Paver Repair & Releveling in Minneapolis, MN

Paver repair & releveling is often possible where a poured slab would have to be torn out. Because pavers are separate units, a sunken corner, a heaved section or a rolled edge can be lifted, the base below rebuilt, and the same pavers set back in place. The repair lasts only if we find out why the area moved, which in the Twin Cities is usually water, frost or a thin base.

Common problems we see

• Sunken areas near downspouts, along the house or where a utility trench was backfilled
• Heaved sections where water collects under the pavers and freezes
• Rolled or spread edges where there was no edge restraint or it has failed
• Washed-out joints that let pavers shift and weeds take hold
• Tree roots lifting a walk or patio
• Cracked or chipped units from plows, impacts or freeze damage

Reading the cause

When we pull up a section, the base tells the story. Topsoil or a thin layer of sand under the pavers means the area never had a proper base and will keep moving. Fine silt washed into the aggregate points to water running under the surface, often from a downspout or a grade that sends water toward the patio. Uneven settling over a strip suggests a trench that was not compacted. Each one needs a different fix, from adding aggregate and recompacting to moving a downspout or regrading the yard.

How releveling works

We mark and remove the pavers from the affected area and a little beyond, set them aside in order, dig out the bedding and any failed base, add and compact aggregate in lifts, then screed new bedding to the right slope. The original pavers go back in, damaged units are swapped for matching ones where available, edge restraint is added or reset, and the joints are filled and compacted. Joint sand helps lock the units together and resist weeds.

Repair or rebuild

Fixr lists leveling of sunken sections at about $3 to $6 per square foot and broader paver repair at $7 to $30. When most of a patio or driveway has the same problem, such as no base anywhere, repairing it piece by piece can cost nearly as much as rebuilding and still leave weak areas. We tell you which way the numbers point after seeing it.

Timing

Heave that appears in late winter sometimes settles back as the ground thaws, so we often look at it again after the thaw before deciding what needs to come up. Repairs are done once the ground is thawed and workable.