your paver driveway
We reply within one business day. Estimates are free, done on site and come with no obligation. Once you send this, I'll get back to you to set a time, then come out and look at the drive myself.
What happens after you call about driveway pavers in Lansing?
Call or send photos
Call (517) 237-5922 or send a few photos of your drive through the form. I'll set a time to come out and see it in person.
I walk the drive with you
I look at what's there now and how water moves off it, then tell you what I'd do first and what can wait. It all goes into an estimate you can think over, so you know what's driving the cost before you decide.
We build, clean up, check
Once you say go, we sort out any paperwork, build the drive and clean up the site. Before we call it finished, I look it over with you.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a paver driveway cost in Lansing, MI?
A sand-based concrete paver driveway in Lansing usually costs about $15 to $18 per square foot, not counting removal of an old driveway. That's the area's going rate from a 2022 price guide, not our price, and it assumes a 4-inch packed stone base with a 1-inch sand layer, thinner than industry guidance sets for driveways. Your own number comes from the on-site estimate.
How deep should the base be for a paver driveway?
Industry guidance sets a packed stone base of at least 6 to 8 inches for a driveway, and thicker where the site, freezing temperatures or heavy traffic call for it. Michigan winters freeze, which is one of those conditions, so the base depth is the first line to read on any quote.
Do I need a drain pipe under a paver driveway?
Drain pipe is recommended under pavers that carry cars on clay or other soil that drains slowly. Industry guidance says the small extra cost comes back many times over in added years of service, so if your yard holds water after a rain, ask whether a quote includes it.
Can you plow and salt a paver driveway in winter?
Yes, snow comes off pavers the same way it comes off any other pavement, so you can keep shoveling, plowing and salting like you do now. Concrete pavers can also stand up to deicing salt better than conventional paving.
How long after installation can I drive on new pavers?
You can drive on a paver driveway right after it's laid, because pavers need no curing time. The drive is yours again as soon as the last joints are filled and packed.
What is the best time of year to install a paver driveway in Michigan?
The best time is any stretch when the ground isn't frozen and heavy rain or snow isn't falling, because one industry spec from 2013 calls for laying sand and pavers only in those conditions and only over a base that isn't frozen. In Michigan that usually means planning around the spring thaw, dry spells and the first hard freeze.
Other work that often goes with a new driveway
Retaining wall construction
If your drive cuts into a slope or the yard drops off beside it, a retaining wall holds the soil back so the edge of your new drive keeps its support.
Masonry restoration
When the steps, porch or brick front beside the new drive look tired, restoration fixes worn brick and mortar so the whole entry looks cared for.
Lansing, MI
Get your paver driveway priced right
Have the drive's rough size, what's on it now and any trees nearby in mind when you call, so the first visit covers everything that moves your price.