Pavers have drastically grown in popularity in recent years. This is mainly due to their incredible versatility and resistance. However, some options come with a costly price that can be a little out of reach for many homeowners. So today, in this article, we want to focus on cheap pavers – and how you can be making the best choice.
Something important to clarify right away is that being cheaper does not mean having the worst quality – it simply means you won’t get some perks that the more costly options can provide. But trust us when we say that most of these perks are exclusively aesthetic.
So let’s get right to talking about what options of cheap pavers you have. Hopefully, by the end, you’ll be able to make the best decision about what kind of paver best fits your project.
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Cheap Pavers: Best Options
Let’s start with the cheapest options and move up to the most expensive ones. An important observation is that all the costs we discuss will include a rough estimation of a professional installation service.
Concrete Pavers
By far the most popular pavers currently on the market, concrete pavers have conquered the hearts of many homeowners and become a staple in the industry.
Incredibly versatile and sturdy, there’s nothing concrete pavers can’t do. They can be used in virtually any hardscape project you can think of.
You see, there are some variations made from recycled concrete. Those are not as high quality as the regular ones, but they are much cheaper and still perform fairly well.
Cost: Concrete pavers usually range between $13 and $20 per square foot. Recycled variations can cost as low as $6 per square foot.
Pros and Cons: To be quite honest, concrete pavers don’t come with a lot of cons. They can be used virtually anywhere and are really easy to maintain.
Brick Pavers
Brick pavers can be considered the “original” ones. They have been used for many culture across the globe for centuries. Some pavers that were set in Ancient Rome, for example, are still there to this day.
Although not as resistant as concrete, recent technologies have allowed for the development of stronger and stronger forms of bricks.
Bricks have a very peculiar manufacturing process. By making some changes in the forms of clay used – and the temperatures involved in the process – you can create many variations of the product.
Cost: Bricks cost between $14 and $20 per square foot, not much more expensive than concrete.
Pros and Cons: Bricks are very aesthetically pleasing. They bring a rustic quality that is much sought after by many homeowners. However, they are not as versatile as pavers.
Bricks cannot stand too much weight, so they are not indicated for driveways or patios where heavy objects will be placed. Also, they are not recommended for poolside installations.
Porcelain Pavers
Now we are moving on to options that we cannot categorize as cheap anymore.
However, porcelain pavers actually cause a little bit of a debate in the industry, because they are the cheapest pavers available if you think of them as a long-term investment – even cheaper than concrete.
The reason for that is the non-porosity of porcelain, which means they are impervious to stains and other weather effects that would normally cause damage to pavers.
By going with porcelain, you dispense the need for sealing, and save tons of time and money in the future maintenance.
Cost: Porcelain pavers come in two variations: standard size (between 8 mm-10 mm thick) and the outside paver variation (20 mm thick). The standard size costs around $17 – $23 per square foot. The 20 mm ones are a bit more expensive, reaching up to $30 per square foot.
Pros and Cons: As we mentioned, the biggest advantage of porcelain pavers is the fact that they are non-porous. That saves you a tremendous amount of money in the long run, compensating for the more hefty initial price.
Just like concrete, porcelain pavers do not come with many cons. If we have to pick one, we would say that its weight makes it a bit difficult to work with from a DIY perspective.
Natural Stone Pavers
Let’s finally talk about the most expensive paver option: the natural stone pavers.
Natural stone goes through a whole different process than the previous options. They are not manufactured; instead, they are quarried directly from nature.
Bluestone, flagstone, granite – all natural stones are highly exclusive from an aesthetic point of view. In fact, that’s kind of the only thing they have going for in their favor.
Not to say they are a bad investment, not at all. Some can be as strong as concrete pavers. But we need to be fair and say that the high cost of natural stone has nothing to do with their quality overall.
Cost: Most natural stones start at $24 per square foot and can reach up to $40, sometimes even more, depending on the rarity of a particular slab.
Pros and Cons: If you’re looking for something completely unique and visually impressive, natural stone is the way to go. But choosing the right stone for your project is not trivial.
As always, a professional must be involved to know the particularities of your installation and help you decide what is the best stone for your needs.
Cheap Pavers: What to Choose?
So concrete and brick compete for being the cheapest pavers available on the market, with concrete being cheapest by a small margin. Which is actually kinda surprising, since concrete pavers are much better than brick overall.
Porcelain pavers are the second more expensive upfront, but they compensate in the long run, turning out to be cheaper than concrete after a year or so.
Still, nothing is set in stone (pun intended), and ask for the opinion of a qualified hardscape contractor can help you decide much better.
We here at JS Brick have been providing the Sarasota and Manatee counties, in Florida, with hardscape services and supplies for the past 22 years. We know how things can change from installation to installation, and how a professional opinion is crucial to make your project go as smoothly as possible.
And if you happen to be close to us, how about giving us a call to help you?
You can contact us any moment at +1 941 586 9140 or email us at [email protected]. We would be happy to hear from you and help with any hardscape need you might have!
