This isn't a cost. It's an investment.
The figures on this page are real and we don't hide them — that's how AE operates. But we want to be honest about how to read them. Your permeable paver project isn't a line-item expense; it's an investment in your home's value, your family's daily experience, and a space you'll use for the next twenty to thirty years.
When you compare bids, compare what you're investing in — the spec, the crews, the warranty, the company that will still be standing in year ten — not just the price tag. The lowest bid is almost always the most expensive build over time.
Permeable Paver Design Arizona.
Permeable pavers move stormwater through the joints into a reservoir base and back to the subgrade, cutting runoff, earning LEED / SITES / LID credit, and often eliminating a detention basin. Here is the complete Arizona design guide — reservoir sizing, subgrade testing, underdrain, load, and maintenance.
System components (top down)
- Concrete paver units — 80mm for vehicular, wider joints than standard pavers.
- Joint fill: clean No. 8 stone (not sand, not fines).
- Bedding: 2 inches of clean No. 8 stone.
- Choker course: 4 inches of No. 57 stone.
- Reservoir base: 6–18 inches of No. 57 open-graded stone (sized to storm + load).
- Woven geotextile separation over compacted subgrade (unless subgrade tests good).
- Underdrain in reservoir where subgrade infiltration is inadequate.
Design workflow
- Infiltration test on subgrade at design phase.
- Reservoir depth sized to whichever is greater — structural load or stormwater volume.
- Underdrain elevation set to hold design storm for 24–72 hr per jurisdiction.
- Pre-treatment at every inlet (curb cut, drain, roof leader) to catch sediment.
- Overflow path defined for storms exceeding design.
- Perimeter isolation from standard non-permeable base (turf, planter) to prevent fines migration.
Load ratings
- Pedestrian: 6 inches No. 57 reservoir over subgrade.
- Residential drive: 8–10 inches No. 57 reservoir over subgrade.
- Commercial passenger parking: 10–12 inches No. 57.
- Fire lane / delivery: 12–18 inches No. 57.
- Reservoir depth increases when stormwater volume drives design.
Maintenance
- Vacuum-sweep 2–4 times per year in commercial settings.
- Top-up No. 8 joint stone as needed (typically year 5–7).
- Inspect pre-treatment structures quarterly.
- Restore surface infiltration through re-vacuuming if rate drops below jurisdiction threshold.
- AE hands the maintenance schedule to ownership at closeout — SWPPP-ready.
Credit & compliance documentation
- Stormwater-management calc submitted with drawings.
- LEED / SITES credit narrative on request.
- SWPPP-ready maintenance schedule and as-built infiltration rate.
- Jurisdiction submittal package coordinated with civil engineer.
Common questions.
Bid a permeable paver project.
Send civil drawings, site plan, or stormwater target. AE returns a permeable paver bid — reservoir sizing, infiltration test scope, maintenance schedule — in 5–10 business days.
Start My Project PlanWhy this is an investment, not a cost.
An AE backyard is engineered to add daily livability and long-term home value. We publish honest ranges and build to code with a licensed and bonded Arizona crew. AE provides project-specific workmanship and manufacturer-warranty information in the signed agreement. Website summaries are for planning only.
- Licensed, bonded & insured in Arizona. ROC 340966 (R-62) · ROC 341002 (R-3) · ROC 347738 (KA-5) · ROC 211530 (CR-21). Most Arizona contracting work valued at $1,000 or more — or requiring a permit — must be performed by a properly licensed contractor, subject to statutory exemptions. Verify the legal entity, license status, and classification with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.
- Real ranges, itemized scope. You see materials, finishes, equipment models, and a line-item budget before you sign — not a one-line "pool — $90,000."
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Base, reservoir, restraint, maintenance — full paver knowledge base.