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ES Windows Driveway & Pavers: The Fort Lauderdale Owner’s Guide
If you have an ES Windows product and the driveway or paver component around it is failing, you’re likely looking at one of two problems: the paver base under an ES Windows-fitted entry or drive has shifted, or the drain channel that ES Windows specs for sill-level water management has cracked or settled. In Fort Lauderdale, we install and repair these systems for $7,000 to $18,000 depending on square footage and base condition, and we stock the ES Windows-compatible drain channels and paver profiles on our trucks. Most owners discover the failure the same way: water pooling against the window sill after a hard South Florida downpour, or a paver that suddenly rocks underfoot where the driveway meets the house.
We’re an independent service provider, not affiliated with ES Windows. What we do is stock the parts that match their installation specifications, because the last thing you want is a paver that doesn’t sit flush with your window’s weep system.
Which ES Windows Models This Applies To
ES Windows manufactures impact-rated and non-impact window and door systems, but the driveway and paver compatibility question really comes down to what’s below the sill. Their most common Fort Lauderdale installations pair with a recessed drain channel that runs the full width of the window or door opening, then ties into the paver bed at a specific elevation. If you have an ES Windows sliding door or a fixed window that sits low to the slab, the pavers need to finish at or just below the weep holes, never above them.
The easiest way to identify what you need is to look at the bottom track. ES Windows units have a label on the interior of the frame near the locking point. It lists the series, the size, and the installation date. Take a photo of that label before you call anyone, including us. It saves a trip. For the paver side, you’re looking for either a 4-inch-wide channel drain (common on their multi-slide doors) or a 6-inch profile (seen on larger commercial-style openings). Aftermarket drains work fine here, but the cheap ones from the big-box store flex under Fort Lauderdale heat and eventually pull away from the slab. We use a rigid PVC channel that matches ES Windows’ original spec.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your ES Windows Driveway & Pavers Is Failing
- Water pooling against the window sill after rain. Your pavers have settled below the weep holes, which means water has no exit path. This is the most common failure we see in Fort Lauderdale, especially in Victoria Park and Sailboat Bend where older slabs have shifted.
- A paver that rocks or tilts when you step on it near the window line. The sand base has washed out from repeated flooding or a broken drain. Left alone, the paver will crack and the problem spreads outward.
- Visible gap between the bottom of the window frame and the top of the pavers. This gap grows as the base erodes. It’s not just ugly; it’s how roaches and standing water get under your threshold.
- Crumbling or flaking at the edges of pavers closest to the house. Constant wet-dry cycles from poor drainage eat away the paver surface. We see this a lot on the east side of Fort Lauderdale where salt air accelerates it.
- A drain channel that’s sunk or separated from the concrete. The channel has detached from the slab. Water now runs underneath it instead of through it, and your paver base is washing out from below.
See the difference
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After
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AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
For a paver driveway replacement in Fort Lauderdale tied to ES Windows-compatible drainage, budget $7,000 to $18,000 installed. The spread comes down to three things: square footage, how much of the old base can be salvaged, and whether we’re replacing just the pavers or also the channel drain and the concrete collar at the window line. A smaller driveway near the 400-square-foot mark with a simple drain replacement lands at the low end. A larger drive with a full base excavation and new 6-inch channel drain pushes toward $18,000.
Here’s what that number includes: demolition and haul-off of the old pavers, base compaction with a plate compactor, new bedding sand, new pavers (we install pavers from the same suppliers we trust for everything else), the ES Windows-compatible channel drain if needed, and cleanup. Written line-item pricing, no change orders. The 365-Day Done Right Promise applies to every paver job we do. If it’s not done right, we make it right, in writing.
DIY or Call Us?
Here’s the honest split. You can check the drain channel yourself. Clear out any debris, run a hose, and watch where the water goes. If it exits the channel properly and your pavers are still sinking, the base is failing and that’s not a one-afternoon fix. Re-bedding pavers means pulling them all, compacting the base in lifts, and re-setting everything to the exact elevation your ES Windows weep system needs. Get that elevation wrong and you’ve created a new water problem that costs more than the original repair.
This isn’t dangerous work like replacing a garage door spring or rewiring a panel. It’s heavy work, and it’s exact work. If you’re comfortable digging out several inches of base and hauling it off, it’s doable. Most people call us at (754) 354-7423 after the first wheelbarrow. Estimates are free.
FAQs
A properly installed paver driveway in Fort Lauderdale lasts 25 to 30 years, but the base and drainage are what determine that. Pavers themselves rarely fail; poor drainage under them does. The ES Windows-compatible channel drain we install is the part that protects the rest of the system, and it’s the thing to inspect after every hurricane season.
Yes, in most cases a failed channel drain can be replaced in a day without pulling the entire paver field. We cut out the affected section, re-set the new channel to match the window weep elevation, and re-lay the adjacent pavers. Call (754) 354-7423 and we’ll tell you if your drain is a candidate before we schedule anything.
Most Fort Lauderdale driveway replacements take three to five working days. That includes demo, base compaction, paver installation, and the drain channel work at the window line. Weather can push it a day or two, and we’ll tell you that before we start, not after.
We do. The 4-inch and 6-inch rigid PVC channels are on our trucks because they’re what most ES Windows installations in Fort Lauderdale use. If your opening uses a different profile, we’ll measure the old channel and match it from our supplier before we schedule the job. That’s part of the written price you get before any work starts.
If you’re noticing water where it shouldn’t be, or a paver that’s starting to move, call us at (754) 354-7423 for a free estimate. We’ll look at your window label, measure the drain, and give you a number you can take to the bank. That’s how we run every job, from the first phone call to the final walkthrough.
Written by Luca Romano, Owner & Lead Contractor, Sawyer Remodel Fort Lauderdale at Sawyer Remodel Fort Lauderdale, serving Fort Lauderdale and nearby areas.
