What makes one interlock driveway cost twice another

Homeowners assume the price gap between quotes is profit. Usually it is excavation, disposal and access.

Excavation and disposal

A driveway means removing a substantial depth of material across a large area, and that material has to go somewhere. Dump fees and truck time are real. Spreading spoil at the back of the property is how this number quietly disappears from a quote.

Access

A wide-open side yard a machine can drive through is a different job from a narrow lot where every load is wheelbarrowed. Same driveway, very different labour.

Cuts and pattern

A plain running bond is fast. Borders, banding, circles, inlays and herringbone at 45 degrees all mean saw time. Saw time is hours, and hours are the bill.

Existing surface

Breaking out and removing old concrete is heavier work than lifting old asphalt, which is heavier than pulling up old pavers. What is there now matters.

Stone

Real, but rarely the biggest line. The difference between a mid-range and premium paver across an average driveway is usually smaller than people expect.

Ask for the quote itemised. If nobody will break it down, you cannot compare anything and you cannot phase anything.

What a build really costs