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CGI Driveway & Pavers: The Los Angeles Owner’s Guide
We stock and install CGI-compatible driveway and paver components across Los Angeles, with most replacements running between $4,130 and $21,240 installed depending on whether you’re repairing a section or redoing the full surface. Most owners discover a problem the hard way: a paver shifts underfoot, a drain channel separates from the slab, or standing water pools in a spot that used to shed rain fine. If you’re seeing any of that, you’re in the right place. Here’s exactly what to check, what it costs, and how we handle the fix.
Key Takeaways:
- Installed CGI paver and driveway work in Los Angeles runs $295 – $21,240 depending on scope, from sealing to full replacement.
- Most failures show up as uneven pavers, edge separation, or drainage problems, not sudden collapse.
- We match the right component to your existing layout, so you aren’t paying to redo work that’s still sound.
Which CGI Models This Applies To
CGI pavers used on Los Angeles driveways come in a few distinct profiles, and the wrong match shows in about six months. The most common lines we see are the interlocking concrete units with a spacer bar and the larger-format slabs laid tight joint. The way to identify what you have: flip one loose paver and look for a stamped code on the back or side. If it’s worn off, measure the face dimensions in inches. A 12×12 isn’t a 300mm x 300mm, and mixing them creates a running joint that drifts outward over time. You’d be surprised how often that’s the actual cause of a bulging edge line.
OEM CGI pavers are still available for most Los Angeles installs, but the lead time can stretch to three or four weeks on less common colors. Quality aftermarket equivalents from Belgar, Unilock, and Techo-Bloc match up dimensionally on most profiles, and we keep a range in stock for faster turnarounds. The decision comes down to color match first, dimension second, and load rating third. Driveway pavers take vehicle weight; patio pavers don’t. We’ll never sell you the lighter unit for a driveway, and we’ll tell you plainly if your existing install used the wrong one. Mason Remodeling is an independent service provider, not affiliated with CGI, which means our only interest is getting your surface right.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your CGI Driveway & Pavers Is Failing
- Edge pavers separating from the border course. This usually means the edge restraint has broken or was never installed. In Los Angeles, the wet-dry cycle of winter rains will push that gap wider every year until the border unit pops free entirely.
- Standing water in low spots after rain. A properly pitched paver driveway should shed water within an hour of the rain stopping. Puddles that linger tell you the base has settled unevenly underneath, and the pavers are just reflecting a problem below them.
- One or two pavers sitting proud or rocking underfoot. This is early base failure. Proud pavers usually mean tree roots or a soft spot in the aggregate. Rocking is a broken spacer lug or a cracked unit that’s now loose in the field.
- Sand washing out between joints after every rain. Joint sand is the lock that holds the surface tight. When it washes, the pavers start working against each other, and the edges chip. Left alone, the whole field loosens.
- Concrete border curbs cracking at driveway entry points. Tire pressure at the apron is brutal. Hairline cracks there are normal after a decade; gaps you can fit a key into mean the curb has lost its bond and water is getting under the driveway edge.
See the difference
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After
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AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
In Los Angeles, paver driveway installation runs $8,260 – $21,240 for a full new surface. A partial repair, where we pull and reset a section, usually falls between $1,500 and $4,500 depending on how much base work is needed. Paver patio work sits at $4,130 – $12,980, and driveway sealing runs $295 – $825. Concrete driveway installation is $5,310 – $14,160 if you’re weighing a switch from pavers to poured concrete.
Every quote we give is a written price before any work starts. That price includes the parts, the labor, the base prep, hauling off the old material, and the written guarantee. No verbal estimate that grows on the final bill. No change orders because we “found something” we should have seen in the walkthrough. Isaac Pruett grew up in the Sylmar end of the San Fernando Valley watching the cheapest bid win and then watching the homeowner pay twice. We don’t work that way. Know who’s coming, know what it costs, know it’s backed up, everything else is just noise.
DIY or Call Us?
You can safely check a few things yourself: mark the low spots with chalk after a rain, count how many pavers are loose or chipped, and take photos of any edge separation. What you shouldn’t do is start pulling pavers and recompacting base without knowing what’s underneath. The danger with driveway work isn’t high-tension springs, it’s that the base is load-bearing and a half-fixed base fails faster than the original one did. You end up with a surface that looks fine for eight months and then shifts again, which means paying twice.
Also worth knowing: hauling off old pavers and base material in Los Angeles means a trip to a disposal site, and most rental trucks aren’t rated for that kind of weight. If you want a straight answer on whether your job is a reset or a rebuild, call (803) 680-2547 and we’ll walk it with you. The estimate is free, and we’ll tell you honestly if it’s a job you could handle.
FAQs
A properly installed CGI paver driveway in Los Angeles lasts 25 to 35 years, with the pavers themselves often outlasting the base underneath. The California sun fades color over time, especially on darker units, but structural failure comes from water and base settlement, not UV. We’ve pulled 30-year-old pavers that cleaned up and went right back into service after we rebuilt the base.
A chipped edge can sometimes be dressed with a color-matched patching compound, but a cracked paver that’s split through the body needs replacement. The crack lets water into the joint and the unit will keep breaking. Replacing one paver is a $75 to $200 job in most Los Angeles driveways, assuming we can match the color and profile. Call (803) 680-2547 with a photo and we’ll tell you which side of that line you’re on.
Most partial repairs take one full day: remove the damaged section, rebuild the base, reset the pavers, and sweep in fresh joint sand. A full driveway replacement typically runs two to four days depending on size, access, and whether we’re changing the layout. You’ll know the schedule before we start, and it’s in the written price.
We stock common profiles and colors at our Los Angeles yard, including units from Belgar, Unilock, and Techo-Bloc that match CGI dimensions. If your exact color is discontinued or backordered, we’ll show you the closest match in person before we order anything. We also handle cabinet and surface work for full property remodels, so if your driveway project leads to a kitchen or bath refresh, the same crew can carry it through.
Written by Isaac Pruett, Owner, Mason Remodeling at Mason Remodeling, serving Los Angeles and nearby areas.
