Hardscaping guide · Franklin and Brentwood, TN

Paver Walkway Cost in Franklin and Brentwood, TN: Price Per Foot and Real Sizes

What a front walk, side path or garden path costs by size and material, and how to build one that stays level on clay soil.

Updated November 2026 · 11 min read · By Pineda Properties, Franklin TN

Tan paver walkway running along the side of a brick house, with planted beds and an edging border on both sides
A paver walkway by Pineda Properties, with an edging border and planted beds on both sides.

Quick answer

A paver walkway costs about $9 to $27 per square foot installed, depending on the paver and the guide you read [1] [2]. A 4×30 foot front walk is 120 square feet, so plan on about $1,080 to $3,240 before steps or repairs. Pineda prices each project after a free site visit.

$9–$27Installed paver walkway, per sq ft, national range [1] [2]
$1,080–$3,240A 4×30 ft front walk at those national prices
4–6 inCompacted stone base under a paver walk [3]
217 daysAverage freeze-free season in Nashville [8]

How much does a paver walkway cost per square foot?

Most national guides put a paver walkway at $9 to $27 per square foot, installed. Lawn Love gives $13 to $27 [1]. LawnStarter gives $9 to $20, with an average of $14.50 [2].

“Installed” means pavers, labor, base and sand together. The two guides differ because they sample different projects. Use the overlap, about $13 to $20, as a planning number for a simple walk.

The same walkway can price from $9 to $27 per square foot, depending on the guide
LawnStarter, typical range (top)$9–$20
Lawn Love, average range (top)$13–$27

Sources: Lawn Love, updated November 10, 2026 [1]. LawnStarter, updated October 9, 2026 [2]. Bar length shows the top of each range. National prices, not Pineda prices.

These are national numbers. Middle Tennessee prices depend on your slope, your soil and how a crew can reach the work. That is why Pineda prices each project after a free site visit.

What does a front, side or garden walkway cost?

A short side path can cost about $700 to $2,000. A 4×30 foot front walk runs about $1,100 to $3,250. A long garden path can pass $7,000. The table below shows how size changes the total.

We multiplied each size by the two national per-square-foot ranges above. Both guides publish size examples that match this math. LawnStarter shows $2,030 for a 35×4 foot walk and $4,060 for a 70×4 foot walk [2]. Lawn Love shows $1,300 to $2,700 for 100 square feet [1].

National installed price ranges by walkway size (rounded to the nearest $5)
WalkwayAreaAt $9–$20 per sq ftAt $13–$27 per sq ft
Side-yard path, 3×25 ft75 sq ft$675–$1,500$975–$2,025
Front entry walk, 4×30 ft120 sq ft$1,080–$2,400$1,560–$3,240
Wide walk from driveway to door, 5×40 ft200 sq ft$1,800–$4,000$2,600–$5,400
Long garden path, 4×70 ft280 sq ft$2,520–$5,600$3,640–$7,560

Size × national per-square-foot ranges from LawnStarter [2] and Lawn Love [1]. Straight, flat walks with simple patterns. Not a Pineda price.

Width matters as much as length. A 5-foot-wide walk costs 25 percent more than a 4-foot walk of the same length, because it holds 25 percent more material.

Long narrow paver walkway between a brick house and a fence, with potted plants and mulch beds along the edges
A long, narrow side-yard walkway from a Pineda Properties project. Length and width set the square feet, and the square feet set the price.

Which walkway material fits your budget?

Concrete pavers cost the least of the stone and brick options, at about $7 to $16 per square foot installed. Natural stone costs the most, at $12 to $50 [1] [2].

National installed cost per square foot, by walkway material
MaterialLawn LoveLawnStarterGood fit for
Concrete pavers$7–$16 [1]$8–$15 [2]Most front and side walks. Many colors and shapes.
Clay brick pavers$10–$19 [1]$10–$20 [2]Traditional brick homes. A classic look.
Slate pavers$10–$24 [1]$11–$20 [2]A natural, textured look.
Natural stone$13–$36 [1]$12–$50 [2]One-of-a-kind paths. See our flagstone comparison.

Pea gravel costs far less, about $1.80 to $3.50 per square foot [1]. Gravel suits a low-traffic garden path, while most front walks use a hard surface.

Brick walks run higher in one national guide. It puts a professionally installed brick walkway at about $15 to $30 or more per square foot, with labor alone at $8 to $16 [5].

Torn between pavers and stone? Read our guide to flagstone vs pavers.

Curving flagstone path beside a planted bed with a stone edging border, leading toward a brick house
A curving flagstone path with a stone border. Natural stone sits at the top of the price range.

What makes a walkway cost more?

Steps, slope, curves and old concrete to remove push the price up. A simple, straight, flat walk costs the least.

Steps and slope

Adding steps and intricate designs costs more than a simple path [1].

Grading

Leveling the ground costs about $0.70 to $2 per square foot in one guide [1].

Removal

Removing dirt and old concrete costs about $0.30 to $0.50 per square foot in one guide [1].

Curves and patterns

Curves and detailed patterns mean more cuts and more time.

Edging

Edge restraints hold the pavers in place and are essential to how the walk performs [3].

Permits

National guides list permits from $50 to $200 and from $200 to $1,000 [1] [2]. Ask your city what applies.

A walkway looks simple on the surface. The base and the edging under it decide whether it still lies flat in ten years.

Steps on a slope

Many yards here slope. When the front yard or side yard drops toward the street, a walkway may need steps, a landing or a short wall.

Stone steps cost more per square foot than a flat path. They also change how safe the walk feels in rain. If your yard slopes a lot, see our guides on sloped backyard ideas and retaining wall cost.

Stone steps built up a slope with river rock on both sides and a black metal fence beside them
Stone steps up a slope from a Pineda Properties project, with river rock on both sides.
Infographic showing national installed price ranges for four paver walkway sizes, from a 3 by 25 foot side path to a 4 by 70 foot garden path
Paver walkway cost by size, using national installed prices. Save or print this

How is a paver walkway built to last on clay soil?

A paver walk needs a compacted stone base, about 1 to 1½ inches of bedding sand and strong edging. For walks, the Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association (CMHA) calls for a base of 4 to 6 inches [3].

Middle Tennessee soil is often heavy clay. Clay holds water, and water is hard on a walk. A site with weak soil, poor drainage or freezing weather needs a thicker base. CMHA suggests adding 50 percent to the minimum for each ideal condition the site lacks [4]. For a 4-inch minimum, one missing condition means about 6 inches.

  1. Mark and dial 811. Lay out the path and call 811 before anyone digs.
  2. Excavate. The crew digs deep enough for the base, the sand and the paver.
  3. Build the base in layers. Stone goes down and gets compacted. CMHA says a plate compactor under 5,000 pounds of force is too small [4].
  4. Screed the sand. The sand is leveled to 1 to 1½ inches [3]. Low spots get fixed with base stone, not with extra sand.
  5. Set the edging. Edge restraints keep the pavers and joint sand together [3].
  6. Lay the pavers and sweep in joint sand. A final pass locks the pavers together.

Where water runs across the yard, the walk may need drainage beside it. See our drainage solutions in Franklin.

What front walkway ideas boost curb appeal?

Make the walk wide enough, give it a gentle curve and frame it with plants and lights. These three moves change how a home looks from the street.

Pair the walk with beds and mulch. See our landscape design and installation for ideas that frame a new path.

Paver path beside a house with a river rock bed and a small shrub, with a black metal fence in the background
A paver path edged by a river rock bed. The border and the stone give the walk a finished look.

What should Brentwood and Franklin homeowners check first?

Check your HOA rules, call 811, and ask your city whether a walkway needs a permit. Each step is quick, and each can save you a restart.

Pineda builds walkways across Brentwood and Franklin, and our paver walkway installation in Franklin page shows more work. Use this short checklist before you sign.

Pre-build checklist for a Brentwood or Franklin walkway
CheckWho to askWhy
HOA design reviewYour HOA or management companySome neighborhoods review plans first. A review adds time before work can start.
City permitCity of Brentwood Planning and Codes Department, or City of Franklin Building and Neighborhood ServicesAsk whether your walkway, or any grading or steps, needs a permit.
Underground linesDial 811 (Tennessee 811)Free marking of utility lines before digging [9].
Water pathYour contractor, on the site visitWater that runs across or pools beside a walk needs a place to go.
Base and edging on the quoteEach contractorMatch base depth and edging before you compare totals.

When is the best time to build?

Nashville’s average last spring freeze is March 31, and the average first fall freeze is November 3 [8]. The freeze-free season averages 217 days [8]. Brentwood and Franklin sit in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7b [10].

Plan the build for the freeze-free months, and settle HOA approval first so the start date holds.

Get a paver walkway quote built for your yard

Pineda Properties designs and builds walkways, patios and walls across Franklin, Brentwood, Spring Hill, Nolensville, Thompson’s Station, College Grove, Fairview and Nashville. Pineda prices each project after a free site visit.

Get my free walkway estimate Call (615) 899-5766

Paver walkway cost questions from Brentwood and Franklin homeowners

How much does a paver walkway cost per square foot?

National guides put installed paver walkways at about $9 to $27 per square foot. Lawn Love gives $13 to $27, and LawnStarter gives $9 to $20. Your price depends on the paver, the base work and the site.

How much does a 4×30 foot paver walkway cost?

A 4×30 foot walk is 120 square feet. At national installed prices, that is about $1,080 to $3,240. Steps, slope, grading and removal add to it.

How much does a flagstone walkway cost?

National guides put natural stone walkways at about $12 to $50 per square foot installed. That is the top of the walkway price range. A flat path of regular stone sits at the low end, and thick, irregular stone with mortar sits at the high end.

How wide should a front walkway be?

Unilock says a front walkway should never be less than 4 feet wide at any point. A wider path lets two people walk side by side. Garden and side paths can be narrower.

How deep should the base be under a paver walkway?

CMHA calls for a compacted stone base of 4 to 6 inches under walks. A site with weak soil, poor drainage or freezing weather needs a thicker base. Ask each contractor to write the base depth on the quote.

Do I need a permit for a walkway in Franklin or Brentwood?

Ask your city before you build. Contact the City of Brentwood Planning and Codes Department or the City of Franklin Building and Neighborhood Services. Your HOA may also need to approve the design.

Sources
  1. Lawn Love, “How Much Does a Paver Walkway Cost in 2026?”, updated November 10, 2026
  2. LawnStarter, “How Much Does a Paver Walkway Cost in 2026?”, updated October 9, 2026
  3. Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association, Tech Bulletin PAV-TEC-010-22, “Application Guide for Interlocking Concrete Pavements”, revised 2022
  4. Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association, “Proper Concrete Paver Base and Depth: What to Know and Why It Matters”
  5. ThePricer, “How Much Does a Brick Walkway Cost?”, updated October 7, 2026
  6. Unilock, “Front Entrance Paving Ideas”
  7. Unilock, “Paver Walkway Ideas for a Warm Welcome”
  8. NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Nashville International Airport
  9. Tennessee 811 (dial 811)
  10. USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023