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A 12 × 16 ft concrete-paver patio against the back wall of a house, sloped away from it. The pavers sit on 1 in of bedding sand over a compacted crushed-rock base. The front corner of the model is cut away so you can see every layer. Parts are listed in the order the steps use them.
≈3–5 days for a small crew
This guide shows the sequence, not a design. Base depth, slope and materials depend on your soil, drainage and the paver maker’s instructions. Your plans and local code come first.
Stakes and string lines mark the three open edges; at the back, the strings tie off to the house. The strings are set at the finished paver height: level along the house, and falling away from it so water runs off the patio, not toward the wall.
≈2 hr · 12 × 16 ft = 192 sq ft · 3 in of fall over 12 ft
Parts: 4 × Wood stake, 2×2 × 24 in; 1 × Mason’s line, roll
A slope of about 1.5–2% (roughly 3/16–1/4 in per foot) is common for patios; the right slope depends on the design and where the water goes. At the house, keep the finished paver surface at least 2 in below the stucco weep screed (check local code).
The whole area is dug to one depth below finished height: the paver thickness, plus 1 in of sand, plus the base. Here that’s 2⅜ + 1 + 6 in, about 9⅜ in. The dig runs about 9 in past the pavers on the open sides, and its bottom follows the same slope as the finished surface.
≈1 day · ≈6.5 cu yd of soil out, measured in place (more once loosened)
Parts: 1 × Plate compactor (rental)
A 6 in base is a common choice for patios. ICPI’s minimum for walkways and patios is 4 in over well-drained soil; clay or soft soil needs more. Your plans or a soils report set the number.
On clay, soft or wet soil, a geotextile fabric goes over the compacted subgrade first. It keeps the base rock from pushing down into the soil below.
≈30 min · ≈223 sq ft of bottom + ≈34 of sides, plus laps ≈ 280 sq ft
Parts: ≈280 ft² × Geotextile fabric (if specified)
It’s often skipped on firm, well-drained soil. Whether you need it, and which fabric, comes from the design.
Crushed aggregate base goes in layers (lifts). Each lift is spread, dampened and compacted before the next. Here it’s two 3 in lifts, 6 in in total, with the top finished parallel to the final slope.
≈1 day · 6 in compacted · 17.5 × 12.75 ft · ≈4.1 cu yd
Parts: ≈8.5 t × Crushed aggregate base, ton (≈4.1 cu yd compacted; ask the yard for its tons per yard); 1 × Plate compactor (rental)
Lift thickness depends on the compactor: thinner lifts with a light rental plate, thicker ones only with heavier equipment. The finished base should be smooth and even; ICPI’s tolerance is about ±3/8 in under a 10 ft straightedge.
Edge restraint keeps the pavers from creeping apart. It sits on the compacted base, not on sand, and is spiked down into the base. Along the house, the foundation acts as the edge.
≈2 hr · 40 ft of open edge · 8 ft sections · 10 in spikes
Parts: 6 × Paver edge restraint, 8 ft section; 44 × Edging spike, 10 in
Some crews set only the starting edges now and the rest after the pavers are laid and cut, so it lands tight to the field. ICPI calls for at least 1 in of the restraint in contact with the paver’s side, and base running past the pavers by about its own depth (dig about 10 in wider than the patio).
Coarse washed concrete sand is spread over the base and struck off with a straight board riding on two 1 in rails. That leaves a loose, even 1 in bed that follows the slope.
≈2 hr · 1 in loose · 192 sq ft · ≈16 cu ft
Parts: 2 × Screed rail, 1 in outside-diameter pipe or bar × 10 ft; 1 × Screed board, straight 2×4; ≈0.7 yd³ × Bedding sand (washed concrete sand)
Don’t compact the sand or walk on it before laying; the pavers get compacted into it later. ICPI calls for washed concrete sand (ASTM C33), not stone dust.
Pavers go down starting at the house and working outward, set straight down onto the sand. The crew kneels on laid pavers, never on the screeded sand. This example uses 6 × 9 in pavers in a running bond.
≈1–2 days · 24 courses of 6 in · joints 1/16–3/16 in
Parts: ≈212 ft² × Concrete paver, 6 × 9 × 2⅜ in
Pull pavers from several pallets at once to blend the color. Most pavers have spacer nubs that set the joint width. The plan quantity is 192 sq ft plus about 10% for cuts (≈565 pavers).
A plate compactor runs over the finished field. It seats the pavers into the sand and pushes sand up into the bottom of the joints, which locks the surface flat.
≈1 hr · Plate compactor: 5,000 lbf minimum (ICPI) · at least 2 passes
Parts: 1 × Plate compactor (rental)
Sweep the surface clean first. Use a protective pad on the plate where the paver maker recommends one, so it doesn’t scuff the faces.
Joint sand gets swept into every joint and compacted again until the joints are full. With polymeric sand, the surface is then blown clean and misted with water to set it, exactly as the bag says. Last, soil is backfilled against the edge restraint.
≈2 hr, plus cure time · ≈1.3 cu ft of joints · 3–4 bags of 50 lb
Parts: 3–4 × Polymeric joint sand, 50 lb bag; from dig × Soil backfill at the edges
Polymeric sand needs dry pavers and a dry forecast, and any haze left on the faces can set permanently. Coverage, watering and cure time vary by product: follow the bag.
That’s the patio: a compacted base, a thin sand bed, pavers held by their edges and joint sand, and a surface that sheds water away from the house.