The pavers are what the homeowner chooses. The base is what the homeowner depends on. And in the Knoxville and Maryville area, where the red clay soils shift with moisture, the freeze thaw cycle runs from December through March, and the summer storms dump inches of rain in a single afternoon, the base is the only thing standing between a patio that stays level and one that starts moving with the ground.

A paver patio is a flexible system. The pavers move independently. The joints absorb the shifts. And the aggregate base distributes the load without cracking the way poured concrete does. But the system only works if the base is deep enough, compacted thoroughly enough, and drained properly enough to isolate the paver surface from the clay's seasonal behavior.