How to Choose a Hardscaping Contractor in Metro Detroit

Ask how deep they excavate and how thick a base they compact, whether they build the base in lifts, and how they grade for drainage. For a wall, ask about backfill, drainage behind it, and geogrid reinforcement. A pro answers concretely — “we dig down past the base depth, compact aggregate in lifts, slope for drainage, and use edge restraint and polymeric sand.” Ask to see past patios that are several years old, since age reveals whether their base work holds up to frost.

Be cautious of anyone who plans a shallow base, brushes off drainage, wants to lay pavers over an old slab or directly on dirt, or proposes a retaining wall with no mention of backfill and drainage. A low bid almost always means a thinner base or skipped drainage — the exact corners that cause heaving and sinking within a couple of winters. No proof of insurance or no willingness to detail the base in writing are further reasons to keep looking.

Because paver failures come from buried base and drainage shortcuts, the contractor’s thoroughness is everything. We screen the hardscaping pros in our network for licensing, insurance, and a record of installations that have stayed flat through Michigan winters — including retaining walls that are still holding. So the contractor quoting your patio has already proven they build the base right. You compare and choose; you just start from pros who do the unseen work properly, not the cheapest crew laying pavers on dirt.