Sunken pool deck pavers re-leveled, root-lifted walkways fixed, joints re-sanded — then cleaned and sealed so the repair disappears into the deck.
Pavers do not wear out in Southwest Florida — the ground under them gives way. Nearly every paver repair call we take is one of two problems: pavers sinking around a pool deck, or pavers lifted and shifted by tree roots. Both start invisibly. Water from splash-out, a clogged deck drain, or summer storms works its way under the surface and washes the bedding sand out from beneath the pavers; the sandy fill settles; a live oak sends a root under the walkway. By the time you feel a paver rock underfoot or see a low spot holding water, the base underneath has already failed.
A proper paver repair is base work, not paver work. Hammering a sunken paver back to level — or mudding it up with sand from the top — lasts one rainy season, because the void underneath is still there. Our repairs lift the affected section, rebuild and re-screed the base to the correct slope, re-lay the original pavers in their pattern, and lock the joints with polymeric sand. Done that way, the repaired area is indistinguishable from the rest of the deck and stays put.
Around pools, the repair usually pairs with the reason the deck sank in the first place: water that was supposed to leave through the deck drains was going under the pavers instead. We check deck drains as part of any pool-area paver repair — re-leveling a deck while the drain that flooded it stays clogged is work we would be redoing within a year, and we tell you so up front.
Rain Exterior Home Service repairs pavers throughout Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, and all of Lee and Collier County — pool decks, driveways, walkways, and patios. Most repairs finish with a cleaning and paver sealing, so the deck leaves the job not just level but protected, with the fresh joint sand locked in place. Repairs are quoted on-site or from photos, with the exact price before any work begins.
How It Works
Sunken or shifted pavers are a symptom. We identify what moved them — water washing out the base near the pool, settling fill, a clogged deck drain soaking the bedding sand, or tree roots lifting from below. Repairing without fixing the cause means repeating the repair in two years.
The affected pavers are lifted and set aside in order. The failed base is rebuilt — washed-out bedding sand replaced, low spots re-screeded to the correct slope so water runs toward the drains instead of under the deck or against the house.
Pavers go back in their original pattern, leveled flush with the surrounding field. Cracked or spalled pavers are swapped for matching spares — most Southwest Florida homes have a stack left over from construction, and we tell you honestly if a match is not available.
Joints are refilled with polymeric sand, which locks the repaired section and resists washout. Most repairs finish with cleaning and sealing the full surface so the repaired area blends in instead of standing out — one visit, one uniform result.
Common Questions
Sunken pavers around pool decks are the most common paver repair we do in Southwest Florida. The usual cause is water getting under the deck — splash-out, a clogged deck drain, or rain runoff — and slowly washing the bedding sand out from under the pavers, especially near the coping where the deck meets the pool shell. The sandy fill most SWFL pools are built on settles too. The fix is not just lifting the low pavers: the base has to be rebuilt and the reason water got underneath addressed, or the same spot sinks again.
Yes — root-heaved walkways and driveways are the second most common repair we handle. We lift the affected section, address the root conflict, rebuild the base, and re-lay the pavers level. Small surface roots can often be dealt with during the repair; a major root from a large tree is a decision point we walk through with you honestly, because cutting it can harm the tree or leave the problem to return — in those cases the better fix is sometimes re-grading the paver run over the root.
Repair, in most cases. If the pavers themselves are intact and the problem is localized — a sunken area near the pool, a root-lifted path, failed joints — lifting and re-laying that section costs a fraction of replacement and is invisible when done right. Full replacement only makes sense when the pavers are widely cracked or spalled, the base has failed across the whole surface, or the product is discontinued and a large area needs matching. We will tell you which side of that line your deck is on at the estimate.
Usually. Most repairs reuse your own pavers — they are lifted and re-laid, so matching is not an issue. When pavers are cracked and need replacing, we first look for the spare stack most builders leave on the property. If there are no spares, many SWFL paver lines are still in production and can be sourced; for discontinued products we will show you the closest match before any work, or borrow pavers from a hidden area of the deck so the visible repair is seamless.
Joint sand is what locks pavers against each other — when it washes out, pavers shift, rock underfoot, and weeds and ants move into the open joints. Polymeric sand is joint sand with a binder that hardens after activation, so it resists rain washout and pressure cleaning far better than loose sand. Re-sanding with polymeric is part of every repair we do, and is also available for decks that just need joints restored without any re-leveling.
It is the right moment for it. After a repair the surface is already being cleaned, the joints are freshly sanded, and sealing locks the new joint sand in place while protecting the whole deck — so the repaired section weathers at the same rate as the rest instead of standing out. Sealing is optional, but combining it with the repair visit costs less than doing the two separately. See our paver sealing service for what that involves.
It depends on the size of the affected area, how much base rebuilding is needed, and whether replacement pavers have to be sourced — a small sunken section near a pool is a very different job from a root-damaged driveway apron. We quote repairs on-site or from photos, with an exact price before any work begins. No deposits, no surprises on the invoice.
What Homeowners Say
"Rain Exterior Home Center made my roof, home and driveway look brand new! Randy was thorough, professional, and a pleasure to work with! Thanks! You have a forever customer!"
"Randell installed an underground drainage system at our home. His work was outstanding and everything was completed in a timely manner. Would highly recommend"
"Did a great job power washing my pool deck. Communication was great, was on time and had good prices."
Serving Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Bonita Springs, and all of Southwest Florida. Most jobs quoted within 24 hours.
Rain Exterior Home Service
We Regularly Serve Homeowners in Southwest Florida: