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Unilock Home Additions & ADU: The Los Angeles Owner’s Guide
Unilock pavers and retaining wall systems are a common sight on Los Angeles properties, and when a home addition or ADU goes in, the hardscape around it often needs to be cut, reset, or extended to match. A full home addition in Los Angeles with Unilock hardscape integration typically runs $53,100 to $153,400 installed. Most homeowners discover the issue the first time a contractor walks the lot and points out that the existing paver patio, walkway, or retaining wall does not line up with the new foundation line, the new door swing, or the drainage slope the city is asking for.
This page is for the homeowner who already has Unilock product on the ground and wants the new structure to look like it was planned from day one, not bolted on afterward. We stock Unilock-compatible hardscape materials for additions and ADU projects across Los Angeles, and we price the hardscape portion in writing before any work begins.
Key Takeaways
- Installed cost for a Unilock-integrated home addition in Los Angeles: $53,100 to $153,400
- Standalone ADU construction with hardscape work: $106,200 to $259,600
- We write the price before work starts, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise covers the finished project
- Unilock paver and wall block are modular, so matching an existing run is usually possible even years later
Which Unilock Models This Applies To
Unilock makes three product families that come up most often on Los Angeles addition and ADU jobs: the Classic series pavers (Hollandstone, Brussels Block), the EnduraColor series (Umbriano, Richcliff, Beacon Hill), and the Estate Wall and terrace wall systems for grade changes. Each has a different thickness, joint width, and base depth requirement, and that matters when the new addition changes the grade around the house.
The identification step is straightforward. Flip over a loose paver and look for the Unilock name pressed into the back, along with a series code. Measure the paver thickness with a tape measure, not a guess: Classic pavers are usually 60mm, EnduraColor pavers run 60 to 70mm depending on the profile, and wall block varies from 100mm to 200mm face height. One gotcha we see in Los Angeles specifically: homes built in the 1990s and early 2000s often have paver lines that were factory sealed in a color that has since been discontinued. We match the replacement from current Unilock stock and re-seal the entire run so the patch does not read as a patch. We are an independent service provider, not affiliated with Unilock, which means we can also recommend a quality aftermarket paver when the original line is gone and the budget favors it.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your Unilock Home Additions & ADU Is Failing
- Pavers are sinking or tilting along the new foundation line. The original base was compacted for foot traffic, not for the heavier loads and water flow that come with a new structure and its downspouts. Water now pools in low spots and loosens the bedding layer.
- The retaining wall is leaning or cracked near the new excavation. Cutting into a slope for an ADU changes the lateral pressure on any Unilock wall below it. The wall was sized for the old grade, not the new one.
- Pavers near the new door or step are lifted or loose. The transition from the addition’s slab to the existing paver field is the first place movement shows. A paver that rocks underfoot means the edge restraint has failed.
- Water is running toward the foundation instead of away from it. Unilock permeable pavers and conventional pavers both depend on slope. When the new roofline dumps more water onto the paver surface than it was graded for, you will see wash-out lines or sediment staining between joints.
- Joint sand is disappearing after every rain. Los Angeles gets short, hard rain events, and if the edge restraint is broken anywhere in the run, the joint sand will wash out through that gap in one season.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
A Unilock-integrated home addition in Los Angeles runs $53,100 to $153,400, and that range is driven primarily by the size of the new footprint, the number of retaining courses needed, and whether the existing paver field can be reworked or needs to be replaced. A standalone ADU with Unilock hardscape work runs $106,200 to $259,600. The hardscape line item on either job is usually the smallest part of the budget, but it is also the one that shows the most when it is done poorly.
Every written price we give in Los Angeles includes the demolition of the affected paver area, fresh compacted base to the depth the new structure requires, re-setting or extending the Unilock run, edge restraint, new joint sand, and clean-up with a photo before the crew leaves. The work is covered by the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if it is not done right, we make it right. There are no change orders unless the written scope changes, and you will see that scope in writing before you sign anything.
DIY or Call Us?
You can safely check the obvious things: run a four-foot level across the pavers near the new foundation, watch where water ponds after a rain, and walk the run barefoot to feel for rocking pavers. You can also lift one loose paver to confirm the brand and thickness for us, which saves a trip.
The part we do not recommend doing yourself is re-compacting a base that has failed. Cutting, re-grading, and compacting around a new foundation requires a plate compactor, a proper base depth for the new load, and care around the new slab edges. Digging the wrong depth next to a new footer is expensive to fix and can affect the drainage the city already signed off on. Call (949) 850-9896 and we will send someone out to measure, photograph, and write the scope.
FAQs
Unilock pavers themselves will last 30 to 50 years in Los Angeles because they are concrete and immune to termites and rot; the base and edge restraint under them are the parts that fail first, usually at the 10 to 20 year mark, especially around new construction where grade and drainage changed. Call (949) 850-9896 for an exact assessment of your run.
Yes, in many cases we can lift, re-base, and re-set your existing Unilock pavers rather than replace them, as long as the pavers themselves are not cracked through and the pattern is still available. Call (949) 850-9896 and we will tell you which applies after looking at the job.
Most Unilock rework and extension around a Los Angeles addition or ADU takes two to five working days, depending on how many square feet are involved and whether retaining courses are required. Call (949) 850-9896 for a written schedule with your estimate.
We stock the most common Unilock replacement pavers and wall block for Los Angeles jobs and source the rest from local distributors within a day or two; we can also supply quality aftermarket pavers when a discontinued Unilock line is no longer made. Call (949) 850-9896 and have your paver measurements ready.
Written by Graham Stein, Owner, Elmstead Remodeling at Elmstead Remodeling, serving Los Angeles and nearby areas.
