Patios & walkways
Clay or concrete pavers in herringbone, running bond or basket-weave. 6-inch base typical for foot-traffic surfaces.
Service · Hardscape
Brick pavers in Chicago — patios, walkways and driveways.
312 Masonry installs and repairs brick pavers across Chicago — patios, walkways, driveways — plus retaining walls and stone veneer that finish the yard. We build to a compacted aggregate base with proper edge restraint and polymeric sand jointing, so the pavers stay flat through Chicago winters. Licensed, bonded, insured. 48-hour on-site estimate.
- Licensed
- Bonded
- Insured
- License TGC-098-734
- Est. 2014
- 48-hour estimates
What are brick pavers?
Brick pavers are clay or concrete units set on a compacted aggregate base with a sand setting bed. The finished surface flexes with frost heave rather than cracking like poured concrete, but only if the base is right and the edges are restrained. Most paver failures in Chicago are base failures, not paver failures.
- The base under the pavers does the real work — pavers are just the finish.
- Edge restraint stops creep; polymeric sand stops weeds and washout.
- Pattern and colour come last, after structure.
What a 312 Masonry paver project includes.
Same line items every time, from a 200-sq-ft patio to a driveway and retaining wall together.
- Site walkthrough — drainage, base condition, edge constraints and existing utilities.
- Excavation to depth — 8–12 inches for driveway, 6 inches for patio or walk.
- Compacted aggregate base in lifts — geotextile under, plate-compacted every 2–3 inches.
- Sand setting bed & pattern layout — screeded flat, pattern lines snapped.
- Paver install with clean cuts — wet-saw cuts on edges, drains and inlays.
- Edge restraint & polymeric sand — sand swept, set with water, compacted for joint lock.
- Cleanup & written close-out — leftover pavers stacked, pallets removed, scope documented.
Types of paver work we handle in Chicago.
Driveways
Concrete pavers for vehicle load on a 10–12-inch compacted base with edge restraint. Built for Chicago freeze-thaw.
Retaining walls & stone veneer
Block walls with stone face — freestanding or built into the grade — and thin-set stone veneer on existing walls and chimneys.
Four steps from call to finished hardscape.
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Call or write
Send dimensions, photos, drainage observations. Same-day reply during business hours.
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48-hour visit
Crew lead reads drainage, existing base, edge conditions and any utility risks. Pattern and paver options discussed on site.
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Pattern & base spec
Written scope with paver style, pattern, base depth, edge restraint and polymeric sand spec — and a price range.
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Build
Excavate, compact in lifts, set sand, lay pattern, restrain edges, sand and compact. Cleanup and written close-out same day.
How much do brick pavers cost in Chicago?
Brick paver patios in Chicago run $22–$42 per square foot installed including base, $25–$50 per sq ft for driveways with heavier base and concrete pavers, and retaining walls are $60–$160 per face square foot depending on height and footing. Stone veneer is quoted per project.
| Scope | Range |
|---|---|
| Patio install (clay or concrete pavers) | $22–$42 per sq ft |
| Walkway install | $20–$38 per sq ft |
| Driveway install (concrete pavers + heavy base) | $25–$50 per sq ft |
| Retaining wall (per face sq ft) | $60–$160 |
| Stone veneer | quoted per project |
Range. Final cost confirmed after a 48-hour on-site visit with the crew lead.
What moves the number up or down
- Excavation depth — driveway is twice the dig of a patio.
- Paver style — clay tumbled brick costs more than standard concrete pavers.
- Pattern complexity — herringbone with diagonal borders is slower than running bond.
- Drainage work — channel drains, swales or French drains added to the scope.
- Access — wheelbarrow-only sites cost more than truck-access yards.
What the work looks like.
Where we build hardscape in Chicago.
Lincoln Park
60614 · Primary service areaGreystone back-yard patios, narrow side-yard walkways, retaining walls.
Lakeview
60657Two-flat patios and rooftop deck transitions, shared driveway pavers.
Logan Square
60647Worker-cottage backyards, retaining walls along grade changes.
Lincoln Square
60625Bungalow gardens, side-yard walkways, stone veneer on garden walls.
Old Town
60610Historic courtyards and narrow brick paths sympathetic to period detail.
Bucktown
60647Yard patios, garage driveways, brick walkway resets.
Wicker Park
60622Three-flat backyards and loft courtyards. Retaining and veneer work.
All areas →
North Side · ChicagoLarger paver and hardscape projects reviewed across the wider North Side.
Paver questions we get every week.
How long do brick pavers last in Chicago?
A properly installed clay or concrete paver surface in Chicago lasts 25–40 years before it needs more than spot repair. Lifespan depends on the base, not the paver itself: a compacted aggregate base in lifts with edge restraint and polymeric sand will outlast the same pavers set on poor base by decades. Most failures we see in the field are base failures, not paver wear.
How much does a paver patio cost in Chicago?
Brick paver patio installation in Chicago runs $22–$42 per square foot installed, including excavation, base, sand, pavers and edge restraint. Walkways run $20–$38 per sq ft. Driveways with heavier base and concrete pavers for vehicle load run $25–$50 per sq ft. Retaining walls run $60–$160 per face square foot.
Are pavers better than concrete in Chicago weather?
Pavers flex with frost heave instead of cracking like a poured concrete slab, and individual units are easy to lift and reset if a section settles. Concrete is cheaper at install and faster to lay, but cracks are permanent and Chicago freeze-thaw is hard on slabs. Pavers also let water move through the joints rather than pooling, which extends the life of the base.
Do you fix sunken or settled pavers?
Yes. Settled pavers are usually a base failure — the gravel under a section has shifted or compacted unevenly. We lift the affected pavers, rebuild the base in compacted lifts, reset the units and re-sand the joints. If the cause is a drainage issue or root pressure, that gets addressed first or the problem returns.
Do you build retaining walls?
Yes — block-and-stone retaining walls up to roughly 4 feet without an engineer, and taller walls with structural engineer sign-off. We build with proper footing, compacted backfill in lifts, perforated drain tile behind the wall, and stone or block face finished to match the rest of the yard.
What about stone veneer?
We install thin-set stone veneer on existing exterior walls, chimneys, garden walls and retaining wall faces. Veneer is mortared to a prepared substrate with a weep layer and capped with matching stone. Coordinated with the rest of the yard and house when the scope is broader than a single wall.
Often paired with paver work.
Hardscape
Brick repair
Brick steps, porch repointing and stairs — common alongside a back-yard patio install.
RestorationMasonry restoration
Historic courtyard brick, garden walls and limestone — restored alongside new paver work.
WallsTuckpointing
Repointing the garage and house brick at the same trip as the driveway pavers — one mobilization.
Free estimate
Get a hardscape scope within 48 hours.
One on-site visit, drainage and base read by the crew lead, written scope with paver, pattern and base spec.