The short answer on paver patio cost
A professionally installed paver patio on Long Island runs $28 to $48 per square foot in 2025-2026. A 400-square-foot back patio — roughly 20 x 20 ft, enough for a six-person table, grill, and seating cluster — lands between $11,200 and $19,200 installed. A 750-square-foot expanded patio with a built-in fire pit and lighting is $24,000 to $38,000.
Those ranges exist because three things swing the number: the paver you pick, the excavation depth and base prep your soil demands, and the complexity of the layout (curves, bands, borders, step-downs).
Let's break each of those down so you know what a fair quote looks like.
Material cost by paver brand
The three brands that dominate Long Island's paver market are EP Henry, Cambridge, and Techo-Bloc. All three are quality manufacturers with showrooms within 60 miles of Nassau County, and all three are stocked by the major LI hardscape yards (Lowe's no, but every independent — Northport Block, Hicksville Materials, Hampton Materials).
| Brand | Popular product | Material cost per sq ft | Style profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP Henry | Bristol Stone II | $4.80 - $6.20 | Classic tumbled, warm earth tones |
| EP Henry | Coventry | $5.50 - $7.00 | Old-world cobblestone look |
| Cambridge | Renaissance | $5.20 - $6.80 | Granite-look, sharp edges |
| Cambridge | Ledgestone | $6.00 - $7.80 | Flagstone replica, multi-piece pattern |
| Techo-Bloc | Blu 60 | $6.80 - $8.50 | Modern, clean-line, large format |
| Techo-Bloc | Borealis | $7.50 - $9.20 | Contemporary wood-plank look |
| Techo-Bloc | Travertina Raw | $8.20 - $10.40 | Travertine-replica, pool-deck favorite |
Material cost is only the pavers themselves. Add polymeric sand ($0.40-$0.60/sq ft), edge restraint ($0.50-$0.80/linear ft), geotextile fabric ($0.25/sq ft), and base stone (see below).
Base prep is where cheap jobs fail
The single biggest driver of a patio that lasts 30 years vs. one that heaves in year three is base prep. Long Island soil varies: the South Shore is mostly sand (easy to excavate, drains beautifully), the North Shore has clay pockets (harder, needs more base), and almost everywhere has a 42-inch frost line to respect.
Proper paver patio base for Long Island:
- Excavation: 10-12 inches below finished grade
- Geotextile fabric: Separates native soil from base stone so the stone doesn't migrate
- Compacted RCA or 3/4-inch crushed stone: 6-8 inches in 2-inch lifts, plate-compacted between each lift
- Bedding sand: 1 inch, screeded flat
- Pavers, polymeric sand joints, edge restraint
A patio built on 2 inches of sand over native soil (we see this on DIY and handyman jobs) will look fine for one winter and then heave. The fix — pulling it up, doing the base right, and resetting — usually costs more than the original install did. Pay once, pay right.
Labor — what you're actually paying for
Skilled paver installers on Long Island bill out at $85-$120 per hour per crew member in 2026. A 400 sq ft patio takes a three-person crew 3-5 days depending on complexity. That's roughly $6,000-$10,000 in labor, before equipment.
Machine costs: mini-excavator or skid-steer rental ($400-$700/day), plate compactor ($150/day), wet saw for cutting pavers ($200/day). On a mid-sized patio, equipment adds $1,500-$2,500.
Disposal: excavated spoils have to go somewhere. A 400 sq ft patio generates roughly 8-12 cubic yards of material. Dumpster or haul-away: $600-$1,100.
Full cost breakdown — real 2026 example
Here's the line-item estimate for a 400 sq ft rectangular EP Henry Bristol Stone II patio with a single soldier-course border, built by us in Massapequa in March 2026:
| Line item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Excavation, fabric, base stone (compacted in lifts) | $3,400 |
| Bedding sand, polymeric sand, edge restraint | $650 |
| EP Henry Bristol Stone II pavers (400 sq ft + 10% waste) | $2,600 |
| Labor (3 crew x 4 days) | $7,200 |
| Equipment (excavator, compactor, saw) | $1,400 |
| Disposal (10 cy spoils) | $750 |
| Permit + engineer (if >200 sq ft, Oyster Bay example) | $380 |
| Total installed | $16,380 |
That's $40.95 per square foot — right in the middle of the typical range. If the same homeowner had chosen Techo-Bloc Borealis with a charcoal banding, the total would be roughly $19,800. If they'd gone with EP Henry Coventry and added a curved bluestone seat wall, it would be $22,500.
What pushes cost up or down
Costs more:
- Slope over 2% requiring retaining walls or step-downs
- Curves, circle kits, bands, or multi-pattern layouts
- Built-in features: fire pit ($2,400-$4,800), seat wall ($180-$260/linear ft), outdoor kitchen rough-in ($1,800+)
- Lighting integrated into the patio ($2,000-$5,000)
- Difficult access (pavers hand-carried from street)
- North Shore clay soil requiring deeper base
Costs less:
- Rectangular layout, single paver, single pattern
- Ground-level installation (no steps, no walls)
- South Shore sandy soil (easy excavation, good drainage)
- Direct driveway or side-yard access for materials
Permits — yes, Long Island towns permit patios
Patios under 200 sq ft at grade are generally exempt in Nassau's three townships. Anything larger, or any patio with a step-down, fire pit, or wall, needs a permit — typically $250-$450. We file every permit for our clients and include it in the project total. Suffolk County towns vary; Brookhaven and Islip both require permits for patios over 100 sq ft.
Get a real written quote, not a driveway estimate
Paver patio pricing is too site-specific for drive-by guesses. We come out, measure, check soil, photograph access, and return a written quote within 48 hours — with paver samples in hand. Call (516) 529-6992 and we'll book your free estimate across Nassau and Suffolk.