Concrete Solutions & Waterproofing is a paver installation and hardscape contractor serving the South Shore and Eastern Massachusetts from Braintree. We install paver walkways, paver patios, and paver pool decks for homeowners, building each one on a compacted, drained gravel base so it stays flat and tight through New England freeze-thaw.
Free written estimates. Licensed and insured. Standard 1-year warranty.
We install three kinds of residential paver work: walkways, patios, and pool decks. Each has its own page below because each one fails in its own way if it is built wrong.
We also pour plain broom-finished concrete walkways, patios, and pool decks, so we can quote poured concrete side by side with pavers. For larger backyard projects that combine several features, see outdoor living spaces and outdoor kitchens. If you already have a sound concrete patio or walk that just looks tired, resurfacing and coatings may be the cheaper fix.
Almost every paver failure in Massachusetts, from heaving and sinking to wavy joints, starts in the base underneath, not in the paver itself. The paver is the part you see; the excavation, gravel, compaction, and drainage are what keep it flat.
Concrete pavers made to ASTM C936, the industry standard for interlocking concrete pavers, are tested for strength, water absorption, and freeze-thaw durability. A good paver rarely breaks. What moves is the ground under it. When water sits in a thin or poorly compacted base and freezes, it lifts the pavers. When it thaws, the soft spot settles. Repeat that for a few winters and you get the wavy, trip-prone surfaces you see around older South Shore homes.
Our work follows the published guidance of the Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association (CMHA, formerly ICPI): excavate below the frost-active topsoil, build a dense-graded crushed-stone base in thin compacted lifts, screed about an inch of washed concrete sand, lock the perimeter with edge restraint, and fill the joints with sand that is compacted in. The details change by project, which is why the walkway, patio, and pool deck pages each walk through the process for that use.
On our jobs that typically means about 6 inches of compacted 3/4-inch crushed stone, a 1-inch bed of concrete sand, PVC edge restraint pinned with 10-inch spikes, and polymeric joint sand, with the base deepened where the soil calls for it.
Our recent paver installation quotes have run about $20 to $25 per square foot installed, and plain poured concrete about $13 to $22 per square foot for walks and $15 to $28 for patios. Site conditions, demolition, and steps move a job within or beyond those ranges.
The biggest cost drivers we see on the South Shore are:
| Work | Typical range | Example |
|---|---|---|
| New paver patio, walkway, or pool deck | $20 to $25 | 2,900 sq ft paver pool deck in Taunton: about $23 per sq ft |
| Lifting and relaying existing pavers | About $11 | 750 sq ft reset in Wellesley |
| Plain concrete walkway (150 sq ft and up) | $13 to $22 | 210 sq ft walk in Franklin: about $22 per sq ft |
| Plain concrete patio | $15 to $28 | 260 sq ft patio in Mendon: about $20 per sq ft |
| Concrete pool deck | $14 to $23 | About 530 sq ft deck in Dedham: about $23 per sq ft |
Small jobs and repairs cost more per square foot because setup and minimums are spread over less area. Every estimate is written and itemized so you can see what the base, the pavers, and any extras each cost.
Choose pavers when you want a surface that can be repaired invisibly, extended later, and used the day it is finished. Choose plain poured concrete when budget comes first and a simple broom finish suits the house. We do not install stamped concrete.
| If this matters most | Usually the better fit |
|---|---|
| Lowest up-front cost for a simple shape | Plain poured concrete |
| Repairs that do not show, such as after a utility dig | Pavers |
| Ground that is still settling, like pool backfill | Pavers |
| Using it the same day it is finished | Pavers |
| Extending the surface in a few years | Pavers |
| A plain, continuous walking surface for a utility path | Plain poured concrete |
Why no stamped concrete? A stamped slab still cracks like any slab, its color and pattern cannot be patched without the repair showing, and it depends on a surface sealer that has to be renewed every few years and gets slick when wet. We would rather install pavers or a plain broom-finished slab that we can stand behind. Each of our paver pages has a full comparison table for that use.
Most residential walkways and patios take two to four working days on site. A large pool deck takes longer: a 2,900 square foot paver pool deck is about a four-week job.
| Project | Typical working days | What adds time |
|---|---|---|
| Paver walkway | 2 to 4 | Steps, landings, removing an old walk |
| Paver patio | 2 to 4 | Fire pit, raised patio on a slope, a large footprint |
| Relaying an existing paver area | 1 to 4 | Base repairs under the old pavers |
| Plain concrete walkway or patio | 2 to 4 | Demolition, steps, curing time before use |
| Paver pool deck | Several days to 4 weeks | Size, old deck demolition, soft backfill |
Rain stops base and joint-sand work, and nothing gets built on frozen ground, so most paver work in Eastern Massachusetts runs from spring through late fall.
Every paver job comes with our standard 1-year warranty, the same one that applies to all of our services: all materials and workmanship are guaranteed for one year from the date of completion.
Normal color variation and hairline cracking in concrete are not defects, and the warranty does not cover pre-existing conditions, hidden site conditions, or settlement of soil we did not place. Where a manufacturer warranty on a material runs longer than ours, that manufacturer warranty still applies.
We are a Massachusetts registered Home Improvement Contractor (HIC #203912), licensed and insured, working out of 150 Grossman Drive, Suite 205, Braintree.
We install pavers throughout Eastern Massachusetts, from the South Shore coast to Norfolk County and the towns south toward Plymouth and Bristol counties. Pick your town to see everything we do there. Our office is at 150 Grossman Drive, Suite 205, Braintree, MA 02184.
Tell us about the project and where it is. We respond within one business day.