Greeney Residence — Permeable Paver Driveway & Courtyard

The homeowner's property sat at the low end of a 200-foot-long driveway that dropped 16 feet in elevation from the street. The existing concrete driveway was impervious, channeling all rainwater directly toward the home and garage at the bottom of the slope. With approximately 37 inches of annual rainfall in Portland, the property was receiving roughly 80,700 gallons of rainwater across the pavement surface each year — and all of it was running downhill into the house.

The flooding wasn't just an inconvenience; it was a structural and livability concern that the existing concrete couldn't solve. Beyond the drainage problem, the homeowner wanted the replacement solution to visually complement the home's exterior and harmonize with an adjacent natural stone wall on the property — so the fix couldn't just be functional, it had to look right.

Sequoia Stonescapes partnered with Drake's 7 Dees Landscaping to remove the existing concrete driveway and replace it with permeable interlocking concrete pavers. The crew of 4 to 5 completed the installation in 10 days.

We selected Keystone Panorama Supra 80mm pavers in Victorian Blend with a charcoal border. A combination that complemented the home's exterior while delivering the permeable performance the site demanded.

The base system was designed using our PICP certification standards: 18 inches of open-graded base consisting of 12 inches of 3-inch crushed open rock, 6 inches of 1-inch crushed open rock, and 2 inches of bedding sand aggregate. This specification was engineered to handle the full volume of annual rainwater the property receives.

When we pulled up the old concrete, we discovered significant settling underneath the garage, driveway, and along the existing concrete retaining wall. We brought in a specialist to pump structural fill beneath the garage and house, stabilizing the structure before it could develop into a foundation problem. It added time, but catching it then saved the homeowner from a far more expensive repair later.

The existing storm drain inlets were retained and integrated to work alongside the permeable paver system, creating a combined stormwater management approach.

The permeable paver installation eliminated the homeowner's flooding concerns entirely. The property now manages its full annual rainwater load through the pavement system rather than fighting against it. The courtyard, driveway, and turnaround area transformed the front of the home from a problem into a feature — and the pavers visually complement both the home exterior and the existing natural stone wall.

The project received an HNA (Hardscape North America) Award, recognizing the quality of the installation and the effectiveness of the stormwater solution.