Pavers in Chatsworth, CA

The ground, the size, and what has to come out first. A patio on level ground with nothing to remove is the simplest job. One cut into a slope, or on a foothill lot where the dig meets sandstone, takes more work, and tearing out an old slab and hauling it away adds a line of its own. The contractor prices it in writing after seeing the yard.

Driveways carry vehicles, so they get a thicker paver and a deeper compacted base than a patio, and the dig goes deeper to make room for both. A new or wider curb cut at the street needs its own City Engineering permit, separate from the driveway itself. The contractor prices the whole job in writing after walking the approach.

Not an honest one. On the same street one lot can dig easily and the next can meet sandstone close to the surface, so the contractor walks the property, looks at the ground and the grade, and then puts a firm price in writing. The visit is free.

Poured concrete usually costs less up front. Pavers cost more to put in, but they can be lifted and reset if the ground settles or a line has to be dug under them, where a slab has to be cut and patched. The contractor can price both at the site visit.

Usually not a building permit. LA's building code exempts walks and driveways no more than 30 inches above grade. A new or wider curb cut still needs a City Engineering permit. Digging more than 2 feet deep, moving more than 50 cubic yards, or changing how water drains can call for a grading permit. City code also caps a driveway at half the required front yard.

Yes. Interlocking pavers on a compacted base handle grade and ground movement well, which suits the sloped lots near Stoney Point and the Santa Susana foothills. On the steeper approaches the base goes in thinner lifts and is compacted more times than a level lot needs, and the edge restraint is anchored rather than simply set. Surface water is given somewhere deliberate to go at the low end.

Often it can, and it is usually worth keeping. Sandstone breaks the surface on many foothill lots, and a weathered outcrop is a feature no supplier can sell you. Where the rock sits clear of the traffic path, the pavers are laid up to it with a cut border and a drainage detail so water is not trapped against the stone. Where it falls inside a driveway line, the choice is between drilling it out and shifting the alignment. Both are priced at the site visit, so the decision stays yours.

They are. A horse property usually has a long approach, a wider turning area, and traffic that includes loaded trailers rather than family cars, so the base is deepened and the paver thickness is chosen for that load. The open ground on these lots helps, since material can be staged well away from the house instead of on the street. Work is sequenced so at least one route to the barn stays usable.