Pavers & hardscape · Guide
Paver base build-up, layer by layer
The part of the job nobody sees and everything depends on — excavation depth through to screeded bedding.
6 min read · Updated August 2026
Work out total excavation first
Excavation depth is paver thickness plus 1 inch of bedding plus compacted base depth. A 2 3/8 inch patio paver on a 6-inch base needs about 9 3/8 inches of excavation below finished grade — and finished grade is normally an inch above surrounding soil so surface water runs off rather than in.
Excavate 6 inches wider than the finished surface on all sides. That shoulder supports the edge restraint and stops the perimeter from spreading.
Dense-graded or open-graded
Dense-graded aggregate (crusher run, DGA, 21A) contains fines that lock the stone into a rigid, nearly impermeable slab. It is the traditional base and remains correct on free-draining soils.
Open-graded base (clean 3/4 inch stone over a #8 chip bedding layer) contains no fines, so it drains freely and cannot be pumped full of water in a freeze-thaw cycle. On clay soils and northern climates it is now the preferred system, provided the base has somewhere to drain to.
Never mix the two. An open-graded base sitting on dense-graded material simply holds water at the interface.
Compact in lifts
Place aggregate in lifts of no more than 4 inches and compact each with a plate compactor — a minimum of two passes in perpendicular directions. Dense-graded material compacts best slightly damp; bone-dry aggregate will not knit.
Expect 20-25% loss of depth. To finish at 6 inches compacted, place roughly 7.5 inches loose across two lifts.
Check with a straightedge and a level as you go. Every irregularity left in the base has to be absorbed by 1 inch of bedding sand, and it cannot be.
Screeding the bedding layer
Lay two screed rails — 1 inch conduit works — on the compacted base, fill between them with concrete sand or #8 chip, and pull a straight board across. Remove the rails and fill the grooves by hand.
Do not compact the bedding layer before laying pavers, and do not walk on it. Pavers are placed onto the loose screeded sand and only vibrated in once the field and edge restraint are complete.
Frequently asked questions
+How deep do I dig for a paver patio?
Paver thickness + 1 inch bedding + base depth. Typically 9-10 inches for a patio on a 6-inch base, and 13-16 inches for a driveway.
+Can I use stone dust under pavers?
It works as a bedding layer in dry regions but holds water and is prone to washing out at the edges. Concrete sand or #8 chip is the safer choice in freeze-thaw climates.
Part of a series
The complete paver patio guide
The full build sequence for a paver patio or driveway, with the quantities and depths a hardscape crew works to.