Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
Why Long Beach Homeowners Choose Unilock Construction
Unilock pavers are everywhere in Long Beach for good reason: they hold up to our coastal air, our clay soil, and the daily wear of beach traffic better than most poured concrete. We provide independent Unilock service in Long Beach, which means we rebuild, re-level, and restore these paver systems using the brand’s own polymeric sand and Edge Restraint products so repairs last. We are not an authorized Unilock dealer or installer. We are a local remodeling and construction crew that knows these specific products, their failure patterns in Long Beach conditions, and how to fix them without voiding the manufacturer’s warranty. Call (562) 512-7086 if your Unilock driveway, patio, or walkway is shifting, sinking, or pulling apart.
Why Trust Elmstead Remodeling Long Beach for Your Unilock Construction?
Our crews have rebuilt and re-leveled Unilock paver surfaces across Long Beach’s shifting soils for over a decade. We know the Brussels Block driveway that sinks at the garage apron because the original base was never compacted deep enough. We know the Thornbury patio that develops a white chalky film because salty ocean air wicks moisture up through the joints. We know the Richcliff retaining wall that leans because the previous installer skipped geogrid reinforcement behind the face.
Graham Stein, owner of Elmstead Remodeling Long Beach, learned construction at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College and has been working on Long Beach homes since well before Unilock became the default paver choice in Belmont Shore and Naples Island. He sends the same two-person crew to a paver job from the first day to the last, and he writes down the price before any work begins. That written price is the price on the invoice. The price I write down on day one is the price on the invoice when we’re done.
We are an independent Unilock service provider. We are not authorized by the manufacturer, and we never claim to be. What we offer is hands-on experience with these exact products in Long Beach’s specific soil and climate conditions, plus the Cedarwell Care Promise on every job: shoe covers and drop cloths inside the house, a photo of the cleanup before the crew leaves, quiet tools during nap hours, and pet-safe products where there is a choice.
Styles & brands we work with
Common Unilock Construction Problems We Fix in Long Beach
- Efflorescence on Thornbury and Brussels Block pavers near the coast. The white, powdery deposit that forms on paver surfaces is not a product defect. In Long Beach, salty ocean air carries mineral-laden moisture into the paver joints. As that moisture evaporates, it leaves mineral salts behind. We remove the efflorescence with the correct cleaning process and address the drainage issue that keeps reintroducing moisture into the paver body.
- Edge restraints failing on clay soil. Long Beach sits on expansive clay in many neighborhoods. When the ground swells in wet months and shrinks in dry months, cheap plastic edge restraints flex and eventually snap. Border pavers then drift outward. We install genuine Unilock Edge Restraint systems with proper spikes and compaction so the perimeter of the patio or driveway holds its line.
- Polymeric sand washing out of paver joints. Heavy winter rain and poor drainage beneath a patio push water up through the joints, carrying sand with it. Once the sand washes out, pavers shift independently. We don’t just sweep new sand into the joints. We check the pitch, fix the base where drainage is failing, and then install fresh Unilock polymeric sand so the joints actually set.
- Driveway settling at the garage apron. This is the most common Unilock Brussels Block failure we see in Long Beach. The original installer either skipped deep compaction or used a base material that is too soft for driveway loads. The pavers sink, puddle water forms, and the garage approach becomes a scrape hazard. We remove the affected area, compact new Class II road base, re-set the pavers, and leave the surface draining properly.
- Differential heave from tree roots. Mature ficus and magnolia trees are common along Long Beach parkways. Their roots push upward unevenly beneath paver surfaces, creating humps and gaps. We reset the pavers after root issues are addressed, and we compact the base to reduce future movement.
Last spring our crew reset a 600-square-foot Brussels Block driveway in Belmont Shore that had sunken two inches at the garage apron. We removed the pavers, compacted a new Class II road base, installed Unilock edge restraints, and relayed the original blocks with fresh polymeric sand. The driveway now drains evenly and the owner can open the garage without scraping the bottom of their SUV.
Unilock Parts & Our Repair-vs-Replace Approach
We use genuine Unilock polymeric sand and Edge Restraint systems for paver repairs in Long Beach. Aftermarket alternatives often fail within a season or two. They don’t set as firmly, they wash out faster, and manufacturers typically won’t cover a repair that used non-OEM joint material. For a paver system to stay stable through Long Beach’s wet winters and dry summers, the joint sand and edge restraints are not places to cut corners.
When do we recommend replacement instead of repair? If the base beneath the pavers is undersized or has turned to mush, patching individual areas becomes a game of whack-a-mole. Any paving unit manufactured more than 20 years ago may also be difficult to match for color and size, since manufacturers shift their pigment and dimension slightly over time. In those cases, a full replacement with a properly compacted base and fresh Unilock pavers often costs less over the life of the surface than repeated patch repairs. Call (562) 512-7086 and we will give you an honest read on which path makes sense for your driveway or patio.
Our Unilock Service Process – Step by Step
- 1
Diagnosis. We walk the entire paver surface with you, checking for low spots, water pooling, paver movement, efflorescence, and edge restraint failure. We identify why the problem is happening, not just what is happening.
- 2
Written scope and price. Before any work starts, you receive a written scope of work and a fixed price. That price stays fixed for the duration of the project.
- 3
Repair or install. We remove the affected Unilock pavers, correct the base material and compaction, install genuine Unilock edge restraints where needed, re-lay the pavers, and sweep in fresh Unilock polymeric sand. For a new installation, we build the base from scratch to Unilock’s published installation specifications.
- 4
Testing. We run water across the finished surface to verify drainage, check paver alignment with a string line, and walk the entire area to confirm nothing shifts underfoot.
- 5
Cleanup and documentation. We photograph the finished surface and the cleaned area before the crew leaves. The photo is part of the job file, so you have proof of the condition we left your Long Beach home in.
See the difference
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AfterUnilock Products We Service & Install in Long Beach
We work with the Unilock lines most common in Long Beach yards and driveways. Brussels Block is the workhorse we see on more driveways than anything else. Thornbury is the go-to for patios, with its smooth top and tight joints. Richcliff shows up often on walkways and accent areas. Estate Wall is the retaining wall block we rebuild and re-level for hillside properties in neighborhoods like Signal Hill and Bluff Heights. We keep genuine Unilock polymeric sand and edge restraint components stocked locally, so repair turnarounds don’t stall waiting on a parts truck.
We Also Service These Brands
While Unilock is a specialty of ours, we are not limited to one manufacturer. The same crews install KraftMaid and Wellborn cabinetry in kitchens, Cambria and Silestone countertops in bathrooms, and Kohler fixtures across the house. Elmstead Remodeling Long Beach offers General Contractor services, not just single-brand paver work.
FAQs – Unilock Construction Service in Long Beach
No, we are an independent Unilock service provider in Long Beach. We are not an authorized dealer or installer, and we do not represent ourselves as one. We service and install Unilock products using genuine Unilock materials because we have years of hands-on experience with these specific paver systems in Long Beach’s soil and climate conditions.
Yes. For paver repairs we use genuine Unilock polymeric sand and Edge Restraint systems. We will not substitute aftermarket joint sand or generic edge restraints on a Unilock repair. The cost difference is small, and the performance difference in Long Beach’s wet-dry cycles is significant. Call (562) 512-7086 if you want a written quote that specifies exactly which materials will be used.
Most Unilock paver repairs in Long Beach take one to three days, depending on the size of the affected area and whether the base needs to be rebuilt. A full paver patio or driveway installation typically runs five to ten working days. We provide a written schedule before work starts, and we communicate any changes as they come up. Call (562) 512-7086 to schedule a site visit and get a specific timeline for your project.
We service and install Brussels Block, Thornbury, Richcliff, and Estate Wall product lines. If you have a Unilock paver surface we haven’t mentioned, call (562) 512-7086 and describe what you have. Most Unilock paver systems use the same base and jointing principles, and we can likely help.
Using non-OEM joint sand or edge restraints can compromise the manufacturer’s warranty coverage. That is one reason we insist on genuine Unilock materials for repairs. We also follow Unilock’s published installation specifications for new paver work, including base depth and compaction, drainage, and edge restraint installation. If you have questions about what your specific warranty covers, we can help you understand the terms before any work begins. Call (562) 512-7086 with your warranty documentation handy.
Unilock paver patio installation in Long Beach typically runs $3,500 to $11,000. Paver driveway installation with Brussels Block runs $7,000 to $18,000. A full driveway replacement including Unilock base and pavers runs $5,000 to $14,000. The exact number depends on square footage, base conditions, access to the work area, and whether edge restraints need to be replaced. Call (562) 512-7086 for a written quote. Estimates are free, and the price we write down is the price you pay.
| Project Type | Unilock Price Range (Long Beach) |
|---|---|
| Paver Patio Installation – Unilock | $3,500 – $11,000 |
| Paver Driveway Installation – Unilock Brussels Block | $7,000 – $18,000 |
| Driveway Replacement – Unilock base and pavers | $5,000 – $14,000 |
Almost every sunken Brussels Block driveway we see in Long Beach has the same root cause: the original installer did not compact the base deeply enough at the garage transition, or they used a base material that is too soft for repeated vehicle loads. The pavers sink, water pools, and eventually the surface becomes uneven enough to scrape a car’s undercarriage. We fix this by removing the pavers, compacting a new Class II road base, reinstalling genuine Unilock edge restraints, and relaying the original blocks with fresh polymeric sand. Call (562) 512-7086 for a site inspection and a written fix-it price.
Yes. Efflorescence is mineral salt deposits left behind when moisture moves through the paver body and evaporates at the surface. In Long Beach, coastal air adds salt to that moisture. We remove the deposits with the correct cleaning methods and then correct the drainage or base issue that is keeping the pavers wet. Simply cleaning the surface without fixing the moisture source means the white film will return. Call (562) 512-7086 and we will diagnose what is keeping your Thornbury pavers wet.
We use genuine Unilock Edge Restraint systems, installed with the manufacturer’s recommended spikes and at the proper depth. Long Beach’s expansive clay soil flexes more than most installers expect, and cheap edge restraints fail within a few seasons. The genuine system holds the perimeter of your patio or driveway in place through wet winters and dry summers.
For pavers manufactured more than 20 years ago, full replacement is often the smarter long-term choice. Color and dimensional matching across two decades of product changes is difficult, and the base beneath those older installations frequently fails inspection. Patching individual paver repairs on a failing base means revisiting the same spots in two or three years. We will give you an honest recommendation either way. Call (562) 512-7086 and we will walk the surface with you.
Weeds push up through paver joints when the polymeric sand has failed and gaps have opened. In Long Beach, marine layer moisture and occasional heavy rain wash sand out of joints faster than most homeowners expect. Once the sand is gone, weed seeds find a home. We fix it by re-sanding with genuine Unilock polymeric sand after checking drainage and base conditions, so the joints set securely and resist weed growth for years rather than months. Call (562) 512-7086 for a fixed quote on re-sanding your patio.
Book Your Unilock Service in Long Beach, CA
If your Unilock pavers are sinking, shifting, or pulling apart, we will come out, diagnose the cause, and hand you a written price before any work starts. Call (562) 512-7086 to schedule your free estimate for Unilock construction, paver repair, or driveway replacement in Long Beach.
Written by Graham Stein, Owner at Elmstead Remodeling Long Beach, serving Long Beach since 2005.
