Project details
Skill
3 out of 5Moderateprepping the site can be exhausting, but laying the brick pavers goes pretty quickly
Cost
$1,000 to $2,000, for an average-size patio
Estimated Time
Two to three days for an average-size patio
In this video, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook shows how to build a brick patio.
Steps for Laying a Brick Patio
- Take up all old bricks and paving stones from the patio, then use a shovel to remove 7 inches of soil from the area.
- Run a gas-powered plate compactor over the area to tamp down the ground.
- Spread out 2 inches of graded base, then compact the area.
- Stretch nylon lines across the patio 3 inches above graded base.
- Lay steel pipes, known as screed rails, in place 2 inches below nylon line.
- Spread sand over the entire area.
- Pull a screed along the rails to remove excess sand.
- Fill in low spots with more sand and screed the area again.
- Start setting pavers in one corner of the patio. Drop pavers into place, don’t slide them.
- Continue installing pavers, making sure to stagger the joints between courses.
- Install plastic edging around the perimeter of the patio.
- Spread ½ inch of sand over the bricks.
- Run the plate compactor over the patio to vibrate the sand deep into the joints between the pavers.
- Use a push broom to sweep excess sand from the patio.
Tools
You may want to rent a plate compactor if you have a large amount of earth to flatten.
