How to Add Pavers at the End of a Driveway

Pavers provide both form and function when placed at the end of the driveway. Whether you want a solid surface to minimize ruts on the driveway slope, or you just want a decorative end on a paved drive, the installation method is the same. Pavers are installed over a firm base of gravel and sand on top of the subsoil, which aid in leveling the pavers and allow for drainage.


Mark the area you are paving with stakes and twine. Mark an area about 4 inches wider than the driveway so you have room to install proper edging. If the area is between two paved surfaces, such as the roadway and the rest of the driveway, only mark the sides of the driveway.


Measure the height of the paver stones. Add 5 to 11 inches to this measurement, following the paver manufacturer's recommendations for gravel-base depth, and excavate the end of the driveway to this depth. Dig out 4 inches further than the edges of the driveway so you can install a firm base and edge restraints along the driveway edge to better anchor the pavers. If concrete butts against the edge of the paver area, no outside edge restraints are necessary.


Tamp the ground with a plate compactor so there is no loose dirt. Maintain the grade of the driveway when you excavate and tamp so the end slopes smoothly from the driveway to the roadway. Cover the area with a 1- to 2-inch layer of crushed gravel, maintaining the grade, and tamp it down firmly with the plate compactor. Add another 2-inch layer, then smooth and tamp it thoroughly. Repeat this process with 2-inch layers to reach the full recommended thickness for the gravel base.


Install plastic edge restraints on the side of the paver area, lining up the raised edge of the restraint with the edge of the driveway. Drive steel stakes through the anchor holes on the restraints into the gravel area around the driveway perimeter, using a mallet. Restraints aren't necessary where concrete butts against the paver area.


Lay parallel 1-inch PVC pipes spaced several feet apart over the gravel base. Fill the area with a 1-inch layer of builder's sand, then smooth and strike off the sand using a long, straight two-by-four or two-by-six board, dragging the board over the tops of the pipes to create a consistent, 1-inch layer of sand. Remove the pipes.


Lay the paver stones on top of the sand, beginning in one corner. Fill in the voids left by the 1-inch pipes as you work, smoothing the surface with a trowel. Leave 1/8 inch of space between the pavers if they don't have spacer nubs built into their sides. Cut pavers to fit into odd areas using a wet saw with a masonry blade. Wear eye protection and wear long sleeves to protect your arms from flying paver chips when cutting.


Tamp the pavers down with the plate compactor to ensure they are secure and level. Replace any pavers that crack during compacting, after ensuring the sand base is level beneath the damaged paver.


Cover the driveway with paver sand and sweep it into the cracks between the pavers until they are full. You may need to add sand every few weeks until it has fully settled within the cracks between the pavers.