Patio installation · Davie, FL
Patio Installation Davie, FL: The Base and the Drainage First
Patio installation Davie homeowners can trust starts with where the rain will go, because the base, the slope and the paver you pick all depend on that answer.
- Estimate
- Free, on site
- Scope
- Base, slope and pavers, in writing
- Changes
- Your written OK first
- Your contact
- A single named person
- Part of Gaven Constructions
- Free on-site estimates
- Written 1-year workmanship warranty
- Dedicated project contact
A Patio Is Mostly What You Do Not See
When people talk about a patio, they talk about the stone. Travertine or porcelain, warm or gray, square or herringbone. That choice matters, and it is the easy one. The patio lasts or fails on what is under it: the soil, the compacted base, the edge that holds the pavers in place and the slope that tells the water where to go.
By patio we mean the hard surface itself, laid at ground level behind or beside the house. Not an aluminum cover over it, which is a different product with its own review.
We start with the ground. One visit to see how the yard drains, one written scope that covers the excavation, the base, the pavers and the edges, and one person who coordinates the work from the first cut of sod to the last joint.
When a New Patio Makes Sense
A new patio makes sense when you want a usable outdoor floor and the yard can take one without trouble for the house.
The back of the house has no real outdoor space. A door that opens onto grass or a narrow strip of concrete leaves nowhere to put a table. A patio gives that space a floor.
The old slab has cracked or settled. Concrete that has sunk toward the house, or split into pieces that rock underfoot, is usually a base problem. Replacing it is the moment to fix the base and the slope, not only the surface.
Water already sits where you walk. If a corner of the yard stays wet after every storm, a patio planned with drainage in mind can move that water to a better place. One laid without that plan can make the puddle worse.
You want the yard to work with the house. A patio that continues the floor line of the family room, a path to a shed, a landing at the bottom of a deck stair. These are small surfaces that make the rest of the yard usable.
You are already changing the yard. A new fence, landscaping or other outdoor work are good moments to settle the patio at the same time, so the levels and the drainage are planned once.
When a Patio Should Wait
If the way rain moves across your lot has not been worked out yet, laying the finish first can mean pulling it up later to fix the water. In that case it makes more sense to look at drainage and site preparation before choosing a paver. We say so at the visit, before anything is in writing.
Concrete Pavers, Travertine, Porcelain or Poured Concrete
Four surfaces cover most of what gets laid in Davie backyards, and the choice is about more than color.
Concrete pavers. Molded blocks set on a compacted base and locked together with sand in the joints. They come in many shapes and colors, a single paver can be lifted and reset if something settles, and the joints let some water through. The EPA describes interlocking pavers as one of the permeable pavement types that let rain seep through the surface into the soil and gravel below, instead of running off. Not every paver patio is built as a permeable system, though: that depends on the base and the joints, and we say in writing which one yours is.
Travertine. Natural stone with a soft, textured surface. Each piece varies in color and veining, which is part of why people choose it. It asks for a careful base and sealing decisions that the scope spells out.
Porcelain pavers. Thick porcelain tiles made for outdoor use, with very even color and sharp edges. They give a clean, modern look, and they need a flat, well-prepared base so the edges do not lip.
Poured concrete. One continuous slab, with no joints to fill or sweep. A crack, though, runs through the surface and cannot be fixed by lifting one piece. It also sheds water rather than letting it pass, which matters on the lot, as the next section explains.
Whichever surface you choose, the written scope names the material, the base depth, the edge restraint, the joint fill and the slope. If something is not on that list, it is not in the price.
Davie Wants the Rain Kept on Your Lot
In Davie a patio is not only a surface. It is a change in how much of your lot can soak up rain. The Town's Engineering Division explains it in its answers to common drainage questions: an owner who fills or excavates, who increases or reduces the permeable area, or who changes the grades of the lot needs a Site Development Permit from Engineering. The reason is that the calculated runoff from a 25-year storm has to be retained on the property itself.
The same page explains who watches the water. Five authorities have jurisdiction in different parts of the Town: the South Florida Water Management District, the Central Broward Water Control District, the South Broward Drainage District, the Tyndall Hammock Drainage District and Broward County. Most projects fall in Central Broward's area, and a project that may affect drainage needs that district's seal or letter.
For a patio, that turns into concrete questions. How much lawn becomes hard surface, where the slope sends the water, and whether the lot can still hold its own rain. We answer them on the drawing before excavation, not after the first storm.
Our office is at 4491 S State Road 7, 3rd Floor, Ste PH16, Davie, FL 33314, and we install patios in Davie and in 19 neighboring cities across Broward.
How a Patio Installation Runs
- The visit. We walk the yard after asking how it behaves in rain: where water stands, where it runs, how close it comes to the house. We look at the doors, the existing slab if there is one, trees and anything underground.
- Layout and levels. We mark the patio's outline and decide the finished height and the slope away from the house. If the area or the grades change enough to matter to Engineering, the scope says so.
- The written proposal. Material, base, edges, joint fill, slope, demolition of any old slab, line items, exclusions and an estimated schedule that includes permit review and material delivery.
- Permits and approvals. The Town permit, the Site Development Permit if the job needs one, and HOA approval if you have an association. Each is listed as its own step.
- Excavation and base. Soil comes out to the planned depth, the base goes in in layers and each layer is compacted. This is the step you will never see again, and the one that decides how the patio ages.
- Laying and finishing. Pavers go down in the chosen pattern, cuts are made at the edges, the restraint is set and the joints are filled. If something in the ground changes the plan, you see it and approve the change in writing before we continue.
- The walkthrough. We walk the finished patio with you, check the slope with water if you want to see it, and hand you the warranty papers.
What a Patio Installation Costs Around Davie
One South Florida paver company's 2026 pricing guide for Palm Beach and Broward puts patio installation, installed all-in, at $12 to $18 per square foot for concrete pavers, $18 to $28 for travertine and $22 to $32 for porcelain. Those are that company's ranges, not our price, and they are per square foot of patio, not a quote for your yard.
What moves a patio inside or outside those ranges:
The surface. Concrete pavers, travertine and porcelain sit at different points, and within each one the line and thickness of the paver matter.
What comes out first. Removing an old slab, roots or poor soil adds labor and hauling before the base can start.
The base and the drainage. A deeper base, a permeable build-up or work to correct the slope of the yard all add cost, and they are often the part that matters most.
Shape and pattern. Curves, borders and patterns like herringbone take more cuts than a straight layout.
Access. A yard reached through a narrow side gate means moving material by hand.
The visit and the written estimate are free. You get a price after we have seen the yard, with each line listed, and nothing gets added later without your written approval.
Why Homeowners Have Us Install the Patio
A patio fails quietly. The base was too thin, the edge was never restrained, the slope ran toward the house. None of that shows on the day it is finished. We plan for it before excavation.
One written scope. Base depth, material, edges, joints and slope on the page, along with what is not included, so you can compare proposals on the parts that matter.
One project contact. You know who coordinates the work and who answers your calls before the first shovel goes in.
Changes approved in writing. If the ground shows something new, you see the effect on price and schedule and sign before anything changes.
A written warranty. One year on our workmanship from the day we hand over the patio, plus the paver manufacturer's warranty. General Contractor Davie is part of Gaven Constructions.
Permits
Permits and Inspections in Davie
Who signs for the work. The contract names the company installing your patio and the license that covers it, so you know who answers for it.
Town permits and the HOA are separate. The Town looks at the work and at what it does to the lot's drainage. An HOA, if you have one, may have rules on materials, colors and size. One approval does not cover the other, and the proposal lists both.
Patio covers are a separate project. If you also want a roof or screen over the patio, that is a structure with its own review. We tell you at the visit whether it belongs in the same scope.
FAQ
Patio Installation Questions From Davie Homeowners
What is the average cost of a paver patio in Davie?
One South Florida paver company publishes installed ranges per square foot that run from concrete pavers at the low end to porcelain at the high end. That is a market range, not our price. Your cost depends mostly on the base, the drainage work and the paver you choose.
How much does a 12x16 paver patio cost in Davie?
We do not quote a size without seeing the yard. Two patios of the same size can need very different base and drainage work, and that part does not grow evenly with the area. The visit is free, and the price comes after it in writing.
Is it cheaper to lay concrete or pavers in Davie?
It depends on the thickness, the finish and the base each one needs, so we price both side by side. Pavers can be lifted and reset one at a time, and their joints let some water through, which counts on a Davie lot where rain has to stay on the property.
Do I need a permit to install a patio in Davie?
A patio slab goes through the Town's review, and if the work increases the hard surface or changes the grades of the lot, Engineering also requires a Site Development Permit. We check what your project needs and file it.
How much does it cost to install 1,000 sq ft of pavers in Davie?
A large area spreads some costs, such as setup and access, but the base, the drainage and the material still decide most of the price. We measure and write the price after the visit, line by line.
Should I fix drainage before installing a patio in Davie?
Yes, if water already stands where the patio would go. A patio laid over an unsolved drainage problem usually has to come up again. We look at how your lot drains before choosing the paver.
Patio installation is one of the yard projects we take on as a Davie general contractor, with the base, the drainage and the finish planned in one written scope.
Let us see the yard before you pick a paver.
Show us where the patio would go and how you plan to use it. We look at the slope, the low spots and where water runs when it rains, and you get a written scope before any decision. Our office is at 4491 S State Road 7, 3rd Floor, Ste PH16, Davie, FL 33314.
