Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
Ameristar Driveway & Pavers: The Los Angeles Owner’s Guide
We stock and install Ameristar-compatible driveway pavers and retaining components across Los Angeles, with typical installed part replacement running between $295 and $2,950 depending on the part, square footage, and whether we’re tying into existing paver patterns. Most owners discover a problem the same way: a paver sinks after a rain storm, an edge block shifts after a delivery truck clips the curb line, or a joint opens up near the apron where the driveway meets the street. The good news when that happens is you don’t need to replace the entire driveway. A well-matched Ameristar-style paver, set to the right base depth, blends back into the original layout within a season of weathering.
One thing to know up front: Elmstead Remodeling is an independent Los Angeles contractor, not affiliated with Ameristar directly. That actually works in your favor for parts, because we source from multiple supply houses across Southern California and can usually match colors and dimensions faster than a single-line distributor on backorder.
Which Ameristar Models This Applies To
Ameristar’s driveway and paver products in Los Angeles typically fall into three categories: interlocking concrete pavers (60mm and 80mm thickness), segmental retaining wall blocks used as driveway edging, and paver base and jointing materials that Ameristar bundles with their installation kits. The 80mm pavers are rated for vehicle traffic; the 60mm versions work for walkways and patios but will crack under repeated car weight if someone installed them on a driveway years ago.
Before you call us, check the underside of a loose paver or the inside face of an edge block. Ameristar molds often carry a four or five-digit mold code plus a date stamp. That code matters more than the color name, because Los Angeles sun fades surface pigment over five to ten years and the mold pattern is what lets us match the replacement’s shape and texture. If the stamp is gone, bring a sample paver to our Sherman Oaks material yard and we’ll match it against current stock.
For OEM versus aftermarket: Ameristar’s newer lines are proprietary mixes, and on those we order direct. For older Los Angeles installations from the 2000s, quality aftermarket equivalents from Calstone and Orco often match the original mold dimensions within a millimeter or two, at roughly 20 to 30 percent less than a current OEM paver. We’ll tell you which option fits your specific pattern before you spend a dollar.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your Ameristar Driveway & Pavers Are Failing
- Low spots that hold water after rain. This is almost always base settlement, not a paver defect. In Los Angeles, expansive clay soils in neighborhoods like Eagle Rock and Highland Park swell and shrink seasonally, and if the original installer skimped on the Class II base layer, pavers sag within a few years.
- Cracked or broken pavers near the apron. The transition from street asphalt to paver driveway takes the most impact. Delivery trucks and heavy SUVs pivot right there, and a hairline crack becomes a full split once water gets in and the freeze-thaw cycle does its work, even in mild Los Angeles winters.
- Edge blocks tilting outward. This points to missing or deteriorated edge restraint. Without a concrete haunch or plastic edging staple, the outer row of pavers drifts under repeated tire pressure and the whole field starts to wander.
- Joint sand washing out in runs. Runoff from Los Angeles downpours channels through the driveway and carries polymeric sand with it. Left unfilled, pavers begin to rock and grind against each other, chipping edges.
- Efflorescence or white haze on paver faces. This is minerals migrating through the paver body, common on older Ameristar units. It is cosmetic and cleanable, but if it keeps returning, the pavers may be absorbing too much moisture from a broken drainage plane underneath.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
In Los Angeles, Ameristar paver replacement work breaks down like this. Spot replacement of individual pavers or edge blocks runs $295 to $825 when we can reuse the existing base. A partial driveway repair, replacing a settled section of 100 to 200 square feet with new base, pavers, and jointing, typically lands between $826 and $2,950. Full paver driveway installation on a new or failed base ranges from $8,260 to $21,240, per the pricing we publish across our service pages.
Every quote includes the written price before work starts, in keeping with how we operate. You’ll see the cost of pavers, base material, haul-away for the failed section, labor, and the polymeric sand as separate line items. No allowances that balloon once the crew is on site. The 365-Day Done Right Promise covers the finished paver work: if a settled spot or a mismatched edge shows up within the year, we come back and make it right.
DIY or Call Us?
You can safely handle a few things yourself: sweeping joint sand back into place after a storm, pulling weeds from joints, and hosing down efflorescence with a paver cleaner from a local supplier. That is honest maintenance, and it extends the life of any paver driveway in Los Angeles.
What we’d caution against is lifting and resetting more than a couple of pavers. Getting the base compaction right under a repaired section is the difference between a flat driveway and a new low spot six months from now. If the base has failed, which is what settlement almost always means, resetting a paver on top of it is cosmetic and temporary. The same goes for cutting pavers to fit an edge or a curve; a cheap angle grinder and a diamond blade will do it, but the dust is silica and the cuts rarely match the original edge profile. If the job involves more than a few pavers, call us at (949) 850-9896 and we’ll come take a look. The estimate costs you nothing.
FAQs
A properly installed Ameristar paver driveway in Los Angeles lasts 30 to 40 years, with the base layer doing most of the heavy lifting and the paver surface itself typically needing cosmetic attention every 10 to 15 years. UV exposure is milder here than in desert climates, but the bigger variable is base compaction and drainage. Call (949) 850-9896 if your pavers are showing age sooner than that, and we’ll diagnose whether it’s the paver or what’s underneath it.
Yes, surface cracks can sometimes be filled with a color-matched concrete repair compound, but on a driveway the repair rarely holds under vehicle weight and the crack eventually telegraphs through. Replacement of individual pavers is the cleaner long-term fix, and it’s what we recommend for anything in the wheel path. For a free assessment of whether your paver is worth saving, call us at (949) 850-9896.
A spot replacement of a few pavers takes two to four hours including base touch-up and joint sand. A partial driveway repair with new base work runs one to two days, and a full paver driveway installation is typically a four to seven day project depending on access and square footage. We protect the surrounding areas with drop cloths and shoe covers on every job, and quiet tools are used during family rest hours where the project allows.
We stock common Ameristar-compatible pavers, edge blocks, and jointing materials at our Sherman Oaks material yard, along with parts for other brands we work with like KraftMaid, Cambria, and Silestone. For less common mold codes or newer Ameristar lines, we order direct from Southern California supply houses and can usually have the material in hand within five to seven business days. Call (949) 850-9896 with your paver’s mold code or a photo and we’ll tell you what’s on hand.
Written by Graham Stein, Owner, Elmstead Remodeling at Elmstead Remodeling, serving Los Angeles and nearby areas.
