Bricks, Masonry, Asphalt and Concrete - Please...Quick question about base depth for pavers

Real quick:

I have a narrow driveway directly bordered by two houses that I'm going to lay concrete pavers. I have just begun digging out to allow for an 8" stone and 1" sand base.

The soil in the driveway is clay-like and extremely rocky....

Is it REALLY necessary to dig down that far for the stone base?

I was thinking that since the area is narrow and directly bordered by two home foundations and a sidewalk...I don't see how it would allow for much settling over the years.

I don't want to cut corners, but I don't want to bust my butt digging out rocky soil....only to make room for more rocks... :wall:

Any advice would be extremely helpful and may save me alot of work! :thumbup:

....I have a hard enough time even getting the shovel to penetrate the ground to dig it out.... :coffee:

Generally 4 - 6 inches of crushed limestone or roadbase (crusher run) will suit for the base for driveway under the sand. Try a tiller set shallow to loosen the soil for removal.

Hope this helps.

I had read that a 4" stone base was sufficient for a patio area and 8" should be used for a driveway.

I would have to agree that in my case, 4"-6" would be sufficient considering the texture of the soil. It's not like I'm digging into black potting soil :D ...It's really hard earth that already has alot of stone in it.

I just don't want to cheese out on the preparation and then a year from now my driveway has those tire valleys down the sides with the hump in the middle!

Any more feedback is appreciated!

The problem with recommendation is that we don't know what kind of soil you have. If it is hard packed, stable soil then it will take less than a sandy, loose soil. We dug down to clay and hard-packed sugar sand and laid 6 inches of crusher run in 2001. This was packed with a steam roller to yield a smooth, stable base. It was packed to 6 inches.

You will have to decide for yourself how stable your soil might be, unless you have someone out to evaluate it for you.

Hope this helps.

The soil is hard and rocky....I think I'm gonna dig for a 5" to 6" stone base and call it a day. :thumbup: