Most Scottsdale driveway jobs we do fall into two camps. In south and central Scottsdale, it's tearing out a cracked 1960s or 1970s concrete driveway and replacing it with pavers. Up north, it's long drives and motor courts on new or remodeled homes, usually on sloped, rocky lots. Same base, different problems.
What a paver driveway costs in Scottsdale
Most paver driveways we install in Scottsdale cost $5,000 to $10,000. That's a typical two-car driveway of about 550 to 900 square feet in standard concrete pavers, with the base, pavers and labor included. (Behind the scenes, that's about $9 to $11 per square foot, and the per-foot price drops on bigger driveways.)
Here's what raises the price, and what doesn't:
- Old concrete driveway to remove: adds about $1,400 to $2,700.
- Tumbled pavers instead of standard: adds about $500 to $900.
- Contrasting-color border: adds about $300 to $450. A different border paver adds about $550 to $900.
- Pattern: no difference. Random, running bond, basketweave and herringbone are all priced the same.
So a 600 square foot driveway replacing old concrete in south Scottsdale lands around $6,900 to $8,400. A big north Scottsdale motor court with a border will sit at the top of the range or above it. We give you the exact number after we measure, or you can get a ballpark now from the estimator.
What goes under a Scottsdale driveway
Every driveway we build gets 4 inches of ABC (aggregate base course), compacted lift by lift after it's wet down. Not loose rock. Compacted. That's the layer that keeps a car's weight from pushing pavers down into the dirt, and it's the reason some paver driveways last 30 years while others start to dip in front of the garage within a couple of years.
Scottsdale ground makes that base matter even more. Caliche doesn't drain, and that hard, cemented layer turns up all over the Valley. In north Scottsdale you also hit rock early and work on slopes that send monsoon runoff straight down the driveway. So before we lay anything, we plan where the water goes: off the surface, toward the street, and never back toward the garage. Here's how we think about drainage on a driveway.
Replacing an old concrete driveway
In south Scottsdale and around Old Town, a lot of homes still have their original concrete. Once it cracks, there's no clean fix. Patches never match and the cracks come back. Pavers solve that differently. They're individual units on a flexible base, so they move with the ground instead of cracking across it, and if one ever gets stained or damaged, it can be pulled and replaced.
The work goes in order: break out and haul the old slab, fix the grade, build and compact the ABC base, screed the bedding sand, lay the pavers and border, compact the field, and sweep in the joint sand.
Long drives and motor courts in north Scottsdale
Up north, driveways get bigger and more designed: motor courts, circular drives, banding and inlays that tie the drive to the architecture of the house. Long runs make layout mistakes obvious, so string lines and grade get set before any pavers go down. That step is where a paver job really starts.
HOA approval and the apron
Many Scottsdale neighborhoods want to approve your paver, color and pattern before work starts. We hand you the samples and exact product names for the submittal. The apron, where the driveway meets the street, sits in the city right-of-way and can need a right-of-way permit. Both get checked for your address before anything is scheduled.
Paver Driveways in Scottsdale: Frequently Asked Questions
What does a paver driveway typically cost in Scottsdale?
Most run $5,000 to $10,000 for a typical two-car driveway of about 550 to 900 square feet in standard concrete pavers. Removing an old concrete driveway adds about $1,400 to $2,700, and tumbled pavers or a custom border add a few hundred dollars more.
What base do you put under a driveway?
Four inches of ABC, watered and compacted in lifts, topped with a screeded layer of bedding sand. The base is what carries the weight of a car, so it's the one part we never cut.
Will a paver driveway crack like my concrete one did?
Pavers don't crack across the driveway the way a slab does, because each paver moves slightly with the ground instead of fighting it. If one gets damaged or stained, it can be pulled out and replaced without patching.
Does herringbone cost more than other patterns?
No. Herringbone, basketweave, running bond and random patterns all cost the same. Borders and the paver itself are what change the price.
Will my Scottsdale HOA need to approve a paver driveway?
In a lot of Scottsdale neighborhoods, yes. We put together the samples, layout and product names your HOA asks for, and we check whether the apron at the street needs a city right-of-way permit.