Why are my interlocking pavers sinking?

Sunken pavers are almost always a base problem, not a paver problem. Water erodes the gravel or bedding sand beneath the pavers, or a base that was under-compacted at install settles over time, leaving a void the pavers drop into. Poor drainage and a shallow base are the usual causes in Toronto, made worse by freeze-thaw. The fix is to lift the pavers, repair the base, and relay them.

How do I get rid of weeds in my paver joints?

Weeds in paver joints mean the joint sand has washed out, letting seeds settle and sprout in the gaps. Pulling or spraying them is temporary; the real fix is to clean out the joints and re-sand with polymeric sand, which hardens and blocks new growth. In Toronto, de-icing salt breaks down joint sand over time, so re-sanding every two to three years is normal.

Can sunken pavers be fixed without replacing them?

Yes, in most cases. The same pavers are lifted, the bedding or base beneath is repaired and re-compacted, and the original pavers are relaid, so you rarely need new stone. That is the whole advantage of interlocking over poured concrete: the surface comes apart and goes back together. You only need new pavers if some are cracked or badly stained.

How often should interlocking be re-sanded and sealed in Toronto?

Where de-icing salt is used, plan to re-sand the joints every two to three years and to seal the pavers every three to five years. Salt is the main thing that breaks down joint sand in the GTA, and sealing also protects pavers from salt damage and fading. Staying on that schedule prevents the weed and washout problems that lead to bigger repairs.

Interlocking Repair: Sunken Pavers, Weeds & Relevelling

Q: How much does interlocking repair cost in Toronto?

Re-levelling sunken pavers, which means lifting them, re-screeding the bedding and relaying the existing stones, runs about $8 to $22 per square foot. A full lift and relay that rebuilds the base runs $15 to $25 per square foot. A power-wash, weed-removal, polymeric re-sand and seal runs $1.35 to $2.50 per square foot, and most crews have a minimum call-out of $800 to $1,200.

Answer First: Sunken interlocking pavers are a base problem, not a paver problem: the gravel or bedding beneath them washed out or settled, and the fix is to lift the pavers, repair the base, and relay them. Weedy joints mean the joint sand eroded, which re-sanding with polymeric sand solves. In Toronto, re-levelling runs about $8 to $22 per square foot and a full lift-and-relay that rebuilds the base runs $15 to $25. Because de-icing salt breaks down joint sand, plan to re-sand every 2 to 3 years.

The good news about a failing interlock surface is that it almost never needs replacing. Unlike a cracked concrete slab, interlocking comes apart, gets fixed underneath, and goes back together with the same stones. The trick is reading which repair the damage actually needs.

Why are my pavers sinking?

Because the base under them failed, not the pavers themselves. Interlocking sits on compacted gravel and a thin bedding layer, and when water erodes that material or an under-compacted base settles, a void opens and the pavers drop into it. The stones are fine; the ground beneath them moved.

Cross-section diagram showing why interlocking pavers sink: eroded or settled gravel base leaving a void beneath the bedding sand and pavers — Sinking starts underground. Water erodes or an under-built base settles, leaving a void, and the pavers simply drop into it. Fixing the surface without fixing the base fails again.

In Toronto this is usually driven by two things: poor drainage that lets water wash the base fines away, and freeze-thaw that heaves and unsettles a shallow base over winters. That is why a spot repair that only resets the pavers, without addressing the base, sinks again within a season or two.

Quotable: Sunken interlocking is a base failure, not a paver failure. Water eroded or an under-compacted base settled beneath the pavers, so any repair that resets the stones without fixing the base will sink again.

Why do weeds grow in my joints?

Because the joint sand is gone. The sand swept between pavers is what blocks the gaps; once it erodes, windblown seeds settle into the open joints and sprout. The weeds are a symptom of lost sand, not the cause of the problem.

Pulling or spraying them treats the symptom for a few weeks. The durable fix is to clean the joints and re-sand with polymeric sand, which hardens and seals the gaps against both weeds and ants. In Toronto there is a specific culprit behind the lost sand: de-icing salt breaks down joint sand over time, which is why re-sanding every two to three years is normal maintenance here, not a sign of a bad install.

From the data: YardQuote tracks 503 interlocking contractors across the GTA (July 2026), 464 with three or more reviews at an average of 4.73 stars. Many list re-sanding, sealing and re-levelling as standalone services, so a repair does not require the firm that built the driveway.

Re-level or full rebuild: which repair do I need?

Match the repair to how widespread the failure is. A few localized dips are a surface fix; a driveway that is sinking or heaving across large areas is a base fix.

Decision diagram comparing re-levelling a small sunken area versus a full lift and relay that rebuilds the base across widespread failure — Localized dips get re-levelled by reusing the base; widespread sinking or heaving needs a full lift and relay that rebuilds the base. Match the fix to the scale.

Re-level (lift, re-screed, relay) for localized sunken spots. The pavers come up, the bedding is re-screeded flat, and the same stones go back. About $8 to $22 per square foot.
Full lift and relay when the failure is widespread, because the base itself needs rebuilding. Pavers off, base re-compacted or rebuilt, everything reinstalled. About $15 to $25 per square foot.
Sand and seal (power wash, weed removal, polymeric re-sand, sealer) for joints and surface that are otherwise sound. About $1.35 to $2.50 per square foot.

What does interlocking repair cost in Toronto?

Here are the current GTA repair ranges, per square foot installed, plus the crew minimum.

Bar chart of Toronto interlocking repair costs per square foot: sand and seal, re-level sunken pavers, and full lift and relay, plus a minimum call-out — GTA 2026 repair pricing per square foot. Small jobs are governed by the $800 to $1,200 minimum call-out, so bundling repairs is worth it.

Repair	Cost
Sand and seal (wash, weed, re-sand, seal)	$1.35–$2.50 per sq ft
Re-level sunken pavers	$8–$22 per sq ft
Full lift and relay (rebuild base)	$15–$25 per sq ft
Minimum crew call-out	$800–$1,200 per job

Source: GTA repair pricing, 2026 (YardQuote interlocking cost dataset). The minimum call-out is the number that surprises people: a single sunken paver still mobilizes a crew and machinery, so it pays to bundle several small repairs into one visit. Landscaping work carries 13% HST.

How do I stop it happening again?

Maintain the joints and protect against salt, which is the specific enemy of Toronto interlock. Re-sand the joints every two to three years and seal the pavers every three to five, because de-icing salt breaks down joint sand and pits pavers over time. Keep water draining away from the surface, since standing water is what erodes the base in the first place.

If your interlock is new enough that you are deciding how it was built, the base spec is everything, covered in interlocking 101. You can compare vetted repair crews near you, such as interlocking in Vaughan or North York, and see full pricing on the Toronto interlocking cost page.

Not sure whether your driveway needs a re-level or a rebuild? Request a quote and compare up to three vetted local installers side by side, so you can see whether they are pricing the same repair. Your contact details only go to the one you pick.