Why can hardscaping proposals vary so much in price when everything else appears to be the same?
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Two hardscape proposals can include the same basic project—a patio, pathway, retaining wall or combination of features—and even specify similar finish materials, yet the proposals can vary considerably.
So why can the proposals be so different?
Because the pavers, blocks and stone you see when the project is finished are only part of the installation.
Excavation, base depth, compaction, drainage, edge restraint, reinforcement, bedding materials and installation practices can all affect the amount of material and labor required.
Many of those differences disappear completely once the project is finished.
At Wall & Company, we believe the parts of your hardscape you can’t see deserve the same attention as the parts you can.
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Wall & Company vs. Common Shortcuts
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| Construction Detail | Wall & Company | Common Shortcuts |
|---|---|---|
| Excavation | Excavated sufficiently for the complete hardscape system | Reducing excavation to save equipment time, hauling and disposal |
| Gravel Base | Minimum 6″ compacted gravel base for patios and walkways | Using a thinner gravel base |
| Compaction | Base materials compacted in multiple lifts | Installing thicker layers and attempting to compact them at once |
| Bedding Layer | Properly prepared over a stable, compacted base | Using bedding material to compensate for inconsistencies below |
| Edge Restraint | Paver edges secured with 10″ spikes every 6″ | Wider spike spacing to reduce materials and installation time |
| Joint Sand | Quality polymeric joint sand | Lower-cost joint material or less thorough installation |
| Drainage & Grade | Water movement considered during excavation and base preparation | Addressing drainage primarily at the finished surface |
| Materials | Quality pavers, blocks and hardscape materials appropriate for the application | Selecting primarily around initial material cost |
| Finish Work | Careful cuts, patterns, curves, transitions and final details | Prioritizing installation speed over construction detail |
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What You’ll Never See
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When your hardscape is finished, you’ll see pavers, stone, walls, steps and the completed outdoor space.
You probably won’t see:
• Most of the excavation
• The compacted gravel base
• Individual compacted lifts
• Most of the bedding material
• Drainage preparation
• The preparation beneath edges and walls
• Edge restraint and much of its fastening system
• Reinforcement used where required
• Much of the grading work beneath the finished surface
Yet those hidden details can determine how the hardscape performs over time.
They’re also some of the easiest places to reduce the amount of material and labor required for an installation.
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A Quality Hardscape Starts Below the Surface
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The finished material gets most of the attention.
The foundation underneath does most of the work.
Whether we’re installing a paver patio, pathway or another hardscape feature, Wall & Company properly prepares the area before installing the finished surface.
That requires excavation.
More excavation means more equipment time, more material to remove and haul away, and more base material to bring back.
Reducing excavation can therefore reduce the price of a proposal considerably.
But once the hardscape is finished, you won’t be able to see how deeply it was prepared.
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We Start with a Minimum 6″ Gravel Base for Patios and Walkways
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For paver patios and walkways, Wall & Company installs a minimum 6-inch compacted gravel base.
Minimum is important.
Site and soil conditions can require additional preparation.
The base creates the stable foundation supporting the finished pavers. A thinner base requires less excavation, less gravel, less hauling and less installation time.
That’s one reason two proposals using the exact same paver can still represent very different installations.
The paver may be identical.
What’s underneath it may not be.
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We Compact the Base in Multiple Lifts
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Base depth alone isn’t enough.
The material also needs to be properly compacted.
Wall & Company uses multi-lift compaction, installing base material in manageable layers and compacting each before installing the next.
Placing a thick layer of gravel and attempting to compact everything from the surface doesn’t provide the same result.
Multi-lift compaction takes additional equipment passes and additional time.
But our objective isn’t simply to put the required amount of gravel beneath the project.
It’s to create a properly compacted foundation.
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Edge Restraint Is Part of the Paver System
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Paver patios and pathways need strong perimeter support.
Wall & Company secures our edge restraint using 10-inch spikes every 6 inches.
Increasing the spacing between those spikes reduces both material and installation time.
But the edge isn’t simply where the pavers stop.
Proper edge restraint helps prevent perimeter pavers from gradually moving outward and joints from spreading.
It’s a relatively small construction detail.
Across the perimeter of an entire hardscape project, however, doing it correctly requires more materials and labor.
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The Bedding Layer Has a Specific Job
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Above the compacted gravel base is the bedding layer used to create the surface for the pavers.
That material shouldn’t be used to compensate for an inadequately prepared base.
Wall & Company builds the structural foundation first and then properly prepares the bedding layer.
Each part of the system has a specific purpose.
Once the pavers are installed, those layers disappear.
But they continue doing their jobs underneath the finished surface.
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The Sand Between the Pavers Matters
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Wall & Company uses quality polymeric joint sand between pavers.
When properly installed and activated, polymeric sand helps stabilize the joints while resisting washout and reducing opportunities for weeds to establish.
It’s easy to think of joint sand as a minor finishing detail.
We view it as part of the complete paver system.
If we’re putting additional effort into building the foundation correctly, it makes little sense to compromise the installation at the surface.
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Different Hardscapes Require Different Foundations
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Not every hardscape should be built exactly the same way.
A backyard pathway doesn’t experience the same loads as a driveway.
A retaining wall has very different structural and drainage requirements from a patio.
Wall & Company adjusts the construction to the application.
For example, our paver driveways receive substantially more base preparation than patios and walkways because they’re expected to support repeated vehicle traffic.
Retaining walls may require drainage systems, appropriate backfill and structural reinforcement.
The objective isn’t to use one standard construction detail everywhere.
It’s to build each feature appropriately for what it needs to do.
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Drainage Begins Before the Finished Surface Goes Down
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Hardscaping changes the way water moves across a property.
Patios, pathways, retaining walls and other structures all interact with rain, irrigation and snowmelt.
Wall & Company considers drainage and finished elevations during excavation and base preparation.
Water needs to move appropriately away from structures and through the surrounding landscape.
This becomes particularly important in Spokane, where hardscape is exposed to snow, freezing temperatures and repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
Good drainage shouldn’t be obvious.
The water should simply go where it’s supposed to go.
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Quality Materials Matter
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Proper installation deserves quality materials.
Wall & Company uses premium hardscape products appropriate for the application, including Belgard pavers on many projects, while selecting other quality products when they’re a better fit.
We don’t build our projects around inexpensive retail block or materials selected primarily because they’re the cheapest option available.
Material selection considers:
• Intended application
• Structural requirements
• Durability
• Appearance
• Available colors and textures
• Compatibility with the overall landscape
The objective is to combine quality installation with materials appropriate for the project.
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The Details You Do See Matter, Too
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A strong foundation doesn’t excuse mediocre finish work.
Wall & Company also pays attention to:
• Consistent paver patterns
• Accurate cuts
• Smooth curves
• Clean borders
• Consistent joints
• Wall and cap alignment
• Finished elevations
• Steps and transitions
• Integration with surrounding landscaping
The construction underneath helps the hardscape last.
The craftsmanship above it is what you get to see and enjoy every day.
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Where the Wall & Company Difference Shows Up
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Hardscape proposals can be particularly difficult to compare because the finished materials may be nearly identical.
Two contractors can quote the same patio using the same paver.
But one installation may include substantially more excavation, gravel, compaction, edge restraint, drainage preparation and attention to the details underneath.
Reducing any of those things can reduce materials, equipment time and labor.
Then the pavers or stone go down—and much of the difference disappears.
Wall & Company’s approach is to build the complete hardscape system: proper excavation, substantial base preparation, multi-lift compaction, appropriate edge restraint, quality materials, thoughtful drainage and careful finish work.
The objective isn’t to build the cheapest or the most expensive hardscape. Our objective is to build hardscaping that will stand the test of time.
At Wall & Company, we aim to build you hardscaping that you, your family and friends can enjoy for years to come.