How Paver Installation Should Actually Be Done in Arizona

• ABC (aggregate base course) — 2–3" compacted under patios and walkways. 4–6" under driveways. Add depth for build-up or higher traffic.
• Sand bed — 1" of clean concrete sand, screeded flat, never deeper than 1". Thicker sand beds settle.
• Polymeric joint sand — applied to every joint, every job. It locks pavers, sheds water, and blocks weed germination. Generic mason sand is not a substitute.
• Quarter-minus is never used under pavers — it's our turf base material. Anyone speccing quarter-minus under pavers is using the wrong product.
• Edge restraint — concrete edge or rigid PVC edge spiked into the base at every free edge. No edge restraint, no install.
• Compaction — base compacted in lifts (multiple passes), then pavers compacted again after install with a plate compactor and protection mat.

Arizona heat, monsoon, and pool chemistry are punishing. The brands and products below are what we install and stand behind.

• Concrete pavers — Belgard (Mega-Arbel, Dublin Cobble, Catalina), Pavestone (Anchor Diamond, Plaza Stone), and Acker-Stone (Cordova, Lugano). All three are solid Arizona-grade products with deep color through the body, not just on the surface.
• Travertine — French pattern (4-piece) honed and chiseled. Real travertine, not 'travertine-look' concrete. Sealed every 2–3 years.
• Porcelain pavers — 2 cm, rectified edges. Best for modern pool decks; lifetime color stability and zero sealing.
• Coping — bullnose travertine or porcelain, set to the bond beam before any deck pour. Never stamped concrete coping on a custom build.
• Polymeric joint sand — Techniseal NextGel or SEK Surebond HP. Activated with a fine mist, never a hose, never on a hot deck.

1. Step 1
   Layout, elevations, and drainage plan

   We pin the field, set elevations off the house and pool, and stake fall. Every paver field needs 1–2% fall away from the structure — flat decks pond and stain.

2. Step 2
   Excavation to subgrade

   Dig down for the paver thickness + sand bed + ABC depth. Subgrade compacted before base goes in.

3. Step 3
   ABC base in lifts

   ABC placed in 2" lifts, watered, and compacted with a 5,000-lb-class plate compactor between each lift. Density tested by feel and by stomp — if you can leave a footprint, it isn't compact.

4. Step 4
   Sand screed

   1" of clean concrete sand screeded between two rails. No walking on it after screed — every footprint becomes a low spot.

5. Step 5
   Paver install

   Pavers laid to pattern, cut at all edges with a wet saw, edge restraint set before grouting.

6. Step 6
   Compaction and polymeric sand

   Field compacted with a protection mat to seat pavers into the sand bed. Polymeric joint sand swept in, brushed, vibrated, then activated with a mist set.

7. Step 7
   Walkthrough and 30-day check

   Final clean, walkthrough with the homeowner, and a 30-day post-install touch-up included on every AE paver job.

Demolition, haul-off, drainage rework, retaining walls, and grading changes are separate line items. A real Arizona quote breaks them out — they should never be hidden inside per-sf pricing.

1. 1–2 wk
   Design + material selection

   Pattern, color, coping selections, drainage and elevation plan.

2. 3–7 d
   Demo + base prep

   Existing deck removed, subgrade prepped, ABC placed and compacted in lifts.

3. 3–7 d
   Paver install + cuts

   Sand screed, install to pattern, edge restraints, all field cuts.

4. 1–2 d
   Compaction + polymeric sand

   Final compaction, polymeric joint sand swept and activated.

5. 30 d
   Post-install check

   Touch-up sweep and walkthrough included on every job.

• Exact ABC depth and material — and whether they use quarter-minus (red flag) or 1" minus aggregate base course.
• How they compact, in what lifts, and what equipment.
• Whether polymeric joint sand is included on every joint, and which brand.
• Brand, color, and pattern of paver in writing — not just 'concrete paver'.
• Edge restraint type and where it's installed.
• Drainage plan — how the field sheds water in monsoon, where it goes.
• Warranty terms for settlement, joint failure, and color shift.

• Quarter-minus under pavers — fails in monsoon, settles unevenly. It's a turf base, not a paver base.
• Sand bed deeper than 1" — turns into a hammock and the field waves within a season.
• Generic mason sand instead of polymeric — joints wash out in the first hard rain.
• No edge restraint — the field walks outward, joints open, weeds invade.
• Skipping post-install compaction — pavers don't seat, and you feel every joint with bare feet.
• No drainage plan on a pool deck — water sits, sealer fails, pavers stain.