A paver driveway is the one upgrade that changes a house from the street. Built right, it outlasts asphalt, never needs sealcoating, and if a utility cut or a settled spot ever shows up, the pavers lift and go back down without a patch. We design and build paver driveways, motor courts and aprons across the Twin Cities and western Wisconsin.
Driveways · Motor Courts · Aprons and Walks · Built for Vehicle Loads
A driveway is a patio that carries cars, so the base is where the money and the lifespan go. We excavate deeper than for a patio, build a thicker compacted aggregate base, and use pavers rated for vehicle loads, laid in a pattern that locks under turning wheels. Edges are restrained so the field stays tight, and the whole thing is graded so water runs off it and away from the garage.
The driveway in these photos is part of <a href="/projects/birchwood-village-lakefront/">Terraced on White Bear Lake</a> in Birchwood Village, where a new paver driveway finished a property that also got tiered natural-stone walls and stairs down to the water. Because pavers are a flexible system, a driveway built this way comes through freeze-thaw the way a good patio does: it moves with the ground instead of cracking across it.
Terraced on White Bear Lake, Birchwood Village: a paver driveway as part of a full property transformation. Tap any photo to see it full size.
A member of the Schifsky design team will reach out within one business day.
Prefer to talk now? Call 651-439-0603Asphalt softens in July, cracks in January and wants sealcoating every few years. Poured concrete cracks with the first bad freeze-thaw cycle and cannot be repaired invisibly. Interlocking pavers on a deep compacted base flex as a system, so they do not crack across the surface, and any paver that ever settles or gets stained can be lifted and reset or swapped. The up-front cost is higher than either; the look and the lifespan are what you are paying for.
The same approach as a patio, with a heavier base and pavers rated for vehicles.
We measure the drive, the slope to the garage, where water goes today, and where the turning and parking happens, then design the layout and borders.
The old asphalt or concrete comes out and is hauled off. We excavate to a vehicle-load depth, deeper than a patio.
A thick compacted aggregate base, graded so water sheds off the drive and away from the house. This is the step that decides whether the driveway is still flat in twenty winters.
Vehicle-rated pavers in an interlocking pattern, with a border and a solid edge restraint so wheels cannot push the field apart.
Polymeric sand, a final compaction and clean, plus edging, lighting and plantings along the drive if they are part of the design.
Street to garage in pavers, with a contrasting border and an apron that marks the entry.
A wider paved court in front of the garage for turning and guest parking, often with a planted center or a contrasting pattern.
A paver apron at the garage and a paver front walk to lift the entry without replacing the whole drive.
Open joints over a stone reservoir so rain soaks in on site, useful on lake lots and where cities cap impervious surface.
If you are considering snowmelt, the tubing and base have to be designed together before the pavers go down. Ask early.
Low-voltage path and landscape lighting along the drive, with beds and trees that frame the entry.
Concrete paver and natural-stone patios, walkways and steps, the main patio page.
Learn more →Large-format porcelain for patios and pool decks: stain resistant, almost no water absorption, built on the same base as every patio we lay.
Learn more →Shoreline terraces, stairs to the water, walls and plantings that work within shoreland rules.
Learn more →We price driveways from a site visit because the base, the removal and the size vary too much for a reliable per-foot number. A driveway carries a much deeper base than a patio, and the old surface has to come out and be hauled, so expect it to cost more per square foot than the $45 to $62 we quote for a concrete-paver patio. Driveways and motor courts are usually part of a larger entry or property project, like the White Bear Lake property above.
We worked with Adam from start to finish, beginning in the fall to design a large patio, fire pit area, and improved landscaping in our backyard. … His 3D design brought the project to life and made us confident in our decisions. When the work started this summer, the team stayed on schedule, and worked efficiently while delivering a beautiful result.
Incredible company to work with. Exceeded all of our expectations. Great design and perfect follow through. Everything done extremely well and on time. Can't say enough good things about them. We would use them again in a heartbeat.
Family-owned for 37+ years, we design and build your project with one accountable team, so the people who plan it are the people who build it, start to finish.
Get a Free QuoteA member of the Schifsky design team will reach out within one business day.
Prefer to talk now? Call 651-439-0603