Paving Durbanville: most of what we do here is not new paving, it is lifting a driveway that has sunk and rebuilding what is underneath it. Durbanville sits on Malmesbury shale with a heavy clay fraction, and clay is the reason paving fails in this suburb. Installed rates run R300 to R580 per square metre. Free written quote, measured on site.
Why driveways fail in Durbanville specifically
Contents
Clay takes up water through the winter and swells. It dries out over summer and shrinks back. That cycle moves whatever sits on top of it. The failure is seasonal and it always shows in the same order:
| What you see | What has happened | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Joints opening, sand washing out | Edge restraint has given way, courses are creeping | Re-edge and re-joint; surface can be re-used |
| A dip where the car wheels sit | No sub-base, or too shallow for the load | Lift, build a compacted G5 layer, re-lay the same bricks |
| One corner lower than the rest | Clay moving unevenly, usually a drainage point | Correct the fall and the run-off before re-laying |
| Cracked and rocking bricks | Pavers too thin for vehicles, 50mm where 60mm belongs | Replace with 60mm on a proper base |
Because paving is modular, none of this needs the whole driveway broken out. The bricks come up, the base is corrected, the same bricks go back. That is the advantage over concrete on clay ground.
What we build here
On Durbanville clay the sub-base does more work than it would on the sandy Cape Flats, so it goes deeper and gets compacted in layers rather than in one pass. Pavers are 60mm anywhere a vehicle runs, 50mm only for foot traffic. Edges are restrained on every job, because an unrestrained edge on moving ground is where the failure starts.
What it costs in Durbanville
| Job | Typical size | Installed |
|---|---|---|
| Lift and re-lay an existing driveway | 30–40m² | R6,000 – R12,000 |
| New single driveway | 30–40m² | R10,500 – R19,000 |
| New double driveway | 60–80m² | R21,000 – R38,000 |
| Patio or braai area | 15–30m² | R4,800 – R13,500 |
Re-laying is roughly half the price of new because the bricks are already paid for. Full breakdown on our paving prices page.
Durbanville paving questions
Can you re-use my existing bricks?
Usually yes. Cement pavers that have sunk are almost always undamaged — they sank because of what was under them. We lift, clean, correct the base and re-lay. Expect to replace 5–10% for breakage.
How do I know if the sub-base is the problem?
If the dip follows the wheel tracks, it is the base. If the whole area is flat but the joints are open, it is the edges. We tell you which on site, before quoting.
Will it just sink again?
Not if the base is built for the ground. The driveways we lift were laid on bedding sand straight onto clay. A compacted stone layer spreads the load so seasonal movement does not concentrate under the wheels.
Do you work in the estates?
Yes — Vierlanden, Sonstraal, Eversdal and the newer Durbanville Hills developments. Estates usually need contractor details and working hours cleared with the HOA first; we handle that.
Areas we cover near Durbanville
Bellville, Brackenfell, Kraaifontein and Kuils River — see the full northern suburbs area.
Get a written quote in Durbanville
Tell us what the driveway is doing now. We come out, measure it, check the fall and put a written figure to it — repair or replace, whichever the ground calls for.
Prefer to talk? Call 062 397 4233