Paver Driveway Base Depth

CMHA PAV-TEC-002 gives a minimum 6-inch compacted base for residential driveways on well-drained soils in its conventional interlocking concrete pavement context. Treat six inches as scoped minimum guidance, not the design depth for every driveway.

Define the vehicles before defining the layer

Record normal vehicles, parking duration, turning and braking locations, and any expected deliveries or service traffic. A passenger-car driveway is a different loading situation from regular heavy-truck access, an RV pad or a commercial entrance.

Identify the actual load paths. The garage approach, street transition, turn-in area and repeated wheel tracks can need particular design attention. A larger surface area does not alone determine loading severity, and a thick paver does not eliminate base design.

Check whether the minimum’s conditions apply

Establish subgrade support, moisture and drainage before treating the conventional minimum as relevant. Disturbed fill, soft pockets, slow-draining soil and groundwater can change the section or require treatment. Cold climates add seasonal considerations; review freeze-thaw planning.

If the design uses a permeable reservoir, rigid base or proprietary assembly, follow its structural and drainage requirements. Do not import the conventional minimum into a different layer system without checking that design.

The general base-depth guide identifies the controlling factors. The clay-soil guide explains why adding an arbitrary amount of stone can leave the water problem unresolved.

Specify what “six inches” measures

The cited number is aggregate thickness after compaction. It excludes the bedding and unit thickness. A six-inch excavation is therefore not equivalent to a six-inch base beneath pavers.

The construction plan should define aggregate, lift placement, equipment, moisture and verification. A delivery allowance does not prove the installed layer reaches specified thickness or compaction. Restraints, drainage and transitions are part of the assembly rather than optional cosmetic items.

Quantify the selected section

Example arithmetic, not a design recommendation: a 20 × 30-foot base footprint at a project-selected 6 inches has 600 × 6/12 = 300 cu ft, or 11.111 cu yd compacted design volume. A different selected depth or base-only extension changes the quantity.

Keep planning order volume separate from compacted volume. Weight remains unspecified until density for the selected material and volume condition is available. Bedding follows its own footprint and depth.

Confirm the unit and pattern as well

Review 60 mm versus 80 mm pavers for thickness and aspect-ratio context. CMHA’s application guidance includes residential use of suitable 60 mm units; it does not support the shortcut “every driveway needs 80 mm.” Likewise, a herringbone pattern does not independently approve an inadequate base.

Enter actual driveway geometry, selected unit dimensions and the project-specific compacted base depth into the Paver Driveway Calculator. Use its source-scoped guidance as a planning check alongside the established design, not as a soil assessment.