Paver work is a trade with a low barrier to entry and a high cost of failure: anyone with a truck and a plate compactor can call themselves an installer, and the difference between right and wrong is invisible for the first year. Here’s the vetting checklist we use before referring anyone — use it on any contractor, including ours.
The non-negotiables
- License appropriate to the work — and verify it yourself in two minutes at the Florida DBPR license search or the county contractor licensing page. Unlicensed flatwork is common here; so are its victims.
- Insurance, in writing. General liability and workers’ comp certificates, sent from the insurer. A crew member hurt on your property without comp coverage can become your problem.
- Permits pulled by them, not you. “You can owner-permit it to save money” shifts liability to you and is the single loudest red flag in the trade (see the permit guide).
- Local, verifiable work. Addresses you can drive past — ideally jobs 3+ years old, because that’s when base failures surface. Any pro proud of their work has a list ready.
The questions that reveal competence
- “What base depth and how do you compact it?” You want specifics — inches of crushed base, compacted in lifts, plate counts. Hand-waving here predicts a wavy driveway.
- “Where does the water go?” The drainage answer (from our water guide) that separates installers from craftsmen.
- “What edge restraint do you use?” Any confident, specific answer passes; “you don’t really need it” fails.
- “What’s the warranty, and on what?” Settling and workmanship coverage in writing, separate from the paver manufacturer’s warranty.
Reading the quote
Good quotes itemize: excavation and haul-off, base material and depth, paver line and thickness, edge restraint, sand type, permit, and cleanup. A single number on a text message is not a quote. And a bid thousands below the pack isn’t a bargain — it’s a base you’ll pay to rebuild (the math is in the cost guide). Deposits: reasonable is 10–30% with progress payments; walking-around money up front for materials is normal, half-down-cash is not.
Or let us do this part
This checklist is exactly what we run before adding a contractor to our referral list — license, insurance, track record, and how they answer the hard questions. Tell us about your project and start from a vetted shortlist instead of a search results page.