Paver Repair — Relevel Sunken Pavers and Reset a Patio
Pavers are the one patio you can fix instead of replace. A sunken corner, a heaved walk or a whole wavy patio comes up, gets a new base, and goes back down flat.
JMB Builders does paver repair across the Twin Cities metro and north to St. Cloud: sunken pavers along a patio edge, a dip where the downspout lands, a walkway that has heaved, or a whole patio that needs to be lifted and reset. The pavers come up, the base is rebuilt and compacted, the pavers go back level, and the joints get new polymeric sand. Priced per unit by the section, quoted from your photos.
- Priced per unit: by the section or the whole patio
- Pavers lifted, base rebuilt, reset level
- Cause fixed: drainage, edge restraint, base
- New polymeric sand in every reset joint
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Pavers sink for a reason, and the repair is fixing the reason. A dip under the downspout is water washing the bedding sand out; an edge that has spread is missing or failed edge restraint; a patio that is wavy everywhere had a thin base that was never compacted; a heave along the house is water trapped against the foundation. Lifting the pavers and dropping sand under them fixes the look for a season. Rebuilding the base under the bad section fixes it.
The repair itself is straightforward on pavers, which is the case for choosing them in the first place. We pull the pavers in the bad section, stack them in order, dig out the washed-out or soft base, add and compact class 5, screed fresh bedding sand, and reset the same pavers to a string line. Missing restraint gets replaced. Then the joints in the reset section get polymeric sand, and the rest of the patio gets its old sand topped up if it is thin.
A whole patio that was built on a poor base can be reset the same way, section by section, using the original pavers. It costs less than a new patio because the pavers are already paid for and on site, and it ends with a patio on the base it should have had.
What you supply
- Photos of the sunken or uneven area, one from standing height and one from low across the surface so the dip shows
- Any spare pavers you have from the original job, for the ones that are cracked or crumbling
- A note on when it started and whether a downspout, sump discharge or a tree root is nearby
- The patio cleared of furniture in the area being reset
What JMB supplies
- Pavers lifted in the bad section and stacked in order so the pattern goes back the same
- Washed-out or soft base dug out, class 5 added and compacted, fresh bedding sand screeded
- The cause addressed: downspout extended, edge restraint replaced, drainage fixed, root cut where it can be
- Pavers reset to a string line, level with the sound part of the patio
- Cracked or spalled pavers replaced with your spares or the closest match we can find
- Polymeric sand in the reset joints, and old joints topped up
- Photos of the finished repair in your job folder
How it is priced: per unit
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Size of the section being reset: one corner, a strip along the house, or the whole patio
- What is under it: sand that washed out and just needs replacing, or a base that was never built and has to go in
- The cause, and what it takes to fix it: a downspout extension, new edge restraint, a drain, or cutting a root
- Pavers that are cracked or crumbling and have to be replaced; matching a discontinued paver takes hunting
- Pattern complexity: a herringbone or a circle takes longer to relay than a running bond
- Whether the whole patio gets fresh polymeric sand while we are there
- Access for hauling out old base and bringing in new
Send a photo from standing height and one from ground level across the dip, and say what is nearby: downspout, tree, the house. That is enough to quote the section.
How long it takes
A sunken corner or a strip along the house: half a day to a day. A whole patio lifted and reset: two to four days depending on size and pattern.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Sunken pavers under a downspout
The most common call. The pavers come up, the washed-out sand and base are replaced and compacted, the pavers go back level, and the downspout gets an extension or a buried run so it stops happening.
Spread edge with no restraint
The outside courses have crept out and the joints opened. The edge courses are pulled, the base is trued, a new edge restraint is spiked in, and the pavers are pushed back tight and re-sanded.
Heaved pavers along the house
A hump or a dip in the course against the foundation, usually from water trapped there. The section is reset with a fall away from the house, and the grade or downspout that put the water there is fixed.
Whole patio lift and reset
A wavy patio on a thin base is taken up in sections, the base built properly and compacted, and the same pavers relaid to a level plane with new sand. A new patio without buying new pavers.
Re-sand and seal
Pavers that are level but the joints have washed out and weeds are coming in. Joints blown or washed clean, new polymeric sand swept in and set, and a paver sealer if you want the color held.
Paver Repair — Relevel Sunken Pavers and Reset a Patio: questions, answered
Why are my pavers sinking?
Water moving sand, most of the time. A downspout or a sump discharge landing on the patio washes the bedding sand out from under the pavers nearest it, and they drop. The other causes are a base that was too thin or never compacted, which settles everywhere, and an edge with no restraint, which lets the outside courses spread and sink. The photos usually show which one it is.
Can sunken pavers be fixed without redoing the whole patio?
Yes. Only the bad section comes up. The pavers are stacked in order, the base under them is rebuilt and compacted, fresh bedding sand is screeded, and the same pavers go back level with the rest of the patio. A corner or a strip along the house is usually a half-day job. The rest of the patio is not touched except to top up the joint sand.
Do you fix what caused the pavers to sink?
Yes, or the repair does not last. If it is a downspout, it gets extended or buried past the patio. If it is a missing edge restraint, a new one goes in. If water is sitting against the house, the section is reset with a fall away from it and the grade is fixed. If it is a base that was never built, the section gets a real base. The cause is on the quote next to the reset.
Can you match my old pavers if some are cracked?
Spares from the original job are the best match, so check the garage first. Otherwise we find the closest current paver in size and color; a few replacements inside the field blend in, and if a whole area needs new pavers we sometimes swap sound pavers from a hidden spot into the visible area and put the new ones where they will not show.
How much does it cost to relevel a paver patio?
It is priced by the section being reset, and the base work under it is the main variable: replacing washed-out sand is quick, building a base that was never there takes a day of digging and compacting. A downspout extension, a new edge restraint or replacement pavers are added as lines. We quote it from two photos, and a whole-patio reset is priced as one project.
Should pavers be sealed after they are repaired?
Sealing is optional. A sealer holds the color, makes stains easier to clean and hardens the polymeric sand, but it has to be reapplied every few years and it changes the look, usually to a slight sheen or a wet look. If you want it, it goes on after the new sand has set and the pavers are dry. Plenty of patios go unsealed and do fine.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 24, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All pavers pages
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