Excavation
- Utility locates
- Existing surface removed and hauled
- Dig to depth
- Subgrade compacted
Usually the largest single line in the job.
What an interlocking driveway costs in Ontario.
The honest answer is that base depth, access and disposal drive the number far more than the pavers do. This page sets out exactly what is in the job, what changes the price, and the questions that expose the difference between two quotes that look the same on paper.
Based in
Whitchurch-Stouffville
Estimates
Free & on-site
Before we start
Written scope
On site
Same crew throughout
What you're buying
What's actually in the job.
Base and bedding
- Non-woven geotextile
- 300 mm Granular A
- Compacted in 75–100 mm lifts
- 25 mm HPB bedding, screeded
The part you never see, and the part that fails.
Surface
- 80 mm driveway-grade pavers
- Soldier course and borders
- Cuts and curves
- Edge restraint
- Polymeric sand
The only part most quotes describe in detail.
The drivers
What moves the number, and by how much.
Ranked by how much difference each one makes. The top row is usually the entire difference between two quotes.
| What changes | Effect on price | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Base depth: 150 mm vs 300 mm | Large | Twice the material, twice the compaction passes, twice the disposal from the extra dig. |
| Paver thickness: 60 mm vs 80 mm | Moderate | 80 mm units are the driveway-rated ones. 60 mm belongs on a walkway. |
| Machine access vs wheelbarrow | Moderate | A backyard reachable only by barrow can double the labour hours. |
| What's under the old surface | Moderate | Rubble or old concrete adds breaking, digging and tipping. |
| Curves, cuts and borders | Moderate | Every cut is handled twice and produces waste. |
| Paver selection | Moderate | Premium and natural stone can run several times the cost of standard precast. |
| Area | Scales, but not linearly | Fixed mobilisation and machine costs spread over a larger job. |
Estimate it
Work out your own quantities.
Enter your dimensions and this returns what our standard section actually requires.
Area—
Granular A—
HPB bedding—
Compaction—
Pavers, approx—
Rough quantities only, at our standard section: compacted Granular A at the depth selected, placed in 75–100 mm lifts, plus a 25 mm screeded HPB bedding course. Paver count assumes a common 200 × 100 mm unit with 5% added for cuts. Send us the dimensions and we will put a price against them.
Getting a number
Why there isn't a price on this page.
Typical range
Ask for a figure
We publish real numbers rather than "it depends" — but only once they're ours to publish. Our written ranges are being finalised; call and we'll give you one over the phone in a minute. What moves the number:
- Area, and how much of the perimeter is curved or cut
- Base depth — the single biggest difference between quotes
- What is under the existing surface: clay, fill, rubble or old concrete
- Access for machinery, and how far material has to be barrowed
- Disposal volume and tipping
- Paver tier, from standard precast to premium and natural stone
- Steps, walls, lighting or drainage tied into the same job
Questions
Costs, answered.
What is the single biggest cost in an interlocking driveway?
Excavation and base — routinely more than the pavers themselves. Removing the existing surface, digging to depth, hauling the spoil away and bringing in and compacting 300 mm of Granular A is the bulk of the labour and most of the material weight. It is also invisible once the job is done, which is exactly why it is the first thing a cheap quote cuts.
Why is one quote thousands less than another for the same driveway?
Compare the base depth line. A driveway on 150 mm quotes far cheaper than the same driveway on 300 mm, looks identical on handover day, and settles within a few winters. Then compare paver thickness — 60 mm units are cheaper than 80 mm and are not rated for vehicles.
Does a bigger driveway cost proportionally more?
Not quite. Mobilisation, machine time and disposal have fixed elements, so cost per square metre usually drops a little as area grows. Complexity works the other way — curves, cuts, steps and borders all add labour per square metre.
Is interlock more expensive than concrete or asphalt?
To install, yes — asphalt is cheapest, then poured or stamped concrete, then interlock. Over twenty years the ranking changes: asphalt needs resealing every few years, concrete cracks permanently, and interlock can be lifted and reset section by section. We set the comparison out in full on the interlock versus concrete page.
Do you charge for the estimate?
No. On-site estimates are free and come with a written scope naming materials and base depth, which is what lets you compare quotes properly.
Related
Other things we build.
Free estimate
Get a real number.
Fill this in and we'll get back to you to book a site visit — usually the same day.
Or call directly(647) 473-3454