How to choose a paving contractor.

The single most useful thing you can do when comparing Geraldton paving quotes is to look at what is in the scope, not the bottom-line number. Paving lives or dies on the layer you never see: the base. A complete quote spells out the excavation, the compacted road-base sub-base and its depth, the bedding sand, the edge restraint on every side, and the jointing type. If a quote just says "supply and lay pavers, $X" with none of that, you cannot tell what you are buying, and on Geraldton's sandy and reactive soils that is exactly where the corners get cut.

Edge restraint and jointing, the two cheap corners.

Two details get cut more than any other. The first is edge restraint: without a concrete haunch or paver edge holding the pavement in on every side, the pavers slowly creep and spread, and the whole job loosens. The second is the jointing: on a coastal block, loose washed sand blows straight out in the Geraldton sea breeze, while stabilised or polymeric sand stays put. Both add a little to the price and both are essential. There is more on the coastal side of this on the coastal wind paving guide.

Insurance, permits and retaining walls.

Flat paving is not registered building work in WA, so a paving contractor does not need a builder's registration to lay a driveway. But you still want a contractor who carries public liability insurance, so ask for it. And if your job includes a retaining wall over 500mm high, or any wall holding back a driveway, pool or neighbour's soil, that is structural work that needs an engineer's design and a City of Greater Geraldton building permit. A contractor who waves that away is the one to avoid.

Red flags worth refusing.

• A paver-only rate with the base priced separately or not mentioned at all.
• No edge restraint in the scope, the top cause of creeping, spreading paving.
• Loose washed jointing sand on a coastal job, which will blow out in a season.
• A retaining wall over 500mm with no engineer's design or permit.
• Cash-only with no tax invoice, which means no paper trail and no comeback.
• A deposit far above the going rate, which can signal an undercapitalised operator.

How to compare fairly.

Ask every contractor to itemise their quote the same way: paver type and thickness, base depth, edge restraint included on every side, jointing type, and sealing on any limestone. Once the quotes are itemised, you are comparing like with like, and the cheap-looking quote that left out the base usually turns out to be the expensive one. Our pricing page shows what fair 2026 rates look like so you have a benchmark.