1st paver installation?

[Blink74]

I own a small grounds maintanence company. We do some light landscaping, but, no hardscapes. We've done a few small paver and flagstone landings and that is the extent of my paver experience.

My wife and I built a new house and we want a nice paver patio. Something with a nice pattern, paver steps from the back door, some planters incorporated and a purgela. Now, this is far beyond my expertice. I want it done right and I don't have the time during the work season, so we are thinking of hiring it out. However, I feel silly hiring someone to do it when I'm in the industry. My business partner says I should just suck it up and do it myself.

What do you guys think?

[grassyfras]

If its a newly built house you might want to wait to let stuff settle. In the mean time do some walkways then do the driveway. Thats my plan before I do my driveway.

[mbella]

It could be a good learning experience, but if you don't have aspirations of doing that kind of work then so what. In addition, if you don't have the time then you don't have the time. Hire someone. I don't cut my own grass. Big deal.

[Groundcover Solutions]

What we did when we were starting to pursue the paver side of the biz was do one of our own houses. We had a friend of ours who owned another landscaping company that did a lot of hardscape work draw up the plans for us. It ended up turning out extremely well. It was a raised patio with planters around the sides, steps and even a handicap ramp which was extremely fun to engineer and build. Along side of the ramp we also put in planters that descended with the ramp it turned out great. So I would say look at having the design work done and then take care of putting it in your self you will learn a ton.