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Laying a paver walkway well comes down to two things: choosing a pattern that suits how the space will be used, and keeping your alignment and joint spacing consistent from the first paver to the last. Get those two right, and everything else, cutting, edging, sweeping in sand, falls into place. Get them wrong, and even a properly built base underneath won’t save the finished look.
At Ridgewell Landscape and Design, we lay paver walkways across the Denver area, including Broomfield, Parker, and the surrounding communities, and pattern choice is one of the first conversations we have with homeowners. This guide walks through how to actually lay the pavers once your base is ready, along with the patterns, materials, and techniques that separate a clean, lasting result from one that looks slightly off the moment it’s finished.
Before placing a single paver, it helps to know which pattern you’re aiming for. The pattern affects how much cutting you’ll do, how the walkway holds up over time, and the overall look of the finished path.
| Pattern | Difficulty | Durability | Best For |
| Running Bond | Easy | Good | Straight, simple walkways |
| Herringbone | Moderate to hard | Excellent | High-traffic paths, driveway adjacent walkways |
| Basketweave | Moderate | Good | Traditional or formal looks |
| Stack Bond | Easy | Fair | Modern, minimalist designs |
Running bond lays pavers in offset rows, similar to a brick wall pattern. It’s forgiving on curves and narrow sections, which makes it a common choice for a first DIY project. The tradeoff is that it relies more heavily on edge restraints to keep pavers from creeping sideways over time, since there’s no interlocking geometry doing that work for you.
Herringbone places pavers at a 45 or 90 degree angle to each other, creating a zigzag look that locks each paver against its neighbors in two directions at once. This is generally considered the strongest pattern for load bearing and high traffic areas, which is why it shows up often on walkways that see regular foot traffic, wheelbarrows, or occasional vehicle overflow from an adjacent driveway.
Basketweave uses pairs of pavers set at alternating angles to create a woven look. It reads as more traditional or formal, and works well for walkways leading up to a front entry where the overall design leans classic rather than modern.
Stack bond lines pavers up in a straight grid, with no offset between rows. It gives a clean, minimalist look that pairs well with modern home exteriors, but it is the least forgiving pattern when it comes to hiding small measurement errors, since every joint lines up in both directions and any drift becomes obvious immediately.
If your walkway curves or narrows along its length, running bond is usually the most forgiving choice to work with. If it runs in a long, straight, high traffic line, herringbone tends to hold up the best over the years.
Materials
Tools
Everything in this guide assumes your base and bedding sand are already in place. Base depth and compaction matter more than the laying technique itself, since even a perfectly laid pattern will shift if the ground underneath isn’t ready for it. If you haven’t gotten to that stage yet, our guide to proper paver base depth covers exactly what’s needed before you start placing pavers.
The material you choose affects how easy or difficult certain patterns are to lay cleanly.
If this is your first time laying a pattern like herringbone, concrete pavers give the most predictable, beginner friendly results.
Late spring through early fall is generally the best window for laying pavers along the Front Range, once the ground has fully thawed and before the first hard freeze returns. Laying pavers on partially frozen or waterlogged ground makes it difficult to achieve a stable, level bedding layer, and any settling that happens before winter tends to get worse once freeze and thaw cycles begin. If you’re working within a tight timeline, aim to finish the joint sand and final compaction at least a few weeks before the first expected frost, so everything has time to set properly.
Begin laying from a straight, fixed edge, like a house foundation, existing patio, or driveway. Working from a true straight line keeps your entire pattern aligned as you move down the walkway. Avoid starting from the middle or an uneven edge, since small errors early on multiply quickly as the pattern repeats.
Whichever pattern you picked, stick to it row by row without adjusting on the fly. Herringbone and basketweave patterns especially rely on a repeating sequence, so laying out a few rows dry, without sand or mortar, before committing helps catch mistakes early, while they’re still easy to fix.
Most pavers are designed with spacer nubs on the sides for consistent joint width, typically an eighth to a quarter inch. Keep this spacing uniform throughout, since uneven joints are one of the most noticeable signs of a rushed installation, and they’re much harder to correct once several rows are already down.
Lay a level across several pavers every few rows to catch any pavers sitting slightly high or low. Fix these immediately by adding or removing a bit of bedding sand underneath, rather than waiting until the whole section is done, since a small dip that goes unnoticed early can throw off an entire row by the time you reach the end.
Leave edge and border cuts for the end, once the main field of pavers is laid. This lets you measure the exact gap left at the edges rather than guessing sizes in advance, which reduces wasted material and mismatched cuts. Mark each cut piece directly against the gap it needs to fill, rather than relying on a single measurement for the whole edge.
Once all pavers, including cut pieces, are placed, install edge restraints tightly against the outer row and secure them with spikes driven at a slight angle for extra holding power. This step is what keeps the entire pattern from spreading or shifting over time, especially through freeze and thaw cycles, and it’s one of the most commonly skipped or rushed steps in DIY installations.
Spread polymeric sand across the finished surface and sweep it into the joints until they’re fully packed. Remove excess sand from the paver surface with a soft broom, mist the area lightly to activate the polymers, and let it cure according to the product instructions before running a plate compactor over the entire walkway one final time to set everything firmly in place.
Freeze and thaw cycles along the Front Range put extra pressure on how tightly pavers are locked together. Patterns like herringbone, which interlock pavers in multiple directions, tend to hold their alignment better through repeated ground movement than simpler patterns relying mostly on edge restraints. This is one of the reasons we often recommend herringbone for walkways that see regular foot traffic through the winter months, particularly on properties with heavier clay soil, where seasonal ground movement tends to be more pronounced.
Once your walkway is finished, a little upkeep in the first year goes a long way toward keeping it looking sharp.
Labor and material costs for laying pavers vary depending on the pattern chosen, since more intricate patterns like herringbone and basketweave require more cutting and take longer to install than running bond or stack bond. Expect the labor portion of a professionally installed walkway to run somewhat higher for these patterns, even when the paver material itself costs the same. For a broader look at how paver project costs break down overall, our hardscaping cost guide is a useful starting point.
Laying pavers looks straightforward once a video makes it look easy, but a few situations make hiring a professional the safer choice:
With over 15 years of hands-on paver installation across the Denver area, our team has laid enough walkways to know exactly how a pattern will behave once the sand goes in, and where small adjustments during laying prevent bigger problems later. Explore our paver patio services if you’d rather have this step handled for you.
Running bond is generally the easiest pattern, since it repeats in straight rows and requires less precise alignment than herringbone or basketweave.
Most pavers are designed for an eighth to a quarter inch joint, maintained using spacer nubs built into the paver edges.
It’s possible, but it’s best used intentionally, like a herringbone field with a running bond border, rather than switching patterns without a clear design reason.
Most patterns require some cutting at the edges and borders. Herringbone and basketweave typically need more cuts than running bond or stack bond.
A string line stretched across fixed points, combined with frequent level checks every few rows, is the most reliable way to keep rows straight.
For high-traffic walkways or areas exposed to vehicle overflow, yes. Its interlocking design holds up better over time than simpler patterns.
Concrete pavers are the most forgiving choice for beginners, since their consistent size and shape make it easier to keep a repeating pattern aligned.
Light foot traffic is generally fine once the joint sand has been swept in and lightly misted, though it’s best to avoid heavy use or furniture for the first day or two while everything settles.
Choosing the right pattern and keeping your technique consistent from start to finish is what separates a walkway that looks professionally done from one that shows its DIY origins within a year.
Ridgewell Landscape and Design has been laying custom paver walkways, patios, and outdoor living spaces across Denver, Broomfield, Parker, and the surrounding communities for over 15 years. If you’d rather have your pattern planned and installed by hands that do this every day, reach out for a free quote and consultation.
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