I have a weeks worth experience installing pavers for a back yard?

Question

2 years ago I helped out my friends dad installing pavers. I did not do much of the leveling only watched. It looked simple, I know laying the pavers was quite easy. What do you think about this? K so I made a bid for a paver job for 400 sqft everything is on site I just have to do the labor. Im gonna make around 2000.00 when its completed in phx az Im doing this all by myself with besically have been watching diy all day getting different ideas. Do you think I should do the job anyway just to see how it turns out? All day i have been so nervous the lady knows im not licensed. I ****** up tonight i barrowed a rototiller and the wheel snapped off when unloading it does this job sound impossible its like 400sq ft

My main concern is i suck at math so bad so estimating thickness is like gonna be a storm. Im just gonna do it, but hey whats the worst that could happen ha ha well i did put myself in this situation since im desperate for money. please give me any tips especially for this

Answer 1

It looks like you already have a cost to repair the rototiller. $2,000 is a lot of money, but if you do not do the job correctly, she can take you to small claims court and get her money back. And if you do damage, you could end up paying more than you made.

I've never done a paving job, but I watch home project shows all the time. My first suggestion is that you talk to your friend's father for advice; he may have learned some lessons from the job he did. Next, look at some "How To" sites.

Getting the base done correctly would be a priority. Does she want it flat or slightly sloped away from the house?

After you even out the ground in the correct mannor, you'll  need some kind of gravel base and rent a compactor.

Math is the easy part. Here are some guidelines.

If the 400 square feet area is square then it's 20 feet by 20 feet [about the size of a 2 car garage]. It might be a rectangle area: 4 ft by 100 ft, 5 ft by 80 ft, 8 ft by 50 ft, 10 ft by 40 feet, etc. are all possible. Note: Area = Side1 X Side2

The next calculation, you may need to compute, is cubic feet of the base that you need.

If you need 1 foot of base material, that requires 400 cubic feet of material [400 square feet X 1 foot]

- 6 inches of base material, would require 200 cubic feet of base material [400 square feet X 6/12 foot]

- 3 inches of base material, that requires 100 cubic feet of material [400 square feet X 3/12 foot]

GOOD LUCK.