Empire Stone Group pours driveways, patios and slabs, lays paver patios, and builds retaining walls and stone masonry for homes across North Carolina. Prepared right, poured to spec, finished by hand.
Four decisions set how a yard looks and what it costs. Pick one below, and it comes with you into the quote.
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Design conceptEverything below starts the same way: excavate, compact a stone base, set drainage, then build. The finish is what you see. The base is why it lasts.
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Broom-finish, exposed aggregate, stamped and colored concrete. Driveways, patios, sidewalks, garage and shed slabs, pool decks, and replacement of cracked or heaved concrete.
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Concrete and natural-stone pavers on a compacted base, with edge restraint and polymeric sand. Patios, walkways, pool surrounds, and paver driveways that can be lifted and re-set instead of replaced.
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Segmental block, natural stone and poured walls that hold a slope, make a flat yard, or turn a drop into terraces. Seat walls, garden walls, and stone steps that match.
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Masonry that makes the yard a room: wood and gas fire pits, outdoor fireplaces, grill islands and kitchens, and natural or manufactured stone veneer on walls, columns and foundations.
Cracks, heaving and sunken corners come from a base that was never compacted or drained. Every slab, patio and wall we build sits on crushed stone that has been compacted in lifts, and water is given somewhere to go.
Your quote lists thickness, mix strength, reinforcement and joint layout, so you know what you are paying for and can compare it line by line with anyone else's.
The person who measures your job is the person you call during it. No handoffs, no "let me check with the office," and the crew cleans up like they were never there.
We measure, check grade and drainage, and talk through finishes. You get an itemized written quote, usually within two business days.
Utilities are marked, the layout is staked so you can see it, and any permit or engineering the job needs is handled before we dig.
Excavation, compacted stone base, drainage, then the pour or the set. Most patios and driveways take two to four working days on site.
We tell you exactly when it can be walked on and driven on, apply sealer where the finish calls for it, and walk the job with you before the last invoice.
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Design conceptTell us where the project is when you request a quote. We confirm scheduling for your area on the first call.
Flatwork, footings, paver and wall packages for lots you are already on. One crew, one contact, written scope per lot, and we show up on the day the schedule says.
Most contractors make you book a visit to hear a number. Ours are on the page, with what they include, so the visit is about your yard, not about guessing.
Most North Carolina concrete driveways run $8 to $18 per square foot installed in 2026. A broom-finish driveway is at the low end, stamped or colored concrete at the high end, and removing an old driveway adds $2 to $8 per square foot. A typical two-car driveway of 600 square feet lands between $5,000 and $11,000.
Poured concrete costs less up front and gives one clean surface, and stamped concrete can mimic stone. Pavers cost more but can be lifted and re-set if the ground moves, never show a crack line, and can be extended later. On heavy clay soil that moves with wet and dry seasons, pavers are often the longer-lasting choice for a patio; concrete is usually the better value for driveways and slabs.
In North Carolina, walls retaining more than a few feet usually need a permit, and the state building code requires a licensed engineer's design once a wall or a stacked series of walls holds back more than 5 feet. Some counties set the line at 4 feet. We handle the permit check and bring in an engineer when the wall calls for one.
You can walk on new concrete after 24 to 48 hours, park a car on a driveway after 7 days, and it reaches full design strength at 28 days. Paver patios can be used as soon as the joint sand is set, usually the same day the crew finishes.
Yes. We come to the property, measure, check grade and drainage, talk through finish options and send an itemized written quote. There is no charge and no obligation.
Empire Stone Group serves homeowners and builders across North Carolina. Tell us where the project is when you request a quote and we will confirm scheduling for your area.
Free, on site, itemized. Most quotes go out within two business days.
