Paving Adelaide
Paving laid by our own crew, wet or dry, set on proper falls so it drains, stays level, and still looks right in 10 years.
Yardner lays paving in-house, with more than 20 years in the trade behind the crew that lays it. The paving, the levels and the planting around it are set by a single crew working to a single plan rather than coordinated across 2 teams.
We lay both wet and dry. Dry lay sits the pavers on a compacted bed, which is quicker and far easier to lift and reset later. Wet lay beds them on mortar over a concrete base, which is what a driveway, a heavy-traffic path or an awkward site actually needs. We will tell you which one your site calls for rather than defaulting to whichever is cheaper to quote, and where both would work, wet lay is a perfectly good preference to have.
Most of our paving sits inside a wider garden project, because that is where it works hardest. A standalone paving job is genuine work though, and we are happy to take it on its own.
Crazy paving, laid the way it is supposed to be
Crazy paving is having a genuine moment, and most of what goes wrong with it is not the stone. It is the jointing and the offcut placement, both of which are hand work that cannot be rushed.
Laid well, the joints stay a consistent width, the pieces sit flush, and no 2 large stones end up shoulder to shoulder where the eye lands. Laid badly, it reads as broken concrete, and no amount of good stone rescues it.
We lay it in travertine, sandstone, bluestone and limestone. Which one suits depends on where it sits, how much sun it takes, and whether anyone will be walking on it barefoot in February.
- Travertine, for a lighter, warmer surface that stays cooler underfoot.
- Sandstone, for a softer, more traditional look against older Adelaide homes.
- Bluestone, for a darker, more contemporary finish that hides marks.
- Limestone, for a pale, clean surface that suits a coastal or Mediterranean garden.
Natural stone varies from batch to batch, so we go through the options with you on site and confirm the finish against what is actually available when the order goes in.
Wet lay and dry lay, and when each is right
Dry lay is the right answer more often than people expect. Pavers sit on a compacted bedding layer, the surface drains through the joints, and any paver can be lifted and reset without breaking anything. For a courtyard, a garden path or a patio, it is usually the better call.
Wet lay is the right answer when the surface has to carry weight or the site will not cooperate. Pavers are bedded on mortar over a concrete base, which locks everything in place permanently. Driveways, steep falls and heavy-traffic entries all want wet lay.
Wet lay is also, very often, simply a preference. Plenty of our clients choose it where dry lay would have done the job, because it is the more stable of the two and it is genuinely set and forget: nothing shifts, nothing needs resetting, and nothing comes up through the joints. In the premium suburbs it is the one people ask for by name.
The wrong choice shows up in year 2, not week 1, which is why we would rather have the conversation up front.
The parts that decide whether paving lasts
Almost every paving failure traces back to something underneath the pavers rather than the pavers themselves.
The base has to be compacted properly and to the right depth for the load. The falls have to send water away from the house rather than towards it. The edges need restraint or they creep outwards over a few seasons and the joints open up.
None of that is visible in a finished photo, which is exactly why it gets skipped on a cheap quote.
What a Yardner paving project includes
Common questions
Do you lay the paving yourselves?
Yes. Paving is our own work, laid by our own crew rather than passed to somebody else. That is why the paving, the levels and the planting around it all line up: the same people set every one of them.
Do you do crazy paving?
Yes, and it is some of our favourite work. We lay it in travertine, sandstone, bluestone and limestone. The stone matters less than the jointing and the offcut placement, which is slow hand work and the difference between a surface that looks designed and one that looks broken.
What is the difference between wet lay and dry lay?
Dry lay sits the pavers on a compacted bed, drains through the joints, and can be lifted and reset later. Wet lay beds them on mortar over concrete, which is permanent and is what a driveway or a heavy-traffic entry needs. Plenty of people choose wet lay by preference rather than necessity, because it is more stable and effectively set and forget. We will tell you what your site calls for, and where both would work it is your call.
Can I get paving on its own, without a whole garden project?
Yes. Most of our paving sits inside a larger garden project because that is where it works hardest, but a standalone paving job is real work and we are happy to take it.
How much does paving cost in Adelaide?
It depends on the stone, the area, the preparation the site needs and whether it is wet or dry laid. Those variables move the number more than the pavers do, which is why we walk the space before quoting rather than giving a rate per square metre over the phone.
Related services
Start the conversation today
If your home is ready for a garden that matches it, we'd be glad to hear from you. Tell us about your space and budget, and we'll be in touch to arrange a time.
- 0405 306 789
- Adelaide, South Australia. Metro and beyond, project by project
- Projects from $10,000 to $150,000+