CGI Driveway & Pavers: The Fort Myers Owner’s Guide
If you have a CGI paver driveway and a section has started to sink, crack, or separate, you’re probably looking at a base failure, not just a paver problem. We stock CGI-compatible pavers and the specific bedding sand, edge restraints, and base materials those systems require, and most paver repairs in Fort Myers run between $800 and $3,200 installed, depending on how much of the base has failed underneath. The first thing most homeowners notice is a low spot that holds water after a storm, or a paver that wobbles underfoot when you walk across it in the morning.
Which CGI Models This Applies To
CGI driveway and paver systems in Southwest Florida typically fall into a few product families: the CGI StoneCrest line for driveways, the CGI Plaza series for patios and walkways, and the CGI Permeable system for properties in Fort Myers coastal zones where drainage and FEMA compliance matter. Identifying your exact paver is straightforward - flip up a loose paver near the edge and look on the underside for the CGI stamp with the series code. The sizing matters more than most homeowners realize. CGI StoneCrest pavers for driveways are a full 60mm thick, not the 40mm you’d use on a patio, and mixing those up is something we see regularly in Fort Myers neighborhoods like McGregor and Fort Myers Shores where older driveways were done before current load standards. Aftermarket equivalents exist for most CGI colors, but the color blends shift over time in Florida sun, so an off-brand replacement paver that looked fine at the store will announce itself as a patch job six months in. We recommend OEM CGI pavers for any repair larger than a few square feet, and we keep the common Fort Myers colors on hand - the sandy buff tones and the darker charcoal blends that match the newer Cape Coral and Gateway developments.
Signs Your CGI Driveway & Pavers Is Failing
- Pavers have settled into a visible depression. This means the compacted base underneath has eroded or was never deep enough for Fort Myers’ sandy soil. You’ll see it most often near downspouts or where the driveway meets the garage slab.
- Water pools in one spot hours after rain stops. A properly pitched CGI driveway drains within minutes. Standing water signals that the bedding course has shifted and the sub-base is no longer carrying the load evenly.
- Individual pavers rock or tilt when stepped on. This is early-stage edge restraint failure - the plastic or concrete border holding the perimeter pavers has cracked or pulled away, and once that restraint goes, the whole field can start to drift.
- Wide gaps have opened between rows. In Fort Myers, our summer heat expands pavers and our sudden afternoon downpours contract them fast. That cycle works joints loose over time, and if polymeric sand wasn’t installed correctly in the first place, you’ll see gaps widening season by season.
- You can see white haze or crust on the paver surface. That’s efflorescence, and while it’s cosmetic, it often points to water trapped under the pavers with no exit path - a drainage problem that will eventually undermine the base if it’s not addressed.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
Paver driveway repair in Fort Myers breaks down into two cost tiers. A surface-level fix - pulling and resetting pavers, re-sanding joints, and replacing a few broken pieces - runs $800 to $1,600. If the base is shot and we’re excavating six to eight inches down, re-compacting limestone, and essentially rebuilding a section from the dirt up, you’re looking at $1,800 to $3,200 for a typical 200-square-foot repair area. Every job gets a written line-item quote upfront with no surprises later - that’s how Derek Hollenbeck has run things from day one. The estimate includes all materials, haul-off of failed base material, and a full workmanship warranty under our 730-Day Done Right Promise. Calls are answered by a live person, 24/7, so you’re never leaving a voicemail and hoping for a callback when your driveway is the problem.
| Repair Type | Fort Myers Installed Range |
|---|---|
| Surface reset & re-sand (up to 150 sq ft) | $800 - $1,600 |
| Full base rebuild with OEM CGI pavers (150-300 sq ft) | $1,800 - $3,200 |
| Edge restraint replacement (per linear foot) | $12 - $22 installed |
DIY or Call Us?
You can check a few things safely on your own: lift a loose paver and look at the sand bed underneath - if it’s dark, soupy, or mostly gone, the base is failing and surface patching won’t hold. What you should not do is start excavating a driveway base without knowing the utility depths in your yard, and you definitely shouldn’t attempt re-grading on a slope where a paver driveway meets a garage foundation - get the pitch wrong and you’re channeling rainwater toward your house. This is heavy, repetitive work that chews up weekends and sometimes backs, and if the sub-base compaction isn’t right, you’ll be back in the same spot in two years. Call (844) 638-7249 for a free estimate, and we’ll have a background-checked, uniformed crew out to give you an honest assessment.
FAQs
How long should a CGI paver driveway last in Fort Myers?
A properly installed CGI paver driveway with a compacted six-inch base and good drainage lasts 20 to 30 years in our climate, though the Florida sun will fade the surface color gradually starting around year 10. The pavers themselves rarely fail - it’s almost always the base or the edge restraints that go first.
Can you repair just the damaged section, or does the whole driveway need to be redone?
Most of the time we repair only the failed section. CGI pavers are modular by design, so we match the pattern and color, rebuild the base in the problem area, and blend the repair into the surrounding field. The exception is when the base failure runs under a large percentage of the driveway, at which point a full replacement starts making more financial sense than chasing patches.
How long does a paver repair take?
A typical section repair - removing pavers, excavating failed base, re-compacting, and re-laying - takes one day for our crew. If we’re doing a larger rebuild or matching a color that needs to be ordered, it may run two days, and we’ll tell you that before we start.
Do you stock CGI pavers in Fort Myers, or do you have to order them?
We keep the most common CGI StoneCrest and Plaza series colors on hand in our Fort Myers yard, including the buff, tan, and charcoal blends you see across Lee County. If your color is a less common variant or a discontinued blend, we order direct and usually have it within three to five business days. Call (844) 638-7249 with your paver’s series code and we’ll tell you same-day whether it’s on our shelf.
Written by Derek Hollenbeck, Owner & General Contractor, Groundwork Construction Co. of Fort Myers, serving Fort Myers and nearby areas.