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CGI Driveway & Pavers: The Fort Lauderdale Owner’s Guide
We stock and install CGI-compatible driveway and paver systems in Fort Lauderdale, with typical paver driveway installations running $7,000-$18,000 and concrete driveway work at $4,500-$12,000 depending on substrate condition and square footage. Most CGI paver resets and section replacements can be scheduled within 48 hours, and we carry common edge restraints, bedding sand specs, and polymeric sand on our trucks. Homeowners usually discover a CGI paver failure when they notice shifting after heavy rain, pooling that wasn’t there before, or a wobble underfoot that signals a compromised bedding layer underneath.
Which CGI Models This Applies To
CGI, or Concrete Grid Interlock, isn’t a single brand name in the way Belgard or Techo-Bloc is - it’s a structural system category used by several manufacturers including Unilock, Pavestone, and local Fort Lauderdale suppliers who fabricate to ASTM C936 specs. The critical identifier is the grid thickness and the interlock pattern: true CGI systems run 60mm to 80mm in paver thickness with a minimum 3/16-inch chamfer edge that creates the mechanical lock. We see the most confusion when a homeowner has a 50mm thin-paver patio that was sold as “interlocking” but lacks the structural grid geometry; these won’t perform like CGI under vehicle load.
To identify what you actually have, flip a loose edge paver and look for the manufacturer’s stamp - Unilock marks series like Brussels Block or Richcliff, while Pavestone uses product codes starting with their plant identifier. If there’s no stamp and the install predates 2015, it may be a generic CGI equivalent common in Fort Lauderdale’s pre-2010 construction boom. We also stock KraftMaid, Cambria, and Silestone products for related hardscape and outdoor kitchen projects where CGI pavers meet built-in features.
Rowan Construction Group Fort Lauderdale is an independent service provider, not affiliated with CGI or any single paver manufacturer. Our sourcing runs across fifty-plus vetted brands, which means the written quote lists the actual part number and source, not a bundled “paver package” with hidden markup.
Signs Your CGI Driveway & Pavers Is Failing

- Individual pavers rock or wobble underfoot. This means the bedding sand layer has washed out or compacted unevenly, often from improper edge restraint installation that let water channel underneath. In Fort Lauderdale’s sandy coastal soils, we see this accelerate after king tides push groundwater higher than the sub-base.
- Visible gaps opening between pavers that weren’t there at install. The joint sand - usually polymeric - has degraded or been washed out by pressure washing at too narrow a spray angle. Without joint fill, the interlock geometry can’t transfer load across the grid, and individual pavers start to drift.
- Pooling water where the surface used to shed it. This indicates settlement in the aggregate base, typically from inadequate compaction during original install or from tree root intrusion common in Victoria Park and older Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods with mature live oaks.
- Chipped or spalled paver edges, especially at driveway turns. CGI pavers need that chamfer to distribute point loads; once the edge chips, the load concentrates and the failure propagates inward. Salt exposure from coastal air accelerates the surface degradation.
- Sinking or heaving near the garage slab or foundation edge. This usually traces to a missing or failed geotextile separation layer between the native soil and the compacted base. In Fort Lauderdale’s limestone geology, acidic soil migration can degrade that fabric faster than inland specs account for.
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AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
For CGI paver section replacement in Fort Lauderdale, we quote by the square foot with line-item transparency: removal and disposal of failed pavers runs $3.50-$6.00 per square foot, bedding sand replacement or re-screeding at $1.50-$2.50 per square foot, and new paver material at $4.00-$9.00 per square foot depending on whether we’re matching an existing OEM product or sourcing a compatible equivalent. A typical 200-square-foot driveway section reset lands between $1,800 and $3,700 all-in.
What drives the range: access for our compaction equipment, whether we need to hand-disassemble versus cut out a bonded section, and how precisely we need to match faded or discontinued paver colors. Under Clause 1 of The Haven Standard, that written price is delivered before any work starts, and no change proceeds without a signed change order. The 365-Day Done Right Promise covers the installation workmanship, and we include a documented photo record of the substrate condition before and after as standard.
DIY or Call Us?

There’s no high-tension danger in paver work the way there is with garage door springs or electrical panels, but there’s a point where DIY becomes expensive do-over. A homeowner can safely check: whether the edge restraint is still mechanically locked (it should flex slightly but not pull free), whether joint sand is present to within 1/8 inch of the paver top, and whether drainage still runs away from the foundation. A shop vac and a bag of polymeric sand can address minor joint loss.
Where DIY goes wrong: re-leveling individual pavers without addressing the bedding layer underneath, which guarantees the same wobble returns in six months; pressure washing at angles that blast out joint sand; and using play sand or mason sand instead of ASTM C33 concrete sand, which won’t compact to the 95% density CGI needs. We’ve been called to Fort Lauderdale jobs where a homeowner spent weekends on a patch that failed because the sub-base wasn’t re-compacted in lifts. Measure twice, write it down, then say it once - that’s how we scope it, and it’s cheaper than doing it twice.
For a written line-item quote on your CGI paver reset or replacement, call us at (754) 254-7676.
FAQs
Properly installed CGI pavers with ASTM C936 rating and adequate base compaction typically last 25-30 years in Fort Lauderdale’s climate, though coastal salt exposure and high groundwater can reduce that to 18-22 years if drainage is poor. The paver itself rarely fails; what we replace is the bedding layer, edge restraint, or individual units damaged by impact. Call (754) 254-7676 for an exact quote on your section - estimates are free.
Yes, if the failure is limited to joint sand loss, minor settlement under 3/4 inch, or isolated edge restraint pull-back. We lift the affected pavers, re-screed the bedding layer, and reinstall with fresh joint sand. If the base has washed out extensively or the geotextile has failed, partial replacement of the aggregate base is necessary. Call (754) 254-7676 for an exact quote - estimates are free.
A 200-square-foot section reset typically takes one to two days: half a day for careful removal and base prep, and half a day for reinstallation and initial joint sand setting. We allow 24 hours before vehicle traffic so the bedding layer can settle under its own weight. Larger areas or access-restricted sites in older Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods may add a day. Call (754) 254-7676 for an exact quote - estimates are free.
We carry edge restraint systems, ASTM C33 bedding sand, polymeric joint sand, and common 60mm and 80mm paver inventory on our trucks for same-day stabilization work. For color-matched replacement of specific manufacturer series, we source from our Fort Lauderdale supplier network with typical lead times of 24-72 hours. Call (754) 254-7676 for an exact quote - estimates are free.
Written by Grant Rowan, Owner, Rowan Construction Group - Fort Lauderdale, FL at Rowan Construction Group Fort Lauderdale, serving Fort Lauderdale and nearby areas.







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