Installing interlocking pavers costs $3,400 on average, depending on the square footage. Most spend between $1,500 and $7,000.
Durable, beautiful, and good for all climates—those are just a few of the advantages that come to mind when homeowners install interlocking pavers in their outdoor living spaces. Whereas concrete serves a primarily functional purpose, good paver design can help a patio pop. The question is, how much will they set you back? Learn the cost of interlocking pavers in this informational guide.
The average cost to install interlocking pavers is $3,400. Pavers increase in price when you opt for higher-end materials or customization, but a 60-square-foot area can be covered for as little as $350. Concrete stone or brick pavers are the two most popular options and cost roughly the same.
Pavers usually cost $8 to $25 per square foot, which is probably the most accurate way to calculate the total price you'll pay. After all, interlocking pavers can be used for a number of different outdoor living spaces and walkways, so determining the area you're trying to cover will help you set a budget.
Patios are one of the most common interlocking pavers projects; the national average cost is $3,400 for installation.
However, that price could change greatly if you need to level ground or remove obstacles beforehand, obtain permits, or you opt to install higher-end or customized interlocking pavers.
“Keep in mind, straight lines are always more affordable and easier to install than curved layouts, which add time for all the special cutting required,” says Matt DiBara, Angi Expert Review Board member and owner of DiBara Masonry.
You may only need a few hundred for your interlocking pavers project if DIY is in the cards. However, the job can hit five figures if you really pull out all the stops.
For under $1,500, homeowners can cover a 6-by-10 area (60 square feet) with pavers and have them installed by a local paver installation professional.
If you shop around, you may be able to get the work done for half that price. Even a team of pros will take multiple days to complete the project, meaning some may offer lower labor costs to score your business.
In this range, homeowners can outfit up to 160 square feet with basic interlocking pavers. If you're opting for higher-end pavers, such as natural stone or slate, you can outfit that basic 6-by-10 area described in the previous section for around $3,000.
If $3,000 is your fixed budget but you have a large area you want to cover, you might consider renting equipment, such as a sod cutter, to lay down interlocking pavers yourself. This will leave more room in your budget to get the style or type of interlocking pavers you like most.
Homeowners can cover up to 400 square feet in this price range with basic pavers, and up to 200 square feet using higher-end materials.
Covering this much distance could mean leveling ground for removing obstacles, which will eat away your budget. Anything you can tackle yourself, such as tree or root removal, will save on labor costs.
There are still ways homeowners can come in under budget for extravagant projects, or ones where you're putting several hundred feet of walkway along with a new patio. However, a five figure price tag is possible for large or customized builds.
The main thing that can easily double your price tag in this bracket is materials. Natural stone, for example, might cost four times what basic interlocking pavers will. Shop around for the best materials to save the most money.
Not all pavers are created equally. Consider these three types of pavers for your build.
Concrete, natural slate, and clay bricks are the three most popular types of interlocking pavers. When most people picture their finished pavers project, they're picturing one of these materials laid beautifully in their yard. These range from $8 to $25 per square foot.
But homeowners may also look at alternative pavers products, such as rubber, which costs $6 to $11 per square foot. With a more forgiving surface, rubber pavers are great for elderly who may risk falling, or child play areas.
Fewer homeowners may realize that indoor interlocking pavers also exist. Certain materials, especially marble, make a sleek and elegant design for indoor projects. Marble, because it stains easily, isn't suited for outdoor spaces.
Expect to pay on the higher end ($20 plus per square foot) for marble.
At higher price points, the sky sort of becomes the limit as far as customization goes for your interlocking pavers project.
Some customization options you might choose to make your pavers projects truly your own:
Colors: red, teal, brown, etc.
Shapes: hexagon, dumble, zigzag, basil
Some homeowners even have certain pavers engraved or shaped in specific ways to give their home unique flair.
When shopping, here are some price points to consider for interlocking pavers.
Concrete is probably the most popular material builders work with. Expect to pay $8 to $15 per square foot.
The price range for slightly more elegant stone builds is $15 to $50 per square foot. Specialty paver companies may also work with flagstone, marble, or other types of natural stone.
If you like the color of natural brick but the durability of concrete (many homeowners do), you can get the best of both worlds. Again, $8 to $15 per square foot is an acceptable price range.
Most natural brick is made out of clay, limestone, and other materials. It'll cost slightly more than concrete brick ($10 to $20 per square foot) but give your outdoor living space a different aesthetic.
You could reduce your price tag to as little as $350 if you opt to tackle your pavers installation yourself. However, you'll need a bunch of tools, such as spikes, a shovel, a rake, and bags of sand to lay the base before adding your pavers. Borrowing from friends or renting demolition equipment will save you money. You may also need a masonry saw to cut the pavers for certain patterns and any curved areas.
Keep in mind that you might also need special permission or a building permit before you can install pavers as part of a patio or walkway. (You'll almost definitely need it if you'll be attaching your pavers to an existing structure, like your sidewalk.) Fees for this generally range from $25 to $50.
Installing pavers DIY is definitely doable, but be prepared for a pretty grueling project. From digging out your yard to leveling it with sand, to installing the pavers, it'll take at least two or three days of hard manual labor.
“Also, don’t forget about a paver base, which can often be delivered,” says DiBara. “You may also need to haul away any materials you remove in order to make room for the paver base and pavers.”
It's also very important that you properly level out your base for the pavers and ensure there is a base of sand or gravel for them to expand and contract naturally. Otherwise, your pavers may shift and become crooked over time.
When many homeowners think of pavers, they're thinking of concrete stone pavers laid in sand. Clay brick is a close second in terms of the look most people are going for in their outdoor living spaces when they consider such a project.
The good thing is that every material of paver is super durable and rated to last a long time.
