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CGI Driveway & Pavers: The San Francisco Owner’s Guide
We stock and install CGI-compatible paver driveway components across San Francisco, with typical replacement work running $590 – $2,950 depending on the size of the affected section and the specific CGI product line you own. Most paver driveway failures show up as shifting, sinking, or separated joints after a heavy rain season, and we can usually have a crew out to assess it within a day or two of your call to (831) 610-5598.
The reality is that San Francisco’s combination of clay-heavy soil in neighborhoods like the Sunset and Richmond districts plus seasonal saturation creates a unique stress pattern on paver systems. What starts as a hairline gap between pavers becomes a trip hazard, then a drainage problem, then a base failure. By the time a homeowner calls us, the visible paver is rarely the actual problem. The substrate underneath has usually given way.
Which CGI Models This Applies To
CGI’s driveway and paver product line, commonly sold through Belgard and Unilock dealers in the Bay Area, spans several series that look similar at a glance but do not share dimensional specs. The most common units we match replacement parts for in San Francisco are the 60mm and 80mm thick permeable pavers from CGI’s structural series, along with their interlocking border units. If you have a paver labeled with a thickness stamp on its side or underside, that number matters more than the color or pattern name. An 80mm unit cannot be swapped for a 60mm unit without changing the substrate depth.
Here’s the compatibility gotcha we run into constantly: CGI’s color blends are batch-dated, and a paver from a 2019 production run will not match a 2024 run of the “same” color. If you’re patching a section, we recommend saving the removed pavers as the cleanest match source, or accepting a deliberate border treatment where the color shift reads as intentional rather than a mistake. For the OEM-vs-aftermarket decision, CGI’s paver dimensions are proprietary enough that aftermarket equivalents rarely seat correctly in an existing grid. We recommend sticking with genuine CGI units for pattern-matched repairs and only considering aftermarket edge restraints, which are interchangeable. Bradford Remodeling Co San Francisco is an independent service provider and is not affiliated with CGI, though we install their products and other hardscaping lines regularly.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your CGI Driveway & Pavers Are Failing
- Uneven or sunken sections. The most common failure in San Francisco. Water has worked its way through the joints and eroded the base layer beneath the pavers. The paver itself is fine; the foundation is gone. Without re-setting the section, the problem spreads outward.
- Joint sand disappearing after every rain. If the polymeric sand between pavers washes out repeatedly, the pavers are moving against each other. Usually the base depth was inadequate for the soil type, or the edge restraint has failed and the whole field is shifting slightly downhill.
- Cracked pavers in traffic areas. On a driveway, the repeated load of a vehicle exposes any void under the paver. Paver units rated for pedestrian patios will crack under vehicle weight. The fix is the correct thickness unit, not just a like-for-like replacement.
- Standing water pooling in low spots. Proper paver driveways are pitched to drain. If water ponds after a light rain, the base has settled unevenly. This is both a paver problem and a long-term foundation problem for the driveway edge.
- Edge pavers separating from the field. The edge restraint system has failed or was never installed correctly. Once the edges go, the entire field starts walking outward, and each passing car accelerates the spread.
See the difference
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After
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After
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AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
For paver driveway repairs in San Francisco, you’re looking at roughly $590 – $2,950 for a typical section replacement, depending on how much of the base needs rebuilding. A small border repair with a few matching units falls at the low end. Rebuilding a sunken 10-by-10-foot section with new base material, compaction, and re-set pavers runs toward the upper end. Full paver driveway installation runs $8,260 – $21,240, and a complete driveway replacement falls between $5,900 and $16,520.
What drives the range is the substrate. If the base is still solid and the pavers just need re-leveling, the job is straightforward. If we’re digging out saturated clay and hauling it off, adding fresh aggregate, and compacting in lifts, that’s real labor and material. Every quote from Bradford Remodeling includes a written line-item price before any work starts, so you know exactly what you’re paying for parts, base material, haul-off, and labor. And every completed job comes with our 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing: if the repair fails within a year, we come back and correct it at no charge.
DIY or Call Us?
A homeowner can safely re-sand a small section of paver joints with the right polymeric sand, following the bag directions. That’s a maintenance task, and we’ll tell you straight if that’s all you need. What goes wrong with DIY paver repair is the base. Digging out a sunken section, re-compacting it properly in lifts, and re-setting pavers to grade takes a plate compactor, a level, and an understanding of drainage pitch. Most homeowners dig out the visible problem, fill it with bagged sand, and end up with the same depression next winter. If the pavers are shifting, cracking under vehicle weight, or the edges are separating, call us at (831) 610-5598 for a free estimate. Curtis Lane has spent enough years working through San Francisco’s older neighborhoods to know which driveway failures are a weekend fix and which need a proper base rebuild. He’ll tell you straight.
FAQs
With proper base installation, CGI paver units themselves should last 25 to 50 years, but the base beneath them in San Francisco’s clay-heavy soil typically needs resetting or rebuilding every 10 to 15 years. The pavers rarely fail; the substrate does. Call (831) 610-5598 for an inspection if you’re seeing shifting or settling.
Yes, in most cases we can repair the affected section by re-compacting the base and re-setting the existing pavers if they are intact. If the pavers themselves are cracked from vehicle load, we may recommend upgrading to the correct thickness unit for a driveway application. Call for a free estimate and we’ll give you a straight answer.
A typical section repair takes one to two days on site, including base excavation, compaction, re-setting, and joint sand. Larger base rebuilds may run three to four days. We’ll put the timeline in writing with your price, and it will not move at the door.
We do not stock CGI units on the truck because the color batch and thickness vary by series, and matching a six-year-old installation requires sourcing the right run. We coordinate directly with local hardscaping suppliers in San Francisco to pull matching units before your repair date. This is why we ask for a photo of the stamp on the paver’s underside when you call.
Written by Curtis Lane, Owner, Bradford Remodeling Co – San Francisco, CA at Bradford Remodeling Co San Francisco, serving San Francisco and nearby areas.
