Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
Why San Antonio Homeowners Choose Unilock Construction
Elmstead Remodeling San Antonio provides independent Unilock paver and wall system installation, repair, and maintenance as a General Contractor services across San Antonio. We’ve worked with Unilock products on local driveways, patios, and retaining walls for more than a decade, which means we know exactly how these pavers react to San Antonio’s clay soil, limestone bedrock, hard water, and 100-degree summers. We’re not a Unilock dealer or an authorized service center. We’re a remodeling contractor that installs and repairs Unilock products because they hold up well here when the base is built right. Call (432) 233-0976 to talk through what you’re seeing.
Why Trust Elmstead Remodeling San Antonio for Your Unilock Construction?
Unilock pavers are only as good as what’s underneath them. That’s the thing most people don’t hear until something sinks or shifts. Our crews have pulled apart enough failed Unilock installations in San Antonio and Schertz Unilock service areas to know that the paver itself is rarely the problem. It’s the base. It’s the edge restraint. It’s the joint sand. It’s water moving where it shouldn’t. We diagnose from the surface down, not the paver up.
Graham Stein, owner of Elmstead Remodeling San Antonio, grew up in Los Angeles and trained at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College before spending decades framing, finishing, and fixing what homeowners care about most. He and our crews have worked across San Antonio for years, including projects near the King William Historic District where older homes need patience and an eye for detail. Graham writes every scope of work down before a single tool leaves the truck. The written price you sign is the price you pay. Write it down, price it once, do it right. That’s how he runs every Unilock job we take on.
Every project carries the Cedarwell Care Promise: shoe covers and drop cloths inside the home, a written price before any work starts, a photo of the clean-up before the crew leaves, quiet tools during family rest hours where possible, and pet-safe product choices where available. And the 365-Day Done Right Promise covers every completed project. If it’s not done right, we make it right.
Styles & brands we work with
Common Unilock Construction Problems We Fix in San Antonio
Here’s what we actually see on Unilock installations around San Antonio, and what causes each one:
- Edge spalling on Brussels Block driveways: Unilock Brussels Block is a tumbled, old-world style paver popular for driveways in neighborhoods like Stone Oak and Alamo Heights. In San Antonio summers, dark pavers absorb enormous heat. Hot tires turning on the surface, especially at driveway edges, can cause the top edge of a paver to chip or flake. We replace the damaged units and, where the pattern allows, recommend a slightly eased edge profile at high-turn areas to reduce repeated impact.
- Severe efflorescence on Olde Quarry retaining walls: Olde Quarry is a textured, split-face wall block we install often. When San Antonio sprinkler systems throw hard water onto the wall face and the water evaporates, it leaves behind mineral deposits that look like a white chalky film. It’s not structural damage. It’s cosmetic. We can clean it with the right efflorescence remover and adjust sprinkler heads so the wall isn’t getting hit every cycle. Left untreated, it just keeps building up.
- Settling and lippage on Beacon Hill Flagstone patios: Beacon Hill Flagstone is a large-format paver with natural stone texture, popular for patios and pool decks. Over decomposed granite bases that were never properly compacted, heavy monsoon rains in San Antonio move fine material around and create low spots. You’ll feel pavers rocking underfoot or see lips between adjacent pieces. The fix is pulling the affected section, rebuilding the base correctly, and reinstalling the same pavers. The blocks are usually fine.
- Fading and UV chalking on Lineo Dimensional Stone caps: Lineo is a sleek, modern paver line with pigmented caps. On unshaded south-facing walls and columns, San Antonio’s sun will eventually break down the surface pigment. You’ll see a chalky residue and dulled color. We can re-seal and, where practical, recommend a landscape change that gives the surface partial shade during the hottest part of the day.
- Joint sand washing out of paver driveways: After heavy San Antonio downpours, especially on sloped driveways, polymeric sand can erode from the joints. When joints stay empty, pavers begin to shift. We clean out the old sand, re-set any loose pavers, and re-joint with fresh polymeric sand, then water it in properly so it sets. This is a maintenance item, not a one-time fix.
Unilock Parts & Our Repair-vs-Replace Approach
When a section of Unilock pavers is damaged, our first move is to match the original color and profile through local San Antonio dealers. If the line is still in production, that’s straightforward. Brussels Block, Beacon Hill Flagstone, Olde Quarry, and Lineo Dimensional Stone are all actively available through Unilock’s Texas distribution network. If a color or profile has been discontinued, we don’t leave you with a mismatched patch. We source the closest available replacement and, where needed, blend old and new units across a wider area so the transition reads as intentional rather than patched.
Replacement only comes up when the base itself has failed. Our threshold is honest and specific: if more than 40% of the surface is settling, cracking, or shifting, a new surface on the same bad base just moves the problem around. At that point we’ll show you exactly what’s happening underneath and quote a rebuild. For anything less, we repair. Call (432) 233-0976 for an exact quote, estimates are free.
We stock common joint sands, edge restraints, and base materials locally, and we can typically have matching Unilock product on site within a few days through local dealers.
Our Unilock Service Process – Step by Step
- 1
Diagnosis: We walk the surface with you. We look at edge restraint, joint condition, drainage, and any low spots. We’ll pull a few pavers if needed to see what the base actually is, because that’s where Unilock failures in San Antonio almost always start.
- 2
Written scope and price: Before any work begins, you get a written line-item price. No verbal numbers, no estimates that grow after the crew arrives. The price you sign is the price.
- 3
Repair or install: We rebuild the base where it’s failed, re-set pavers to grade, match color and profile where we’re replacing units, and re-joint with fresh polymeric sand. Shoe covers on, drop cloths down, quiet tools during nap and school hours where possible.
- 4
Testing and clean-up: We run water over the surface to confirm drainage, compact and check for lippage, and photograph the finished job before the crew leaves. That photo is part of our standard close-out, not an extra.
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Warranty follow-through: Every Unilock project is covered by the 365-Day Done Right Promise. If something isn’t right within a year of completion, we make it right.
Unilock Products We Service & Install in San Antonio
We install and repair Unilock’s core paver and wall lines: Brussels Block for driveways and walkways, Beacon Hill Flagstone for patios and pool decks, Olde Quarry for retaining walls and seating, and Lineo Dimensional Stone for modern hardscapes and caps. We also handle Unilock’s retaining wall systems, wall caps, steps, and edging products. If you’re not sure what line you have, send us a photo during your call and we’ll identify it.
See the difference
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AfterWhat Unilock Pavers Really Cost in San Antonio
Pricing is always specific, so here are the market-calibrated ranges we see across San Antonio. These are for typical residential projects with proper base preparation. Your written quote will reflect your exact square footage, site access, and base condition.
| Project Type | Typical Range in San Antonio |
|---|---|
| Paver Patio Installation | $3,500 – $11,000 |
| Paver Driveway Installation | $7,000 – $18,000 |
| Driveway Replacement | $5,000 – $14,000 |
These ranges assume a properly compacted flex base, geotextile fabric where the soil is expansive, edge restraint, and polymeric sand joints. A paver surface installed directly over San Antonio gumbo clay is not a cheaper version of the same project. It’s a project that will fail.
We Also Service These Brands
Unilock is one part of what we do. We also work with KraftMaid cabinets, Cambria and Silestone countertops, and Kohler fixtures on remodeling projects across San Antonio. If your hardscape is Unilock but the rest of the house needs work, we can handle both.
FAQs – Unilock Construction Service in San Antonio
Can you match discontinued Unilock products when I need to extend a patio or replace a damaged section?
Yes, in most cases. We first try to locate remaining stock of the discontinued color or profile through local San Antonio dealers and Unilock’s Texas distribution network. If it’s truly gone, we source the closest available replacement and blend it across a wider area so the patch doesn’t stand out. Call (432) 233-0976 with a photo of your pavers and we’ll tell you what your options are.
Why are my Unilock pavers turning white and chalky, and can you fix it?
That’s efflorescence, and it’s extremely common in San Antonio where sprinklers throw hard Texas water onto paver and wall surfaces. The water evaporates and leaves mineral salts behind. It’s cosmetic, not structural. We clean the surface with the right efflorescence remover, address the sprinkler placement, and in some cases apply a penetrating sealer to slow the buildup. The pavers are fine underneath.
Do you use original Unilock polymeric sand for jointing, or is an aftermarket brand okay?
We use a premium polymeric sand, and it doesn’t have to carry the Unilock name to perform. What matters more is that the sand is rated for the joint width, applied correctly, and watered in on schedule. We don’t cut corners with cheap bagged sand. Joint sand failure is one of the top reasons pavers start moving in San Antonio.
Can you fix a sinking Unilock driveway without tearing out the whole thing?
Usually, yes. If the sinking is localized, we pull the affected pavers, rebuild the base underneath with proper compaction and drainage, and reinstall the same blocks. We only recommend full replacement when more than 40% of the surface is compromised, because patching on top of a systemic base failure just moves the cracks around. Call (432) 233-0976 for an exact quote, estimates are free.
How do Unilock pavers hold up to San Antonio heat compared to concrete?
Unilock pavers handle San Antonio’s heat well because they’re manufactured as individual units with joints that flex. A concrete slab can crack when expansive clay soil underneath shrinks in drought and swells after rain. Pavers move independently, which means surface stress gets distributed across the joints rather than concentrated into a single crack. The catch is the base. A poorly prepared base in San Antonio will fail under Unilock pavers just as it would under concrete.
Is Elmstead Remodeling San Antonio authorized by Unilock?
No. We’re an independent contractor, not a Unilock dealer or authorized service provider. That independence matters because we’re not tied to a manufacturer script. We recommend what works for your site and your soil, and we’ll tell you honestly when a Unilock product is or isn’t the right choice for a San Antonio application.
One more thing worth knowing. Our crew was called to a Stone Oak home near Unilock Construction in Fair Oaks Ranch, TX where an Unilock Brussels Block driveway had developed a 4-foot sunken trough after a July downpour. We pulled the blocks and found the original installer had used only 2 inches of crusher run over gumbo clay. We rebuilt the base with geotextile fabric and 6 inches of compacted flex base, then reinstalled the same blocks with fresh polymeric sand. A year later, the owner called us back to seal the driveway for a cosmetic refresh, not because anything had moved. That’s the difference a real base makes in San Antonio.
Book Your Unilock Service in San Antonio, TX
If your Unilock pavers are sinking, chalking, shifting, or just looking tired, call Elmstead Remodeling San Antonio at (432) 233-0976. We’ll talk through what you’re seeing, schedule a walkthrough, and put a written price in front of you before any work starts.
Written by Graham Stein, Owner at Elmstead Remodeling San Antonio, serving San Antonio since 2005.
