Pavers in Edina, MN

Pavers in Edina are rarely a first project. The city is more than 95% developed, and Census estimates show about 72.4% of homes are owner-occupied, with 85.9% of residents in the same house as a year earlier. That adds up to yards that already have a patio, a front walk and a drive, often laid by a previous owner. So a paver project here usually means taking those out and building something better in the same footprint, or a slightly larger one.

Why older patios fail here

A patio from a few decades ago was often set on a thin layer of sand, sometimes straight on soil. Each winter, water under it freezes and lifts it a little, and after enough years the surface rocks, tips toward the house or sprouts weeds in every joint. Replacement is less about the pavers and more about what goes under them. We excavate to a compacted base of 4 to 6 inches for patios and walks, and 8 to 12 inches where vehicles drive, laid in lifts no thicker than 4 inches, and we pitch the surface away from the foundation.

Working on a finished lot

With almost nothing left to develop, Edina projects happen on lots where the lawn, trees and plantings are already mature. That affects how we work. We plan the route for equipment and stone before the first day, protect turf with mats where machines cross, and keep spoils off planting beds. If a large tree stands near the patio, we talk through where roots are likely to run and adjust the edge rather than cut through them blindly.

Design choices people ask about

• Matching a new patio to the brick or stone of the house
• Widening a narrow front walk into a proper entry with a landing
• Replacing a deck with a ground-level paver patio
• Adding a seating wall or fire feature to an existing patio
• Borders and inlays that break up a large field of pavers
• Permeable sections where water collects after storms

Creeks, parkland and drainage

Minnehaha Creek and Nine Mile Creek both run through Edina, and the city counts more than 1,550 acres of parkland and open space across 44 parks. Homes near the creek corridors and low spots tend to see water pool after heavy rain. A patio that sheds water onto a neighbor or back toward the basement only moves the problem. We look at where runoff goes now and grade the new surface so it drains to lawn or a planting bed, or we use a permeable paver section that lets water soak into a stone reservoir below.

Morningside and the older neighborhoods

Edina began as a farming and milling community along Minnehaha Creek and incorporated in 1888. Morningside was its first suburban development in the early 1900s; it left in 1920 and rejoined in 1966. Homes in the city's oldest areas sit on smaller lots with tighter side yards, which can make a full tear-out harder to stage. We size equipment to the access we actually have.

Permits for typical Edina projects

Under the Minnesota building code, driveways and sidewalks that are not part of an accessible route, and retaining walls up to 4 feet measured from the bottom of the footing, are exempt from a building permit. Patios are not named in that list, so we ask the city how it treats a new patio. A taller wall, or one holding back a load such as a driveway, is not. Zoning, setbacks and any work at the curb are separate questions for the city, so on larger changes we confirm with Edina before the project is scheduled.

Getting a quote

Call (952) 800-9409 or

Get a Free Estimate

. We walk the yard with you, look at what is there now and why it failed, and send a written quote covering removal, base, materials and drainage.