Driveway pavers in Lincoln NE - a driveway that drains well and stays level
Old driveway cracked, sinking or holding puddles? We lay pavers on a packed base with a plan for where the water goes.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What does it take to put in a paver driveway in Lincoln?
Driveway pavers in Lincoln, NE are concrete pavers set on a thin bed of sand over a thick, packed layer of road base gravel. When that base is built right, you get a driveway that carries your cars and moves water off and away from the house.
Most people call us when an old concrete or asphalt driveway has cracked, sunk by the garage or started holding puddles, and they don't want the next one to go the same way. The price mostly comes down to the size in square feet, how deep the base has to go, whether your yard needs drain pipe, which pavers you pick and whether the old driveway comes out. The schedule turns on the digging and base work, the weather and the city permit, and the written estimate I give you after looking at your driveway spells out each of those for your job.
How we build driveway pavers
Most of a paver driveway is the part you never see, so most of our time goes into the base and where the water will go. Before anything else, I tell you whether taking out your old driveway is in the estimate, so you know exactly what you're comparing. Then our crew digs down to firm ground, packs the gravel base in thin layers, and shapes the slope so rain runs out to the street or yard and not toward your garage or foundation. On top goes a smooth bed of sand, then the pavers, an edge to hold them in place, and joint sand swept in and packed down so the pieces lock together.
A driveway cut into a slope sometimes needs the yard held back on one side, and that's where our retaining wall construction comes in. If the brick steps, stoop or house front along the driveway have loose or crumbling joints, we can take care of them through our masonry restoration work while we're already there.
Packed gravel base
This is the standard base under most paver driveways and it suits most yards. One paver maker's guide notes it drains slower and needs a lot of compaction, which is why we pack it in thin layers and don't rush it.
Permeable stone base
Water soaks down through the gaps into open stone, which suits a yard where runoff is the problem. The same guide says it needs less compaction and copes better with rain during the build, though the materials cost slightly more, and federal highway guidance says it generally isn't used where groundwater sits within 2 feet of the bottom of the pavement.
Stabilized base for heavy loads
A trade group for concrete pavers recommends a base bound with asphalt or cement for very heavy loads and for weak or waterlogged soil. It costs more, so I only suggest it when the ground or the use calls for it.
If water runs toward your foundation or the driveway has sunk at the garage, call (402) 202-7624 rather than waiting. We take calls every day, 6 AM to 11 PM.
What happens after you call about driveway pavers in Lincoln?
Here's how a paver driveway job runs with us, from the first call to the walk-through at the end, and who you'll be dealing with at each step along the way.
Call or send the form
Call (402) 202-7624 or use the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out. It helps to know roughly how many square feet you have and whether the old driveway comes out.
I look at your driveway
I come out myself, measure, check the slope and where water goes now, and figure out what made the old driveway fail. Then I walk you through what I'd do and why, and you get a written estimate that says which base we'd use, whether drain pipe is in it and whether removal is included.
We handle the permit
If you want to go ahead, we take care of any permit the job needs and set up the inspections. In Lincoln that means the city permit described further down this page.
Our crew builds it
Our own small crew of masons does the work, and I'm on the job with them. When it's finished, I walk the driveway with you before we call it done. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Get a written estimate for your paver driveway
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I come out myself for a free estimate on site, and there's no pressure to book.
(402) 202-7624Driveway pavers in Lincoln start with a city permit
Lincoln requires a curb cut and sidewalk permit before a driveway is built, even on a street with no concrete curb, and it's issued through the city's Development Services Center. Any digging in the street, an alley or other public space takes its own city permit, and the city inspects all work in the public right of way, the strip where your driveway meets the sidewalk and street. The city also puts it on the owner or builder to confirm lot lines and make sure the driveway respects easements, the city's included, and any private covenant like neighborhood rules, so I ask about your lines and covenants at the estimate. We take care of the permit application and set up the inspections, so you're not the one chasing the city.
We're based in Lincoln and work in the cities around it, and the driveways we're called about tend to look alike, older concrete cracked or sunk near the garage with water that has nowhere good to go. On jobs in Seward and Crete, I check with the office that covers your address before we dig.
Driveway paver questions from Lincoln homeowners
How much does a paver driveway cost in Lincoln, NE?
One Lincoln cost guide puts a sand-set concrete paver driveway, with its packed base and sand bedding, at about $14 to $17 per square foot. That range doesn't include tearing out an old driveway, so check whether any bid covers removal. Our written estimate says plainly whether ours does.
Do I need a permit to put in a new driveway in Lincoln?
For a driveway that meets the street, yes, Lincoln requires its curb cut and sidewalk permit before the driveway goes in, even where there's no concrete curb. We handle the application and inspections for you. Outside Lincoln, we check with the office that covers your address.
Does a paver driveway on clay soil need drain pipes?
Usually it's worth it. A trade group for concrete pavers recommends drain pipes under driveways in clay or other slow-draining soil, and says the small added cost comes back many times over in extra years of service. I'll look at how your yard drains at the estimate and tell you whether I think yours needs them.
Who can install a paver driveway in Nebraska?
Any contractor doing business in Nebraska has to register with the Nebraska Department of Labor. The state says plainly that registration is a requirement, not a promise of quality work or protection from fraud, so ask any contractor how they'll build the base and handle the water. We're licensed and insured.
How long after installing pavers can I drive on my driveway?
You can drive on concrete pavers right after they're installed. There's no curing wait like with poured concrete, which helps shorten the job and gets your driveway back sooner.
How do I take care of permeable pavers in winter?
On a permeable driveway, skip winter sand or sweep it out the next spring, because it can clog the gaps that let water soak through. Federal highway guidance also advises going light on deicing chemicals. This applies to permeable systems only, not a standard sand-set driveway on a gravel base.
Related work around a new driveway
When your driveway runs along a slope or the yard sits higher than the pavers, a wall holds the soil back so it doesn't wash onto the drive.
Brick steps, stoops and walls beside a new driveway can look tired, and restoring loose or worn masonry fixes what's causing it, not just the look.
Get your paver driveway estimate started
Call (402) 202-7624 or use the form, because I'd rather tell you a smaller fix will do than sell you a whole new driveway, and the only way to know is to look.