Commercial CARE

Interlocking Driveways, Patios and Walkways in Richmond Hill

Shade Tree Landscaping installs and repairs interlocking driveways, patios, walkways and steps across Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Markham, Thornhill and the GTA. We publish the base depths we build to and the prices we charge, because the part you cannot see is the part that decides whether your driveway is still flat in fifteen years.

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How long does interlocking last in Ontario?

A properly installed interlocking driveway lasts 25 to 30 years or more in Ontario, because individual pavers can be lifted and reset rather than replaced wholesale. Lifespan depends almost entirely on the base beneath. Interlocking that sinks or shifts within a few years nearly always has a base problem, not a paver problem.

What Our Sod and Mulch Service Covers in Richmond Hill and the GTA

Interlocking driveways

Full driveway installation: excavation, base construction, bedding, edge restraint and paver laying. Driveways carry vehicle loads, so we build to a 10 to 12 inch compacted base plus an inch of bedding beneath the pavers.

Patios, walkways and steps

Back garden patios, front walkways, entrance steps and pool surrounds, in manufactured concrete pavers or natural stone. Patios carry foot traffic rather than vehicles, so the base is 6 to 8 inches plus an inch of bedding.

Interlocking repairs and relevelling

Sunken sections, shifted pavers, settled steps, joints that have washed out and edges that have spread. In most cases the existing pavers can be lifted, the base corrected and the same stone relaid, which costs far less than replacing the whole area.

Retaining walls and edging

Segmental retaining walls for grade changes, raised beds and terracing, built with proper drainage behind the wall. Water trapped behind a retaining wall is what pushes it out of line, so the drainage matters more than the blocks.

Sealing

We seal interlocking and concrete on request, including surfaces we did not install. Sealing deepens colour, makes the surface easier to clean and helps resist staining from oil and road salt.

Worth being clear about what it does and does not do: sealing protects the surface, and it does nothing to prevent settling, because settling is a base problem. Sealed surfaces need resealing periodically.

Why interlocking sinks in Ontario, and the base depths we build to Almost every interlocking failure in Ontario comes back to the same thing: what is underneath.

Freeze and thaw is the underlying problem. Water gets into the ground, freezes, expands and lifts whatever sits above it. As it thaws, that material settles back unevenly. Across a Richmond Hill winter this cycle repeats many times, not once. A base that drains properly moves water away before it can freeze under the surface. A base that does not is what produces the sunken, wavy driveways you see all over older neighbourhoods.

Ask any other contractor quoting your job for the same two numbers in writing. It is the single most useful question you can ask, and the answers vary considerably more than the prices do.

Compaction matters as much as depth. Base material has to be laid and compacted in layers, not dumped to full depth and compacted once. A base compacted in a single pass leaves soft material underneath that settles gradually under load.

Drainage has to go somewhere. A base that holds water is a base that heaves. On the heavy clay common across York Region this matters more than in sandier ground, because clay does not let water move away on its own.

Edge restraint holds the whole thing together. Without a proper restraint along the edges, pavers migrate outward under load and the joints open up. This is why edges are almost always the first place an interlock driveway starts to look tired.

Joint sand keeps the surface locked. Polymeric sand binds the joints, stops sand washing out in heavy rain and prevents most weed growth.

Interlocking Repairs: Should you Repair or Replace?

Repair is usually the right answer, and it is far cheaper than most people expect. A sunken section does not mean the driveway is finished.

Repair makes sense when the pavers themselves are sound and the problem is localised. A sunken area, a settled step, a strip along one edge, or joints that have washed out. The pavers are lifted, the base underneath is corrected and compacted properly, and the same stone goes back down.

Replacement makes sense when the base has failed across the whole area, the pavers are cracked or badly spalled from salt damage, or the original installation was built too shallow to be worth saving. Repeatedly patching a failing base costs more over a few years than doing it properly once.

One thing worth knowing about matching. If pavers need replacing rather than relaying, exact colour matching is often impossible on an older driveway, because colours get discontinued and existing stone has weathered. Where that happens, we usually take pavers from a less visible area to patch the visible one.

We will tell you which situation you are in. If a repair will hold, we will say so rather than quoting a replacement.

Interlocking Cost in Richmond Hill: Our Price Range and What Moves It

Where a job sits in that range depends on the following.

Area

Price per square foot usually improves slightly on larger jobs.

Driveway or Patio

Driveways need the deeper base to carry vehicle loads.

Excavation and Disposal

Removing existing asphalt, concrete or old pavers and hauling it away.

Site Conditions

Poor drainage, heavy clay or a significant slope all add work below the surface that never becomes visible.

Paver Choice

Standard concrete pavers, premium ranges and natural stone sit at very different price points, and this is the one variable you control completely.

Complexity of the layout

Curves, contrasting borders, inlays, circle kits and colour patterns all take longer to cut and lay than a straight running bond.

Steps and Walls

Any change in grade adds structural work.

Access

Whether machinery can reach the work area, or material has to be barrowed through a side gate. Back garden patios behind a narrow gate cost noticeably more than front driveways.

If a quote you have received is well below this range, ask what base depth it is built on. That is usually where the difference is, and you will not be able to see it once the pavers are down.

Our Workmanship Warranty and Certified Installers

All our interlocking work carries a one year workmanship warranty.

Our installers and subcontractors are certified installers for the major interlocking paver manufacturers, which means the work is done to the specification the manufacturer intends rather than to whatever a crew is used to doing.

When to Book Interlocking Work

We take bookings through the winter for the following season, and we prefer to start work from 15 April, once the ground has thawed enough to build a base properly.

Base work cannot be done well in frozen ground, and compaction is unreliable in heavy rain, which is why the season runs from spring through to the first hard frost.

Booking over the winter gets you a slot early in the season. Enquiring in January for April work is the right timing, not premature.

Landscaping Service Areas Across York Region and the GTA

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Toronto Area :

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why choose us

Why Property Owners Choose Shade Tree for Interlocking

We will tell you if a repair will do. A sunken section does not automatically mean a new driveway, and we would rather do an honest repair than sell an unnecessary replacement.

FAQ

Interlocking in Richmond Hill: Frequently Asked Questions

What base depth should an interlocking driveway have?

We build driveways on 10 to 12 inches of compacted granular base, plus a 1 inch bedding layer, plus the pavers. Patios and walkways carry foot traffic rather than vehicles, so those get 6 to 8 inches plus bedding. Ask any contractor quoting your job for their figure in writing, because this is the part of the job you cannot inspect once the pavers are down.

How much does interlocking cost in Richmond Hill?

Our typical range is $18 to $28 per square foot for driveways and $18 to $25 for patios, including the base depths above. Where a job sits in that range depends on access, site conditions, paver choice, layout complexity and how much excavation is needed. If a quote comes in well below this, ask what base depth it is built on.

How long does interlocking last?

A properly built interlocking driveway lasts 25 to 30 years or more, and often outlives concrete or asphalt because individual pavers can be lifted and reset. Lifespan is determined by the base underneath, not by the pavers themselves.

Why is my interlocking sinking?

Almost always a base problem. Either the base was too shallow for the load, was not compacted in layers, or does not drain, so water freezes beneath it and lifts the surface through winter. A single sunken area can usually be lifted and reset without touching the rest of the driveway.

Is interlocking better than a concrete driveway?

They fail differently. Concrete cracks, and a cracked slab is very difficult to repair invisibly. Interlocking can shift, but individual pavers can be lifted and reset. Interlocking generally costs more up front and is far easier to repair.

Interlocking or asphalt, which lasts longer?

Asphalt is cheapest up front and typically needs resurfacing every 10 to 15 years in Ontario. Interlocking costs more initially and lasts considerably longer with occasional maintenance. Across 25 years the total cost often works out comparable, with interlocking looking better throughout.

Can interlocking be installed over an existing driveway?

We do not recommend it. Laying over existing asphalt or concrete means inheriting whatever is wrong underneath, including drainage problems and settlement, and it raises the finished level which can cause problems at the garage and the road.

Should I repair or replace my interlocking?

If the pavers are sound and the problem is localised, repair. Sunken areas, settled steps and washed-out joints can usually be lifted and reset using the same stone at a fraction of replacement cost. If the base has failed across the whole area or the pavers are cracked and spalling, replacement is the better investment.

Do you offer a warranty on interlocking?

Yes, a one year workmanship warranty on all our interlocking work. Our installers and subcontractors are certified installers for the major interlocking paver manufacturers.

Do you seal interlocking you did not install?

Yes, we seal interlocking and concrete on request, including surfaces installed by someone else. Sealing deepens colour, makes the surface easier to clean and helps resist staining from oil and road salt. It does not prevent settling, because settling is a base issue.

How do I stop weeds growing between pavers?

Polymeric sand in the joints, installed and set properly, prevents most weed growth and stops joint sand washing out. Weeds that do appear usually grow from seed landing on the surface rather than pushing up from below, so they pull out easily.

Will road salt damage my interlocking?

Accordion Content

When can you start work, and how far ahead should I book?

We take bookings through the winter for the following season and prefer to start work from 15 April, once the ground has thawed enough to build a base properly. Booking over the winter gets you a slot early in the season.

Do I need a permit for an interlocking driveway?

Straightforward replacement of an existing driveway in the same footprint generally does not require a permit. Widening a driveway, changing the curb cut, or altering drainage may do, and rules differ between municipalities. Check with your own city before committing to a design that changes the footprint.

Do you install retaining walls?

Yes. Segmental retaining walls for grade changes, raised beds and terracing, built with proper drainage behind the wall. Drainage is what keeps a retaining wall in line, so it matters more than the blocks themselves.

Get an Interlocking Quote for Your Richmond Hill Property

Send us photos of the area and rough measurements. We will look at the drainage and ground conditions and give you a written quote that states the base depth we are building to.