How much does a paver patio cost in Nashville?

The total follows the square footage, the dig, the base and the paver you pick. A patio a machine can reach costs less to build than one where stone is carried through a side gate, and steps, seat walls, borders and curves add cutting time. A real estimate starts with measuring the yard.

Are brick pavers cheaper than concrete pavers?

Usually not. Clay brick pavers generally cost more per square foot than concrete pavers, while the base, the edging and the labor under them are much the same. Brick keeps its color because the color is fired through the unit; concrete pavers come in more sizes and finishes. Ask for both prices on the same plan.

How long do brick pavers last?

The brick itself rarely wears out; the base decides how long the patio stays flat. Clay pavers made to ASTM C902 class SX are built to freeze while wet. Settling and heaving come from a thin base or standing water, and either kind of paver can be lifted, re-leveled and relaid with the same units.

Which is better, brick or concrete pavers?

Neither wins everywhere. Concrete pavers made to ASTM C936 average at least 8,000 psi and come in more shapes and textures, while clay pavers hold their color for good and suit a brick house. For Nashville’s freeze-thaw, ask for C936 pavers or SX-class brick; both stand up to it.

Are pavers better than a concrete slab for a patio?

For most patios, yes. A slab cracks and the crack stays, while pavers flex over a compacted stone base and a settled section can be lifted and relaid with the same units. A slab is quicker to pour. Pavers also leave a joint every few inches for water to find its way down.

How deep should the base be under a paver patio?

At least 4 inches of compacted crushed stone on well-drained soil, under the CMHA tech note, with about an inch of loose bedding sand on top. Clay or wet ground calls for more. Ask any installer how deep the base is after compaction; that number decides how flat the patio stays.

Patio Pavers in Nashville, TN | Nashville Outdoor Works Co.

What goes under a paver patio?

Four inches of compacted crushed stone, at minimum, is what the Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA, which now publishes the old ICPI technical notes) calls for under a patio or walk on well-drained soil. On top of that goes about an inch of bedding sand, screeded flat and left loose until the pavers are set into it. Clay soils and wet spots need more base, never less.

The finished surface falls at least 1.5 percent away from the house, which works out to a little under 2 inches over 10 feet. NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals put 50.5 inches of precipitation a year on Nashville International Airport, and all of it has to leave the patio somewhere.

Concrete pavers or clay brick?

Both hold up here, and they’re made differently. Concrete pavers sold under ASTM C936 must average at least 8,000 psi in compression and absorb no more than 5 percent water, per CMHA’s summary of the standard. Clay pavers for patios and walks fall under ASTM C902, which sorts them into weathering classes; SX is the class made for brick that can freeze while it’s wet.

That class matters in Davidson County, where the low reaches 32°F or colder on about 66 nights in an average year. Brick carries its color all the way through the unit. Concrete pavers come in more shapes and sizes, and a section can be lifted and relaid after a repair.

What moves the price of a patio?

The site, before the paver. A yard a skid steer can reach is a different job from one where every load of stone goes through a side gate by wheelbarrow. Limestone close to the surface, like the rock the USDA records under the Gladeville soil series, can mean building up instead of digging down. Steps, seat walls, a border in a second color and curves all add cutting time.

What to ask any patio installer

How deep is the base after compaction, and what stone is it? What holds the edges? Which way does the water go when it leaves? Each good answer is a number or a direction.

Sources

CMHA Tech Note PAV-TEC-002 — base depth, bedding sand, slope and the ASTM C936 summary
ASTM C902, Pedestrian and Light Traffic Paving Brick — the clay paver weathering classes
NOAA NCEI monthly normals, Nashville International Airport, 1991–2020 — precipitation and nights at 32°F or colder

Paver and brick patios in Nashville