Courtyard Paving in Metairie

The courtyard is a New Orleans tradition worth doing right

The enclosed paved courtyard is a New Orleans signature, and plenty of Metairie homes have the bones for one: a side yard between the house and the fence, a private back square framed by walls, a tucked-away spot off the kitchen. Paved properly, that space becomes an outdoor room you use daily, shaded, private, and finished. Brick pavers especially carry that classic regional look that fits both Old Metairie’s older homes and newer builds reaching for the same character.

Drainage is the make-or-break in an enclosed space

A courtyard’s biggest challenge is exactly what makes it appealing: it’s enclosed. Walls and the house on multiple sides mean water has nowhere easy to go, and our heavy Jefferson Parish summer storms can turn a flat, enclosed courtyard into a shallow pool fast. We solve it before laying a single paver. Every Metairie courtyard gets a deliberate slope to a planned outlet, whether that’s a channel drain, a discreet area drain tied to the storm system, or a permeable joint design that lets rain soak through. On Metairie’s high water table, we make sure that water actually leaves the space rather than sitting against the walls and the house.

• Slope and drains planned for a fully enclosed space
• Channel or area drains that carry storm water out
• Permeable joint options to reduce standing water
• Base built for soft fill so the courtyard stays level

Built to stay level on Metairie ground

Like every hardscape here, a courtyard sits on soft reclaimed lakefront fill that settles unevenly. Pavers handle that far better than a poured slab, which would crack and tilt in a tight space where every flaw is on display. We build a compacted base sized for the soft ground, and when settling does show up we lift and reset the affected pavers so the courtyard floor stays flat. In a small, frequently used space, that easy repairability keeps the room looking sharp year after year.

Patterns that make a small space feel intentional

Courtyards are usually compact, so the laying pattern does a lot of work. A classic herringbone or basketweave in brick pavers reads timeless and draws the eye. A running-bond or a defined border can make a narrow side courtyard feel wider. We use color and pattern to zone the space, a dining area here, a planted corner there, and tie the paving to any existing brick on the house so the courtyard feels original to the home rather than added on.

A complete outdoor room

We design the courtyard as a finished space, not just a floor. That can mean built-in seat walls, raised planters that bring greenery into an enclosed space, a small fountain for sound and cool, and lighting for evening use. Mature shade from a nearby live oak, common in Old Metairie, turns the courtyard into a genuine retreat from the summer heat. Where the work touches structures or drainage connections, we handle permits through the Jefferson Parish Department of Inspection and Code Enforcement.

What it gives you

A private, paved courtyard that drains properly even when it’s hemmed in by walls, stays level on Metairie’s soft ground, and carries that classic New Orleans look. It’s one of the most rewarding spaces to build here, taking an awkward side yard or empty back square and turning it into the part of the house your family lives in most.