| Material | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Spoil to haul away (excavated soil) | 61.7 t |
| Non-woven geotextile | 97 m² (1,044 sq ft) |
| MG-20 crushed stone (0-3/4 in) for the base | 59.02 t |
| Edge restraint | 19.2 m (63 ft) |
| Edge spikes | 61 |
| Concrete sand for the bedding | 2.13 t |
| Pavers or slabs, cutting waste included | 60.6 m² (652.6 sq ft) |
| Polymeric sand (bags) | 12 bags |
The total and each step's time come from the same calculation as the estimator: the steps plus machine learning add up to the total. Planning steps (locate request, permits) keep the guide's fixed time.
The only layer you see, and the quickest to lay when everything below it is right.
If corners are cutMisaligned pavers and uneven joints. The cause is usually in the layers below.
WhyFills the joints, locks the pavers together, slows weeds and erosion.
If corners are cutPlain sand: joints wash out, pavers move, weeds move in.
WhyA thin layer, screeded level, that gives the flat surface. It does not fix an uneven base.
If corners are cutStone dust or too thick a bed: water stays trapped, the bed shifts and dips appear.
WhyThe heart of the job. It carries the loads, drains water and limits frost effects. It is spread and compacted in thin lifts.
If corners are cutA base too thin or compacted in one go: settling and frost heave.
WhyOn clay or silt, a fabric separates the stone from the fine soil so the two do not mix.
If corners are cutWithout geotextile on fine soil, the base sinks into the soil within a few years and loses its bearing capacity.
WhyThe soil is dug to the computed depth, sloped and compacted. The base does not go below the frost line: it drains.
If corners are cutDigging too shallow to save on the bin: the base is thin and the patio follows the soil's movements.
WhyThicknesses computed for: 55.7 m² (600 sq ft), clay soil
A paver driveway carries the weight of cars, turning tires, snow clearing and salt. Compared with a patio, the base is markedly thicker, the pavers thicker and the geotextile always there. Access to the street goes through the municipality. Professional help is recommended for this project, especially on clay or silt.
Measure the area to pave and draw it to scale, on paper or with the measuring tool.
Enter these values in "Your project": every quantity in this guide comes from them.
Also measure the driveway width at the street line and the width of your lot: the curb cut rules depend on them. If old asphalt or concrete must come out, plan its removal and disposal separately.
Done when : The sketch gives the area, the length and type of each side and the drainage direction, and the same values are entered in "Your project".
The base thickness depends mostly on the native soil. Sand and gravel drain well. Silt and clay hold water and swell when they freeze: they need a markedly thicker base and a geotextile.
A driveway drains toward the street or the lawn, never toward the garage or the house. If the ground slopes down to the garage, a trench drain in front of the door becomes necessary: have a professional design it.
Done when : A soil class is chosen (or "I don't know"), every downspout has an outlet that misses the paving, and the surface drainage direction is decided.
A driveway needs a product the maker approves for car traffic.
Done when : The chosen product is approved by its maker for vehicles, its thickness is entered in "Your project" and the pattern is confirmed.
A driveway touches public land and parking rules. Plan two separate steps: the parking area permit for your lot, and the curb cut certificate for the curb and sidewalk, which the city often does itself on its own schedule. Locating underground networks comes before any digging.
Make a free request to Info-Excavation, online or by phone, before digging, even for a small area. The RBQ asks contractors to file it at least 4 business days before the work: allow the same lead time. The request stays valid until the stated end date, for at most 180 days.
The house's service lines often run under the driveway: wait for the marks before digging.
Done when : You have a request number, every network concerned has answered with ground marks or a clear notice, and the marks will still be visible on digging day.
Safety : Never dig by machine within 1 m of either side of a mark: expose the line by hand. If you damage a cable or pipe, move everyone away, do not touch it and call its owner; if you smell gas, call emergency services.
Redoing, widening or creating a driveway touches the municipality's parking rules. Apply before ordering.
Done when : The permit is issued or the municipality confirms in writing that none is needed, and the approved width, location and materials match your sketch.
The curb cut (in French "entrée charretière"; the OQLF recommends "bateau de porte") is the lowered part of the curb and sidewalk in front of your driveway. It sits on public land: the municipality decides its width and often does the work itself. You need one for a new driveway or to widen an existing one.
Done when : The curb cut certificate is issued, the approved width is marked on your sketch, and you know the planned date and the cost of the city's work.
Safety : Work in the street right-of-way (curb, sidewalk) is done by the municipality or its contractor, with the required traffic control. Never leave an open excavation at the edge of the sidewalk.
Book everything at once so the steps follow each other without waiting.
A driveway often needs several truckloads, a larger mini excavator and a reversible plate. Coordinate the date with the city's sidewalk work.
Done when : Delivery, rental and disposal dates are booked, the unloading spot is ready and the locate covers the whole duration of the work.
Grades are taken from two fixed points: the garage slab and the sidewalk. Between them, the surface keeps a continuous slope toward the street. The excavation is deep and the soil volume large: "Your project" shows the depth, the volume and the number of truckloads.
Mark the outline with paint. Drive stakes a little outside it and stretch strings at the height of the finished paver surface.
Set the strings from the top of the garage slab and the top of the sidewalk or street curb, sloping toward the street.
Done when : The strings are set at finished height, the level or laser confirms the planned slope along the whole length, and the painted outline includes the extra base width.
First remove the sod and topsoil and set them aside: they will finish the edges later. Then dig to the excavation depth shown in "Your project", which adds up the paver, bedding and base thicknesses, over the full width of the base.
For a driveway, the volume often justifies a 3.5 t mini excavator. Check the access width and protect the sidewalk and street curb from the tracks.
If old asphalt or concrete is still in place, remove it first: it is a separate waste stream from soil, accepted under other conditions.
Done when : Under the strings, the measured depth matches the planned excavation depth everywhere, the bottom follows the surface slope, and no loose soil or roots remain.
Safety : Keep the machine at least 1 m from either side of locate marks and expose lines by hand. Nobody stands within the excavator's swing radius. Read the rental company's instructions before using it.
Under a driveway, the base is the most important part of the project. It is built in lifts compacted with a reversible plate, on a geotextile, and extends past the paving on free sides. A driveway laid on a patio base forms ruts within the first years.
Rake the bottom even. If it is sand or gravel, compact it with the plate. On clay or silt, remove soft pockets, do not soak the soil and compact it only if it is dry enough. Techo-Bloc also suggests amending clay with lime and crushed stone before compacting it.
Then roll out a non-woven geotextile on the bottom and up the sides, with generous overlaps (about 30 cm, estimate), so the fine soil does not rise into the stone. For a driveway, always lay it.
Done when : No soft spots remain, your footsteps leave no deep prints, and the geotextile covers the bottom and sides with overlaps, without folds or tears.
Spread the MG-20 stone in thin lifts and compact each lift before adding the next. Your project's number of lifts is in "Your project".
If your project includes an MG-56 subbase, place and compact it first, then build the MG-20 on top.
Done when : A 3 m straightedge laid in several directions shows no gap over 10 mm, the slope is right and the plate leaves no more marks.
Safety : Wear hearing protection, safety glasses and steel-toe boots. Never compact frozen ground and never use frozen stone: wait for a full thaw.
Install an edge restraint on every side that does not bear against the house, a step or existing paving.
Along the street or where wheels pass close to the edge, a reinforced concrete haunch or a precast curb holds better than plastic edging.
Done when : The edging is continuous, lined up with the string, sitting on compacted stone rather than soil, and every spike is fully driven.
Safety : Wear safety glasses when driving spikes.
Under the tires, a driveway needs an even bed, tight joints, no small pieces in the wheel paths, full compaction and well-filled joints. Keep cars off until the polymeric sand has cured.
Lay two pipes of 1 in outside diameter on the base as rails. Pour concrete sand between them and pull it level with a straightedge, following the slope.
Done when : The bed is uniform, about 25 mm thick, with no footprints or dips, and the rail grooves are filled.
Start from a square corner or along a fixed line, then lay the pavers by hand, tight together, moving forward on the laid pavers rather than on the bed.
Start along the garage slab, with an isolation joint against it, and work toward the street.
Done when : The whole planned area is covered with full units, joint lines are straight to the string and isolation joints are in place along fixed elements.
Safety : Lift with your legs, back straight, and wear knee pads and gloves. A pallet of pavers is heavy: do not move it by hand.
Mark the cuts with a pencil along the string or the curve, then cut with a diamond saw or a guillotine.
Done when : Every edge is closed with well-fitted pieces, without chips or slivers, and the edge restraint touches the pavers everywhere.
Safety : Dry-cutting concrete releases fine dust that harms the lungs: cut wet or with a vacuum and wear a well-fitted mask, safety glasses, hearing protection and gloves. Hold the saw with both hands, feet clear of the blade's path.
Pick a dry day with no rain forecast for the period stated on the polymeric sand bag.
For pavers under 100 mm thick, a 20 to 25 kN plate with a pad is enough; from 100 mm up, use a 35 to 60 kN plate. Do not drive on the driveway before the cure time stated on the bag.
Done when : The joints are full, no paver moves underfoot, the surface is clean before wetting, and the height difference between neighbouring pavers is no more than about 2 to 3 mm.
Safety : Hearing protection and steel-toe boots for the plate. Polymeric sand is dusty: wear a mask while sweeping it.
The join with the street depends on the city's schedule.
Done when : The paving stops at the permitted limit, the join with the sidewalk has no ledge, and the isolation joint against the garage slab is in place.
Put the topsoil and sod back along the edges to hide and protect the edging. Pick up offcuts, spikes and packaging; return deposit pallets if any.
Inspect the work after wetting it: water must run off without puddling. The finished surface sits slightly above drain grates, never below.
In the first spring, walk around it: a paver that moved, a joint that emptied or an edge that is opening is easier to fix early.
In the first winter, clear snow with a blade fitted with shoes or a rubber edge so it does not catch the pavers.
Done when : After wetting, water runs off without puddles, no unit moves, the edging is covered and the site is clear.
A base that is too thin flexes under the wheels and lets fine soil freeze wet. Ruts form in the wheel paths and the driveway heaves with frost, often within the first winters.
Use the vehicular row of the table for your soil ("Your project" does it), compact each lift with a reversible plate in several passes and lay a geotextile.
Thin pavers and large formats rock and crack under turning and braking tires, and the joints open.
Choose a product the maker approves for vehicles, at least 70 mm per Rinox, thicker for large formats.
Stone dust holds water. It saturates, freezes and pumps up through the joints: pavers sink in places and joints get dirty within the first seasons.
Use clean, coarse concrete sand for the bedding. Stone dust is still common in Quebec, but public specifications refuse it.
Small pieces do not have enough area to stay interlocked. They come loose, spin and break under the tires.
Shift the pattern so no cut piece in a wheel path is smaller than one third of a unit, and keep at least one full original side on every piece.
Under the weight of cars, clay rises into the stone and the stone sinks into the clay. The base loses its effective thickness and its drainage, and dips appear.
Lay a non-woven geotextile on the bottom and sides of every driveway excavation, with overlaps.
Without a restraint, the edge pavers creep outward, joints open, sand washes out and the whole surface loses its interlock within one or two seasons.
Install plastic, aluminium or concrete edging anchored on the base along every free side. Do not use timber.
The curb and sidewalk belong to the municipality. Work done without a certificate can be refused and have to be redone at your cost, and the city may not lower the curb to the width you want.
Apply for the curb cut certificate before ordering and let the city or its contractor do the work on public land.
The binder activates too early: it sticks to the surface and leaves a haze that is hard to remove, and joints stay hollow or crumbly, letting water and weeds in.
Wait until pavers, joints and bed are completely dry, sweep off all excess before wetting and pick a period with no rain forecast.
Rain and meltwater collect at the garage door, seep under the slab and freeze against the foundation.
Give the driveway a continuous slope toward the street or lawn of at least 1.5% to 2%. If the ground falls toward the garage, have a trench drain designed.
Frozen stone does not compact and frozen soil settles at thaw. Come spring, the base sinks and the surface deforms.
Do not place base or bedding on frozen ground and do not use frozen aggregate. Push to spring any work that cannot finish before freeze-up.
Any digging needs an Info-Excavation locate request at least 4 business days before starting, and hand digging within 1 m of the marks.[8, 11]
A new or widened curb cut needs a municipal certificate. In Montreal, Laval and Longueuil, the city or its contractor does the curb and sidewalk work, on its own schedule.[15, 17, 18]
Laval and Longueuil ask for a certificate of location or surveyor's certificate with the curb cut application. If you do not have a recent one, plan for a land surveyor.[15, 18]
A driveway on clay, silt or unknown soil needs the thickest base in the table and a geotextile. The maker advises a professional's opinion for soils very prone to frost: have the design checked.[2]
A surface for heavy vehicles (RV, delivery trucks, commercial use) needs a design by an engineer or a geotechnical specialist; this guide does not cover it.[2]
In a front yard, several municipalities cap the paved share, require light or permeable materials, or a permit. Check with your municipality or borough before ordering.[13]
Permeable paving on silt, clay or unknown soil stores water in the base. If it does not drain before freeze-up, it lifts the paving: have the system designed by a professional.[2]
Paving over a roof, deck or garage adds load to the structure and affects the waterproofing: hire a structural engineer.[2, 25]
Below a 1.5% slope, water is likely to pond on the pavers. Have a professional check the drainage, or increase the slope.[2]
Before digging, file a free request with Info-Excavation. The RBQ asks contractors to file it at least 4 business days before the work; it is valid until the stated end date, for at most 180 days. The construction safety code requires the employer to locate lines before digging. For an owner doing their own work, the request is strongly recommended even though that duty targets employers, and some municipalities, such as Magog, require it on their land.[8, 12, 40]
Checked October 10, 2026
Per the RBQ licence guide, landscaping on private land, such as private driveways, low walls and paver landings resting on gravel that are not attached to the building, needs no licence. Owners may do this work at their own home, except electrical and gas work, which always goes to a qualified contractor. If you hire, check in the RBQ register that the contractor's subcategories cover the other parts of the contract, such as excavation or concrete. The RBQ's subcategory 2.7 includes paver parking lots; the line between a residential driveway and a parking lot is not defined, and our reading is that a single-family driveway stays exempt (interpretation to confirm with the RBQ).[41, 42, 43]
Checked October 10, 2026
A permit is required to build, modify or remove a parking space or access. For the curb cut, the City lowers the sidewalk itself from May to October; an access is 2.4 to 7.5 m wide, all accesses take no more than 50% of the lot width and two accesses are at least 7.5 m apart. Some boroughs bill the actual cost plus 15% and prohibit cutting a tree for the access.[13, 17]
Checked October 10, 2026
A certificate is required to widen or narrow a sidewalk or curb. Only the City does that work and bills it after issuance. The file includes a sketch of the widths, a site plan and a surveyor's certificate. (Search summary of the official site, to re-check.)[18]
Checked October 10, 2026
A certificate is required for every curb cut, filed with the parking area application and a certificate of location. Width equal to the driveway at the street line, at most two accesses per lot, at least 6 m apart and 7.5 m from the intersection. The applicant pays, and a City contractor does the work in about 8 weeks, sometimes the following year.[15]
Checked October 10, 2026
The allowed driveway width depends on the lot frontage, measured at the street line: 2.5 to 5.5 m up to 11 m of frontage, 2.5 to 6 m from 11 to 20 m, 2.5 to 7.5 m beyond. (Search summary of the official site, to re-check.)[14]
Checked October 10, 2026
A permit is required to widen a curb cut or build a new asphalt yard; curb and sidewalk cutting and repair fees may apply. (Search summary of the official site, to re-check.)[16]
Checked October 10, 2026
Act R-20 on the construction industry excludes landscaping, including asphalt or concrete driveways, done on a detached single-family house by an employer that is not a professional construction employer. For a semi-detached, row house, duplex or condo, or with a contractor whose main activity is construction, CCQ rules can apply, which changes the labour rates in a quote.[44]
Checked October 10, 2026
The Civil Code (art. 979) requires lower land to receive the natural flow from higher land, but forbids the owner of the higher land from making the neighbour's situation worse. A new paved surface that concentrates water toward the lot line can therefore make you liable.[5]
Checked October 10, 2026
If you hire, ask for a written contract. The RBQ recommends that it show the licence number where applicable, the NEQ, the GST and QST numbers, the exact legal name and an itemized price (labour, materials, transport, equipment rental, subcontractors), with the smallest possible deposit. The Office de la protection du consommateur also lists what to ask for.[45, 46]
Checked October 10, 2026
Paver quantity calculator · Roof Observations
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Guide d'installation, Pavés · Techo-Bloc
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
DTNI-3C, Mise en oeuvre des pavés et des dalles en béton ou en pierre naturelle sur lit de pose granulaire · Ville de Montréal
Published October 3, 2024Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Guide to Lot Drainage · City of Calgary
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Écoulement des eaux (rapports de voisinage) · Gouvernement du Québec
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Comment choisir le bon pavé pour votre maison · Rinox
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Tech Spec 2, Construction of Interlocking Concrete Pavements · Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (now Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association)
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Travaux d'excavation · Régie du bâtiment du Québec
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
What to do before you dig (underground lines) · Hydro-Québec
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Demande de localisation · Info-Excavation
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Fiche technique 34, Protéger les services publics souterrains · APSAM (Association paritaire pour la santé et la sécurité du travail, secteur affaires municipales)
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Code de sécurité pour les travaux de construction, RLRQ c. S-2.1, r. 4 · Gouvernement du Québec (LégisQuébec)
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Obtenir un permis pour aménager ou modifier un espace de stationnement · Ville de Montréal
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Agrandissement d'une allée de stationnement · Ville de Gatineau
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Entrée charretière (fiche, juillet 2025) · Ville de Longueuil
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Construction, rénovation et travaux : foire aux questions · Ville de Sherbrooke
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Obtenir un permis pour aménager une entrée charretière · Ville de Montréal
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Entrée charretière · Ville de Laval
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Fiche « bateau de porte », Grand dictionnaire terminologique · Office québécois de la langue française
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Service de livraison · Gauvreau Transport
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
1.7 ton compact excavator, diesel (John Deere 17G) · Simplex
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Compaction equipment rental · Lou-Tec
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Estimating for Mission Requirements (reproduces FM 5-434 Earthmoving Operations, Table 1-1) · United States Marine Corps, TECOM
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Guide d'installation 2024 · Permacon
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Coupe de fondation granulaire pour pavés de porcelaine (fichier installation-guide-celtik-step) · Permacon
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Installation de pavé uni au Québec : guide complet des prix au m² et pi² · Soumission Rénovation
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Experience curve effects · Wikipedia
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Unit pricing in landscaping: how it hurts your profits · Granum (LMN)
Published September 22, 2025Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Guide des prix d'excavation : tout ce qu'il faut savoir · Soumission Rénovation
Published May 7, 2026Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Natural Stone Installation Guide · Unilock
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
How to install a durable paver driveway · Unilock (contractor site)
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
BNQ 2560-114, Granulats · Bureau de normalisation du Québec
Consulted October 10, 2026Paid standard: cited, never reproducedSource page
Crushed stone (products and tonnage calculator) · Groupe Bellemare
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Basic Tech Guide / Project Planning Guide · Unilock
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
VP single direction vibratory plates, technical data · Wacker Neuson Canada
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
TS 3.80, Construction Specification for Concrete Unit Pavers · City of Toronto
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Comment installer du pavé uni · Soumission Rénovation
Published April 17, 2026Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Installation guide, Walls and design charts · Techo-Bloc (hosted by dealer Stonewood Products)
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
ICP Construction Inspection Checklist · Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (now Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association)
Published June 24, 2015Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Demande de localisation Info-Excavation · Ville de Magog
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Guide pour déterminer le besoin d'une licence et la sous-catégorie pertinente : sous-catégorie 2.7, Entrepreneur en travaux d'emplacement · Régie du bâtiment du Québec
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Travaux que vous pouvez faire vous-même · Régie du bâtiment du Québec
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Vérifier la licence d'un entrepreneur · Régie du bâtiment du Québec
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Loi R-20 : exclusions · Commission de la construction du Québec
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Signer un contrat de rénovation · Régie du bâtiment du Québec
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Request a contract (before hiring a renovation contractor) · Office de la protection du consommateur
Published November 21, 2022Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Agrandissement d'une entrée d'automobile en pavé uni : permis et prix au Québec · Soumission Rénovation
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
First version, draft awaiting review by an experienced installer.