Your interlocking is installed. It looks great. And somewhere in a folder or email thread is a warranty document you probably have not read carefully. Most homeowners do not, until something goes wrong and the contractor tells them the warranty does not apply.
An interlocking warranty in Ontario is only as useful as your understanding of what it covers, what it excludes, and what you might accidentally do to void it. Here is a plain-language breakdown of how interlocking warranties actually work across the GTA, and what you need to do to keep yours valid.
Key Takeaways
- A workmanship warranty covers installation decisions, not the pavers themselves
- Using the wrong de-icing products, high-pressure washing joints, and DIY repairs are the most common ways homeowners void coverage
- Any third-party work on the surface during the warranty period typically voids it entirely
- Document issues with photos and written communication from day one
- Always submit warranty claims in writing, not by phone
- Under Ontario’s Consumer Protection Act, services must be of reasonably acceptable quality regardless of what a warranty document says
- After the warranty expires, ongoing maintenance becomes fully your responsibility
What a Standard 2-Year Interlocking Warranty Actually Covers
There are two separate warranties in play on any interlocking project in Ontario. Most homeowners think they have one. They actually have two, and only one of them comes from the contractor.
Material warranty
Comes from the paver manufacturer. Covers defects in the product itself, such as structural failure, cracking, or deterioration of the concrete unit under normal use. This warranty exists regardless of who installed the pavers or how well they did it. Manufacturers like Unilock offer a lifetime transferable guarantee on the structural integrity of their products.
Workmanship warranty
Comes from the contractor. Covers how the job was done. This is the warranty that actually protects you from installation mistakes. It covers settling caused by inadequate base preparation, drainage failures from incorrect grading, edge restraint failures, and structural problems resulting from installation decisions.
At Inno Interlocking, every project comes with a 2-year workmanship warranty. That means for two years after installation, if settling, drainage problems, or structural failures arise from how the job was built, we come back, assess it, and fix what is ours to fix.
What that warranty does not cover is just as important to understand. The workmanship warranty is not a general maintenance plan. It does not cover normal wear, cosmetic changes, or damage caused by outside factors. Knowing the boundary clearly prevents misunderstandings on both sides.
One important legal note for Ontario homeowners: under the Ontario Consumer Protection Act, services must be of reasonably acceptable quality. Even if a warranty document contains restrictive language, a contractor cannot simply contract out of their obligation to deliver work that meets a basic standard. If you feel a warranty claim is being unfairly denied, this legislation gives you additional recourse beyond the written contract.
What Most Warranties Explicitly Exclude
These are the standard exclusions you will find in most professional interlocking warranty documents. Read your own contract against this list.
Efflorescence
The white, chalky mineral deposits that sometimes appear on new pavers. It is a natural chemical reaction as moisture moves through concrete. It is cosmetic and typically fades. It is not a defect and is not covered by either warranty.
De-icing salt damage
Improper chemical de-icing products, particularly those containing magnesium chloride, calcium magnesium acetate, ammonium nitrate, or ammonium sulfate, can cause scaling, pitting, and surface deterioration. Damage from these products is excluded from most workmanship and material warranties.
Vehicle or equipment damage
Scratches, gouges, or cracking caused by snow plows, construction equipment, heavy vehicles beyond residential loads, or chains on tires. Physical impact damage is not an installation defect and falls outside workmanship warranty coverage.
Tree root intrusion
Existing trees near the installation can push roots beneath pavers over time, causing lifting and displacement. Root intrusion from trees that were present at the time of installation is almost universally excluded from coverage.
Staining
Oil, rust, organic matter, and other stains from use are not installation defects. Staining caused by failure to remove construction residue during the install is also excluded from manufacturer warranties.
Colour variation
Natural weathering changes the appearance of pavers over time. Colour variation between batches, or between your pavers and manufacturer photographs or samples, is not a defect and is excluded from coverage.
Homeowner Actions That Void Your Warranty
This is the section that catches most people off guard. These are things homeowners do themselves, often with good intentions, that remove interlocking warranty coverage in Ontario entirely.
The four most common warranty-voiding mistakes
- Using high-pressure washing on joints. Pressure washing the paver surface at a low setting is generally fine. Directing a high-pressure stream into the joints is not. It blasts out the polymeric sand, destabilises the joint, and allows weed intrusion and moisture penetration. Most warranty documents explicitly void coverage if high-pressure water is used on or into the joint lines.
- Applying the wrong de-icing chemicals. Products containing magnesium chloride, calcium magnesium acetate, ammonium nitrate, or ammonium sulfate cause deterioration that is not covered by warranty. Stick to sodium chloride, applied sparingly. If you are unsure about a product, sand is always a safer option for traction through an Ontario winter.
- Hiring another contractor to do any work on the surface. This is the one that surprises people most. If a third party touches the interlocking during the warranty period, even for something that seems unrelated, most contractors consider the warranty void. Any excavation, digging, or soil removal near the finished paver system also typically voids coverage. If work needs to happen near or on the surface, contact your original contractor first.
- DIY repairs on top of warranty work. Lifting and resetting pavers yourself, adding joint sand without the contractor’s knowledge, or attempting to re-level a section on your own before the contractor has assessed it can be interpreted as tampering. Document the problem with photos, then call the contractor. Do not touch it first.
One more that applies specifically to Ontario: if your final payment was late or outstanding at project completion, some contractors include a clause voiding the warranty for late payment. Check your contract for this. It is standard practice to pay in full on completion so there is no ambiguity about warranty standing.
What Settling Adjustments Within the Warranty Period Look Like
Some movement in new interlocking is normal. That is different from settling caused by a base failure, and it helps to know the difference before you call.
Minor initial settling, a millimetre or two of adjustment in the first few months as the base compacts fully under use, is expected. The surface should still drain correctly and feel stable underfoot. That kind of minor settling is not a warranty issue.
What is a warranty issue is a section that drops noticeably, rocks underfoot, or holds water where it did not before. That kind of settling points to something in the base or drainage that was not right. That is what a workmanship warranty exists to address.
A legitimate warranty settling adjustment looks like this: the contractor visits the property, assesses the affected area, lifts the relevant pavers, corrects the base or drainage issue underneath, and resets the pavers. It is targeted and localized. It does not require pulling up the entire surface. The pavers go back down, usually the same ones, which is one of the practical advantages of interlocking over poured concrete.
Edge restraint movement is another common warranty item. In some cases, edge restraints in areas with mulch or planting beds can shift during deep freezes. A responsible contractor addresses this during the warranty period, typically once, as part of the settlement process.
How to Document a Warranty Issue Properly
Good documentation is what separates a straightforward warranty claim from a dispute. Start from day one, not when a problem appears.
Photograph the completed installation immediately
Take wide shots and close-ups of the full surface on the day it is finished. Include the edges, the joints, the border cuts, and any drainage areas. Date-stamped photos of the installation in good condition establish your baseline. If a problem appears later, you have a clear before reference.
Keep all contracts, quotes, and written communications
The signed contract, the original quote, payment receipts, and any email or text exchanges with the contractor should all be stored together. These form the paper trail that defines what was agreed and what the warranty covers. Ontario’s Consumer Protection Act requires agreements over $50 to be in writing, which is your baseline protection.
Photograph problems as soon as you notice them
When a settling issue, drainage problem, or structural concern appears, photograph it before doing anything else. Capture the problem from multiple angles and distances. Include a common object for scale if the depth or displacement is hard to show. Note the date you first noticed the issue.
Write down what happened and when
A brief written note describing the problem, when you first noticed it, and any relevant context, for example a particularly heavy winter or recent heavy rain, adds useful information to the claim. Keep it factual. Dates matter.
Do not touch the problem before contacting the contractor
This is the most important step. Any intervention on your part before the contractor assesses the issue, no matter how well-intentioned, creates an opening to dispute whether the original installation caused the problem. Document it, then call.
How to Request Warranty Service Correctly and What to Do If a Contractor Disputes It
Always submit a warranty request in writing. A phone call is not a warranty claim. An email, a text message, or a written letter is. This matters because written submissions create a date-stamped record. Verbal conversations do not. This applies to any interlocking warranty claim in Ontario, whether you are dealing with a large GTA contractor or a smaller local crew.
Your written request should include the date the problem was first noticed, a brief description of the issue, the photos you have taken, and a reference to your warranty terms and the installation date. Keep it factual and clear. You do not need to diagnose the cause. You just need to describe what you are observing.
Send it to the contractor’s business email, not just a personal number. Copy yourself and keep the sent record. If the contractor does not respond within a reasonable time frame, typically 5 to 10 business days for non-urgent issues, follow up in writing and note the date of your original request.
If the contractor disputes the claim
Stay calm and stay in writing. The moment a dispute becomes verbal and undocumented, you lose the paper trail you have been building.
Ask the contractor to explain in writing why the claim is being denied and which specific exclusion or clause applies. A legitimate denial will reference the warranty terms clearly. Vague responses or no response at all tells you something.
If the contractor maintains that the issue falls outside coverage and you believe it does not, your options in Ontario include filing a complaint with Consumer Protection Ontario at ontario.ca, pursuing the matter in Small Claims Court for amounts under $35,000, or obtaining an independent assessment from a qualified hardscape professional to document that the issue is installation-related.
Remember that under Ontario’s Consumer Protection Act, services must be of reasonably acceptable quality. A contractor cannot simply write a warranty document that removes their basic obligation to deliver competent work. If the installation is genuinely defective, the law provides recourse beyond what the warranty document says.
One practical tip: if you need a second opinion on whether an issue is installation-related, get it from a qualified hardscape contractor in writing before escalating. An independent written assessment carries more weight than your own assessment when a dispute reaches Consumer Protection Ontario or Small Claims Court.
After the Warranty Expires: What Changes
When the 2-year workmanship warranty period ends, maintenance responsibility shifts fully to you as the homeowner. That is a normal part of owning interlocking in Ontario. It is not a reason to worry. It is just a reason to understand what ongoing ownership looks like.
The manufacturer’s material warranty on the pavers themselves typically continues. If a paver fails structurally due to a manufacturing defect after your workmanship warranty has expired, the manufacturer warranty may still apply. Keep your installation records and purchase documentation for this reason.
What the workmanship warranty was protecting against, settling from base issues, drainage failures, edge restraint problems, these are still possible after year two. But a well-built installation on a proper base, in the GTA’s climate, should not be producing those problems if the base work was done correctly. If significant settling or drainage issues appear after year two on a relatively new install, it is worth having a contractor assess whether the original base preparation was adequate.
The ongoing tasks that keep interlocking performing well after the warranty period are your responsibility: replenishing joint sand as needed, light cleaning, watching drainage patterns after heavy rain, and periodic sealing. These are not complex or expensive. But ignoring them shortens the surface life meaningfully.
If you are unsure what post-warranty maintenance actually involves, our complete guide to interlocking in the GTA covers what ongoing ownership looks like at each stage.
Quick Reference: What Keeps Your Warranty Valid
| Action | Safe | Risky or Voiding |
|---|---|---|
| De-icing products | Sodium chloride (rock salt), applied sparingly. Sand for traction. | Magnesium chloride, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, calcium magnesium acetate (CMA). |
| Pressure washing | Light pressure on paver surface only, fan tip, held at safe distance. | High pressure directed into joint lines. Voids warranty on most contracts. |
| Third-party work | Contact your original contractor before any work near or on the surface. | Any other contractor touching the surface during warranty period typically voids it. |
| Reporting issues | Document with photos, submit in writing within the warranty period. | Verbal calls only, no written record, or waiting until after warranty expires. |
| DIY repairs | Document the problem and contact the contractor. Do not touch it first. | Lifting pavers, adding joint sand, or re-levelling before contractor assessment. |
| Snow removal | Plastic shovel or rubber-edged plow blade. Snowblower without chains. | Metal shovel edges, tire chains, or equipment not rated for paver surfaces. |
Questions About Your Inno Interlocking Warranty?
If you have a concern about your installation or want to understand what your coverage includes, reach out directly. We back every project with a 2-year workmanship warranty and we stand behind it.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is based on industry research, general best practices, publicly available legal references, and our professional experience working across the Greater Toronto Area. It reflects our views and should not be treated as formal legal or engineering advice. Warranty terms vary by contractor and contract. Ontario’s Consumer Protection Act and Construction Act are subject to change. Always review your specific contract and verify current legal requirements with the relevant authority. If you have questions about your specific installation or warranty situation, please reach out to us directly and we are happy to help.