Completed hardscape

Driveways, decks
and the ground between.

Completed Elbaz Construction hardscape, photographed on site. These are separate properties rather than one project, so they are presented as a portfolio rather than as a single case study.

Paver driveway in a running-bond pattern curving toward the garage, edged by lawn and landscaping
Grey paver driveway laid in a herringbone pattern leading to a two-car garage
Concrete driveway panels separated by turf joints, running from the street to the house
Circular paver driveway with a central planted island and landscape lighting
Covered travertine terrace under construction, with a timber-slat soffit overhead
Travertine pool deck laid around a pool edge, cabana structure alongside
Travertine terrace installation beneath a cabana roof, with the pool in the foreground
Large-format pavers being set around a pool deck under a louvered pergola, joints not yet filled
Paver patio laid around a covered spa, with a timber-slat screen and tropical planting behind

Completed Elbaz Construction hardscape across several properties. Select any frame to enlarge it.

Paver driveway in a running-bond pattern curving toward the garage, edged by lawn and landscaping
Grey paver driveway laid in a running bond running up to a garage, edged against lawn and tropical planting.

The service

Everything fails
from underneath.

Sunken pavers, cracked slabs and standing water are almost never surface problems. They are base problems — insufficient depth, poor compaction, or water that had nowhere to go and took the base with it.

That is why hardscape is priced by what happens below grade. The paver you choose is a finish decision. The excavation, base depth, compaction and drainage are the engineering, and they decide whether it still looks like this in ten years.

  • Base before surface

    Excavation depth and compacted base sized for the actual loading, whether that is footfall or a vehicle.

  • Water first

    Falls and drainage designed before layout, because standing water destroys hardscape from below.

  • Edges hold it together

    Proper edge restraint is what stops a paver field spreading and opening joints.

Talk through your outdoor space

Scope

What hardscape construction covers

Four stages. Only the last one is visible when the job is finished.

Vehicles need a different build-up

A driveway carries loads a patio never will. The same paver on a patio base will rut and settle under a car. Excavation depth and base thickness are the difference, and they are invisible once it is finished.

01

Design and levels

  • Survey of existing levels, drainage and access
  • Layout designed around how the space is actually used and approached
  • Falls set so water leaves buildings and pooling areas
  • Transitions to existing structures, thresholds and planting resolved
02

Excavation and base

  • Excavation to the depth the loading requires — vehicles need more than footfall
  • Unsuitable material removed rather than compacted in place
  • Compacted aggregate base built in controlled lifts
  • Geotextile separation where the subgrade demands it
03

Drainage

  • Surface falls, channels and area drains where the design requires them
  • Discharge routed to a legitimate outfall rather than a neighbour
  • Permeable build-ups where retention is required or desirable
  • Erosion control while the ground is open
04

Surface and edges

  • Bedding layer screeded to a consistent depth
  • Pavers, slabs or poured concrete laid to the set-out and falls
  • Edge restraint installed to contain the field
  • Jointing, compaction and final clean
Concrete driveway panels separated by turf joints, running from the street to the house
Concrete driveway panels separated by planted green joints, running from the street to the house.

Stills from the two completed units on this page. They illustrate the stages; they are not photographs of the stage named beside them.

How it runs

Six stages,
one contract

Hardscape is sequential and unforgiving: each stage is buried by the next.

  1. 01

    Survey and levels

    Existing levels, drainage, access and what the space has to connect to.

  2. 02

    Design

    Layout, materials and falls resolved together, because falls constrain layout more than people expect.

  3. 03

    Approvals

    Where the work is permitted work, or where an association controls appearance and coverage.

  4. 04

    Excavation and base

    Dig to depth, remove unsuitable material, build and compact the base in lifts.

  5. 05

    Drainage

    Channels, drains and outfall installed before the surface goes on.

  6. 06

    Surface and finish

    Bedding, laying, edge restraint, jointing, compaction and clean.

Approvals

More of this is permitted
than people expect.

A patio replacement in the same footprint is often maintenance. Adding impervious area, changing drainage, working in the public right of way, or altering a driveway apron usually is not.

Many municipalities regulate lot coverage and impervious surface, and a new driveway or expanded patio can push a property past its limit. Anything touching the verge — an apron, a culvert, a crossing — generally needs a right-of-way permit from the relevant authority.

Where a community association is involved, materials, colours and coverage are commonly controlled as well. We establish all of this before design rather than after.

INFILLED VEHICLE OPENINGBATHKITCHENLIVING / SLEEPINGENTRY

Simplified sketch, for explanation only. It is not a permit drawing and not a plan of either project shown on this page.

From first call to closeout

  • Property and zoning check

    Lot coverage and impervious surface limits.

  • Level and drainage survey

    Where water goes now, and where it must go.

  • Design

    Layout, materials and falls together.

  • Association approval

    Where materials or coverage are controlled.

  • Right-of-way permit

    For aprons, crossings or anything in the verge.

  • Building or paving permit

    Where the municipality requires one.

  • Inspections

    Base and drainage where required.

  • Closeout

    Final inspection and handover.

Impervious coverage is a real limit

Many parcels have a cap on how much of the lot may be hard surface. A larger driveway plus an extended patio can exceed it, and permeable build-ups are sometimes the way back under the line.

Nothing here is legal advice, and no approval outcome or review duration is promised. Requirements vary by municipality and by property.

Cost and schedule

What moves the number

Hardscape cost lives below grade. These are the variables that decide it.

01

What moves the cost

  • Excavation depth

    Set by loading. A driveway needs materially more base than a walkway, and that is most of the difference in price.

  • What comes out

    Spoil removal, and whether the subgrade turns out to be unsuitable and needs replacing.

  • Drainage requirement

    Channels, area drains and a legitimate outfall can be a large proportion of the job.

  • Material

    Paver type, thickness and pattern, or poured concrete with a specified finish.

  • Cutting and complexity

    Curves, circles and borders all add cutting time and waste.

  • Access

    Whether machinery can reach the working area, or everything is barrowed.

02

What moves the schedule

  • Survey and design

    Before pricing, because levels change layout.

  • Approvals

    Association and right-of-way permits run on their own calendars.

  • Material lead time

    Paver colours and formats are ordered, and batches matter.

  • Weather

    Excavation and base compaction both stop for rain.

  • Curing

    Poured concrete needs time before loading.

  • Inspections

    Where base or drainage inspections apply.

Illustrative diagram · not a photograph of a project

AS FOUND · GARAGEopen vehicle opening · bare slab · no envelopeCONVERTED · HABITABLEinfill wall · windows · entry · egress · insulated envelope · treated slab010203040506

What is under
a paver driveway.

Six layers, five of which you will never see again after the day they go in.

01

Excavation

Dug to the depth the loading requires, not to the depth that makes the levels convenient.

02

Subgrade

Compacted and, where the material is unsuitable, removed and replaced rather than covered over.

03

Geotextile

Separation between subgrade and base so the two do not migrate into each other and lose thickness.

04

Compacted base

Aggregate laid and compacted in controlled lifts. This is the structural layer and where the cost is.

05

Bedding layer

A thin, consistent screeded layer. Using it to correct base irregularities is a common shortcut and a guaranteed settlement.

06

Pavers, joints and edge restraint

The surface, locked together by jointing sand and held by edge restraint that stops the field spreading.

Travertine terrace installation beneath a cabana roof, with the pool in the foreground
Elbaz Construction hardscape project — a driveway slab being finished.

What to expect

Open ground,
heavy machines.

Hardscape is short, loud and disruptive to access — and the access disruption is what people feel most.

  • Vehicle access

    A driveway replacement means no driveway for the duration. Parking gets arranged in advance.

  • Machinery and deliveries

    Excavators, plate compactors and material deliveries, with the noise that implies.

  • Open excavation

    Barriered and made safe overnight, but it is open ground for a few days.

  • Weather delays

    Rain stops excavation and compaction. Wet base cannot be compacted to spec.

  • Curing

    Poured concrete cannot be driven on until it has cured, regardless of how finished it looks.

  • Settlement

    Jointing sand settles slightly after the first rains. A top-up is normal and planned.

Questions

Ask the
awkward ones.

Six categories. Pick one and the answers change.

Not answered here?

(754) 236-0675

Sun-Fri 7am-7pm · Sat closed

Almost always the base. Either it was not deep enough for vehicle loading, it was not compacted in controlled lifts, or water got into it and washed fines out. The pavers are rarely the problem — they are just what shows the problem.

Deeper for vehicles than for foot traffic, and deeper again where the subgrade is poor. It is determined from the loading and the ground, not from a standard number.

Grey paver driveway laid in a herringbone pattern leading to a two-car garage
Wide paver driveway curving to a two-car garage past mature palms and clipped planting.

Why Elbaz

What we will actually
put our name to

  • Licensed general contractor

    Licensed, bonded and insured · CBC1265280.

  • Base sized for the loading

    Driveways get driveway build-ups, not patio build-ups with a driveway paver on top.

  • Drainage designed first

    Falls and outfall resolved before layout, because water destroys hardscape from below.

  • Edge restraint as standard

    The detail that stops a paver field spreading, and the one most often skipped.

  • Permits and coverage checked

    Impervious limits, association rules and right-of-way permits established before design.

  • Return for settlement

    Jointing top-up after the first rains is planned, not a callback.

Every claim in this column is something we can evidence. We have deliberately left out award badges, membership logos and project counts.

Reviews

I highly recommend them for home improvement. They renovated my master bathroom and a few upgrades for other guest bathrooms. They are very professional, courteous and transparent. They are great at communicating and finding ways to streamline the work. Sean has impeccable project management and customer relationship management skills. Very pleased with the work!

Omri B

Genuine Google reviews of Elbaz Construction, shown as written. None of these reviewers describes a hardscape project specifically, so none is presented as one.

Read them on Google

Redid my whole bathroom and kitchen. Great service - Great quality - very quick - very professional !! Highly recommended!

Adir Davidov

They are amazing! Very professional. Met my exact requests with so much patience and knowledge. They renovated my whole house and the whole process was such a breeze. I highly recommend them!

Lee Morali

We hired them to renovate our investment property and they provided exceptional quality service for an affordable price!

Shir Partush

Amazing experience with the entire company! They did a great job in my house for some work that needed to be completed, and I am extremely happy with the result. Super professional & great service. I highly recommend Elbaz Construction.

Mia Zafrani

After I've been Looking for a good company to renovate my house , I found those guys! These people are super professional super honest super Fast !! Don't hesitate to Rent their service! They are number one!!

carmit cohen

Project files

Driveways, gates and the ground.

Gates, paver strips and a driveway swap, shown as they stand. One file is a collection of finished entrances and one is an illustration, so each is labeled for what it is.

2Projects shown
10Photos
1Site videos
PROJECT 01

Collection: gated entrances and driveways

Photos from several Elbaz jobs, not one property. Modern homes sit behind black metal gates, with concrete driveways and a paver walkway. The paver-strip driveway and the black glass-panel garage door are in the finishes grid.

Scope of work

  • Driveway surface built to meet the gate line
  • Black metal gate set in the entrance
  • Paver strips set into the driveway
  • Paver walkway to the front door
  • Garage door opening aligned to the driveway
  • Planting beds and edges finished to the paving

Materials & finishes

Concrete drivewayPaversBlack metal gateGlass-panel garage doorHedge plantingPaver walkway

What to look for in the photos

Look at where the driveway meets the gate and the garage door. Those lines show whether the levels were set carefully before anything was poured or laid.

Collection: photos from several Elbaz Construction jobs · 3 photos

PROJECT 02

Illustration: a cracked driveway replaced

This illustration shows the idea, not an Elbaz job. A badly cracked concrete driveway and walkway lead to a driveway that has a broom-finish concrete surface with a paver border. The before views show weeds, cracks and a bare tree.

Scope of work

  • Old concrete broken out and removed
  • New base graded to fall toward the street
  • Broom-finish concrete placed with joints
  • Paver border set along the driveway edge
  • Paver apron set at the street
  • Walkway replaced to match

Materials & finishes

Broom-finish concretePaver borderPaver apronBrick homeLawn edging

What to look for in the photos

Compare the cracked driveway before views with the finished concrete and paver border. The edge band and the apron at the street are what make the new surface read as designed.

Illustration (AI-generated, not an Elbaz project) · 3 photos

In motion

Fresh concrete around a pool.

One short clip of concrete being placed and screeded around a pool shape.

Screeding fresh concrete around a pool

Budget and schedule

Where a hardscape budget goes.

Typical shares and a typical order of work for a driveway and walk. Site access and drainage move both.

Where a typical hardscape budget goes

100%OF BUDGET
  • Demolition and haul-away10%
  • Base and drainage24%
  • Surface material28%
  • Edging and borders8%
  • Labor24%
  • Permit and inspections6%

These are typical shares; demolition, drainage and surface choice move them.

A typical driveway and walkway, week by week

Survey and design
Permit and approvals
Permit
Demolition and grading
Base and drainage
Surface and edges
Cure, clean and handover
Week 0Week 5Week 10

Curing and drainage checks set the pace; the surface goes on near the end.

Drawn out

What lies under the surface.

Three drawings of the layers, slopes and structures you do not see once the work is done.

PAVER SECTIONPavers (sand-swept joints)1 in bedding sand4–6 in compacted baseGeotextileCompacted subgrade

Layers under the pavers

Compacted base, a bedding layer of sand, then pavers held by an edge. The drawing shows why the base decides how long the surface stays flat.

HOUSESLOPE AWAY 2%PATIO / DRIVEWAY GRADE

Falls that shed water

Surfaces are graded to slope away from the house toward a safe outlet. The drawing shows where rain goes and why that matters.

LOUVERS / RAFTERSBEAMENGINEERED FOOTINGS + ANCHORS

Posts, footings and beams

A shade structure over a paved area has footings, posts and a beam. The drawing shows how its load passes through the paving to the ground.

Scope planner

Scope your hardscape in four answers.

Choose the closest option to see the trades involved and a rough range of weeks on site.

What are we paving?
Is there existing paving to remove?
Do you want a gate?
Any drainage work?

Finishes

Aprons, gates and starting points.

Two finished edges and two illustrations, one of them a starting point. The apron, the gate line and the garage threshold are the places where hardscape is judged.

Paver strips, black gate
Glass-panel garage door
Illustration: paver apron
Illustration: cracked walkway

More questions

Plan the ground before you pave.

Questions that come up once the design is drawn.

Ask us directly
Can a gate and a new driveway be built together?

Yes, and it helps. The gate posts need footings, and an operator needs conduit and power run under the new surface. If the driveway goes in first, those trenches mean cutting finished paving. We build the footings, sleeves and base in one sequence, then add the gate and its electrical connection last.

Who locates buried utilities before you dig?

Florida law requires a call to Sunshine 811 before excavation, and the utility companies mark their lines. We also scout for irrigation, pool lines and septic parts the utilities do not mark. Walk the yard with us before work starts, because you may know where a line runs.

Can tree roots damage a new driveway?

Yes. Roots lift pavers and crack slabs, especially from large oaks and fig trees near the edge. We review root locations at the survey. Options include removing a tree, rerouting the surface or adding a root barrier. Cutting large roots can harm the tree, so we talk through the trade-off first.

Can the driveway be done in phases?

Yes, if the design allows it. Splitting the work helps when part of the yard is in use or the budget needs staging. The base, edge lines and drainage must be planned as a whole so the two sections meet cleanly. We draw the full layout first and then build it in stages.

What is a broom finish, and why use it?

A broom finish drags a soft brush across fresh concrete to leave fine texture. The texture gives tires and shoes better grip when the surface is wet, which matters in a Florida rainy season. It hides small marks and hides dirt better than a smooth trowel finish, though it cannot repair a weak slab.

How do control joints keep concrete from cracking?

Concrete shrinks as it cures, and it will crack somewhere. Control joints are cuts or grooves that make the crack happen in a straight, planned line instead of a random one. Spacing depends on slab thickness. They do not stop cracking altogether, so a cut slab can still show a hairline in the joint.

Should irrigation and lighting be planned before paving?

Yes. Sprinkler lines and landscape lighting often cross driveways and walks. Laying sleeves, which are empty pipes, under the base lets you add or repair wiring and water lines later without breaking the surface. It adds little to the job when done during base preparation and saves a lot afterwards.

Can a cracked walkway be repaired instead of replaced?

Sometimes. If the slab is sound and the crack is a single hairline, cleaning and sealing may be enough. If sections have shifted, heaved or settled, patching will not hold because the base below has failed. We check slab movement and drainage before recommending repair or replacement.

Service Areas

Proudly serving homeowners across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach

(754) 236-0675

104 municipalities across three counties — and we hold the licence to build in all of them. Not sure about your address? Ask us.

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Start here

Tell us about the space

What helps on the first call

Roughly what area, what is there now, whether vehicles will use it, where water currently goes, and whether an association is involved.

What happens next

We survey levels and drainage before designing, because they constrain layout more than taste does.

What you will not get

A paver price per square foot with no view of the ground underneath.

Preferred contact method

We use your details only to respond to this enquiry. No lists, no resale.

Thanks — that came through.

Your details are with the Elbaz Construction team and we will come back to you, usually the same or next working day. If it is urgent, call (754) 236-0675.

Build the base right
and the surface lasts.

One survey, one design covering levels, drainage and materials together, one contract through to final clean.

Request a Hardscape Consultation(754) 236-0675
Circular paver driveway with a central planted island and landscape lighting