Tried putting in a paver patio myself vs hiring a crew... saved $1200 but my back is wrecked after 3 weekends straight

I tackled a 10x12 paver patio in my backyard last month. Did all the digging, grading, and laying myself. Spent about $800 on materials. Got a quote from a local crew in Phoenix that wanted $2000 just for labor. Decided to go DIY. The finish looks decent but I didn't get the base compacted right in one corner and now two pavers are sinking a bit. Friend who hired pros had his done in 2 days flat and it's perfect. Thinking I should have just paid for the crew. Anyone else try DIY hardscaping and regret saving the money?

3 comments

3 Comments

avery2195d ago

Same thing happened to me, the base is everything and compacting it right takes the kind of machine you have to rent anyway. I would have rather paid the extra grand to not have to redo half my yard in August.

lilya765d ago

Yeah I hear you but actually the "extra grand" part is what gets me. I paid about $800 to rent a plate compactor and a skid steer for two days and it made a massive difference. The thing is you don't always need the big machines if you do it in layers. Like I did 4 inch lifts and compacted each one with just a rental plate tamper and it came out solid. The pros with the big rollers are nice but not always worth a full grand more if your yard isn't that huge.

victor7794d ago

Man totally feel you on that. That August heat alone makes it so much worse when you gotta go back and fix stuff. Sometimes just paying the extra is worth not having to learn the hard way.